Xavier Gets Pledge from Canadian Forward Eddie Ekiyor

Xavier has landed another commitment in the class of 2016 to go along with point guard Quentin Goodin and power forward Tyrique Jones in the form of three-star big man Eddie Ekiyor. The news was first reported by Hoops Hype Canada on their Twitter account.

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Ekiyor is a power forward who plays with an edge and will fit very well into Xavier's frontcourt with the tone being set by the fiery Jalen Reynolds. Ekiyor has some pending legal troubles in Canada and didn't return to New Hampton School this season but he had a very good initial foray into USA prep basketball last season with the Huskies. Reports indicate that Ekiyor was planning to enroll at a school for the second semester but he won't be eligible to compete until the 2016-17 season.

In a game I watched against vaunted Brewster Academy, Ekiyor held his own against the waves of talented big men that Jason Smith's Brewster squad threw at him, including Georgetown freshman Marcus Derrickson. Xavier is getting a hard-nosed and gritty power forward in Ekiyor. He has a developing offensive game but has a nose for the ball and rebounds well out of his area. Ekiyor ran with famed Canadian grassroots program CIA Bounce last summer.

Ekiyor is ranked 128th nationally according to 247Sports Composite Rankings. Speaking of rankings, X is now currently No. 1 in 247Sports' Big East recruiting rankings for the Class of 2016.