Jakobi Oware is wasting no time turning himself into one of the more intriguing names in the 2028 class.
The 6-foot-6 wing from Downey (Calif.) St.
Pius X-St. Matthias Academy is already regarded as the No. 65 overall recruit nationally, and he’s expected to climb in this week’s expanded Top 150 update.
After making his first official visit to Georgia earlier this month, Oware came away impressed by what he saw in Athens.
“One of the things that mattered to me the most was the environment,” Oware said. “One of the words they used was growth.
That was a big thing for me this summer so I feel I connected with that. They are a known football program that is growing into a basketball program.
They talked about guys they have going to the NBA that are pursuing the same career that I want, like Asa Newell.”
Georgia’s pitch got a quick boost from assistant coach Darryl Hardin, who already has a history with Oware from the Puma Pro16 Circuit. Oware said Hardin reached out as soon as the contact period opened on June 15th, and the communication has stayed strong since then.
“Coach Hardin has been in contact with me since the start of the contact period on June 15th,” Oware continued. “It has been really good talking to him.
The coaching staff there is pretty cool and I just thought it would be a good place to check out. They talked about how they play through concepts and my team right now does that.
I feel like that fits in. They talked about being ready to shoot and me being confident in my shot.
They have shooters who they expect to shoot the ball. They have players similar to me in Kanon Catchings who is ready with his shot and looks like an NBA prospect to me.
So I feel like I can fit that similar role.”
Oware’s summer work has already put him on the radar. He emerged as one of the top prospects on the Puma Pro16 Circuit this year, and Hardin helped guide a Pro16 team to a championship during the league’s inaugural season before joining Georgia.
Georgia isn’t the only program making a run at him, either. Creighton, SMU, USC and Washington have also talked about bringing him to campus.
At Creighton, Oware said the connection has been steady.
“It has been great building a relationship and talking with them. I talk to Trey Ziegler. The environment at the school feels like it is going well.”
SMU’s pitch has centered on the classroom as much as the court.
“They talk to me about how they have great academics as well as basketball.”
USC made its impression during a recent practice visit.
“I went to their practice about a month ago. Their energy was pretty high.
It set a bar for other schools. They have a lot of high-level guys who are in their program right now that are looking to go to the next level.”
Washington has also stayed in the mix.
“The coaching staff is pretty cool. I have seen some of their practices and they work on some good stuff.”
For now, Oware says he plans to stay in the 2028 class, even as reclassification becomes a bigger talking point for many prospects. He also has a timeline in mind for his college choice, with a decision expected in the fall of his senior year.
“I am looking for a team that will pour into my vision of getting to the next level,” Oware said. “I want them to care about me and have a lot of resources and evidence that I can be the next guy to come out of there successfully.”
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