Recruiting Profile 2011: Angelo Chol
By Griffin Bennett – Staff Writer
After 2010/11, the only big men left on the team will be Aziz N’Diaye, Darnell Gant, and Tyrese Breshers. With upwards of 5 scholarships available, you can certainly bet that at least 2 of them will go to big bodies that can help our young stable of guards. Here’s a look at one of them who I think Romar really likes:
Name: Angelo Chol
Height: 6’8”
Weight: 205 lbs.
Position: PF/C
Class: 2011
Scout Ranking Overall: #22(#3 C)
Location: San Diego, CA
AAU Team(s): Dream Vision
High School Team: Herbert Hoover High
Interested Schools: Alabama, UCONN, Georgetown, Kansas, Washington
If you haven’t seen him, here are a couple decent highlight videos:
What’s his game like?
He’s a lefty big man!!!! That’s exciting enough. I don’t know why lefties are so fun to watch, but seeing a sky hook from a left-hander is a thing a beauty. He is still raw and scouts continue to be disappointed that he can’t put his flashes of brilliance into a consistent package. He has improved over his junior year but slower than most were expecting. His national rankings have fallen due to that, but his up-side is sky high. He is a little slower than MBA with a better mid range shot but less athleticism. His game fits the 5 spot better than the 4, but his lack of size does not help. Let me break him down a little bit more:
- Speed: Above average up and down the court which lends itself favorably to Romar’s high-octane game. His fast break ability is just what Romar wants to see out of his 4/5’s
- Quickness: A little slower with his lateral quickness which quicker players tend to take advantage of offensively. He looks like a natural 5 defender when you watch him play
- Shot: Lefty with great touch under the hoop. He’s an excellent finisher with a nose for follow-up shots. His lefty hook is amazing and cannot be touched. He has also recently developed a mid-range shot that goes in at a decent rate, but his shot is long and needs work if it will be effective at the next level.
- Defense: This is where he shines. His blocking ability is even better than MBA’s. He gets off the floor quickly and can block with force from both hands. As I said, he is slow laterally at times which can cause him problems against quicker PF’s.
- Passing: His above-average passing skills are really nice as he rarely turns the ball over and can usually see when the play calls for the extra pass. You could easily play through him in the post with his passing ability.
- Athleticism: His body is built to play in the post. His vertical is slightly above-average, but he’s not MBA in terms of jumping ability, although, he can slam it down with ease.
- Potential: High major potential with a constantly improving game. He’s a prototypical 4 year prospect who could be a first-team all-conference player later in his career.
Background on Angelo Chol:
Angelo moved to San Diego when he was 7 after being born in Sudan and briefly living in Egypt. In a common fashion, he had never heard of basketball when he arrived and quickly learned that his height lent itself favorably to the sport.
Here is a great article year that really does an excellent job in explaining his background but I’ll pull out some key points. He didn’t start playing until the 7th grade when his biggest struggle on the court was “layups, I guess,” said Chol. “Running down court and laying it up. That was quite a struggle for me when I first started playing.”
He has come a long way with the help of his high school coach Ollie Goulston. Goulston says that before his sophomore year he could already “see the difference. But it’s not all about his size. Angelo is willing to get up at six o’clock in the morning just to work on stuff like his ball handling. It’s all about developing his game – he’s willing to do whatever it takes. He’s a special kid and a high character person.”
After his sophomore year he led the nation in blocked shots with 210! Let me repeat that if you didn’t read that correctly: HE LED THE NATION IN BLOCKED SHOTS AS A SOPHOMORE! He averaged 14 points, 14 rebounds, and 11 blocks that season. A triple-double with blocks is not easy to do on any level.
“It’s a reaction, really,” Chol said when describing his ability to block shots. “They want you to leave your feet, but the key is to not jump before they leave their feet.” Goulston noted, “He has unbelievable timing. You don’t find many kids like Angelo Chol around,” his coach continues, “and it’s not just because of his size and his basketball potential – we’re talking about his personality and dedication. There are two basic things that Angelo brings to our team; one, he dominates the game without scoring, and two, he makes everyone around him a little bit better. Where are you going to find a guy that leads the nation in blocks who is willing to take a charge? We have him right here in Angelo Chol.
Will UW get him?
Earlier in the year, we were the clear cut favorite for Angelo’s talents as Romar focused a lot of his earlier energy on garnering his trust which Chol’s coach says is very important to the former “refugee from a war-torn country”. With that said, a lot of other schools have come on strong with a below-average big-man class. In May during a Scout.com interview Chol said “I just don’t know yet,” when asked if he had a timeframe for a college decision. “I’m going to have to wait until spring of next year. They are all coming at me with good stuff.” This means he won’t be an early signee or even an early commit. It will be interesting to see if Romar will be willing to wait for Chol and reserve a scholarship for him. In my opinion, it would be well worth it as his high defensive ability, upside, and character are just what Romar and all of Husky Nation love to see out of their Dawgs.
Thanks for coming!