Notre Dame's Class of 2011 just got a whole lot better with the addition of 6'8, 210 Eric Katenda.
Katenda goes to Notre Dame from Sunrise Christian Academy (KS). This should finish up the recruiting for the the Irish for next year.
After a lengthy recruiting process, Katenda chose Notre Dame over Wake Forest and Iowa.
I'm eager to see where the Deacs will turn now for a bigger man for next year. Until we land one I would not expect any great improvements next year. It will be fun to follow Katenda at Notre Dame and see what he can do there.
Apparently Katenda flipped from Wake Forest to Notre Dame earlier today before the decision.
Click through the jump for ESPN's scouting report of Katenda's game.
Strengths:
Katenda is a long and athletic hybrid forward who has a very high ceiling. He runs the floor very well, moves well laterally, is extremely bouncy, and plays high above the rim. He has a good skill base facing the basket as he is very smooth handling the ball in the open floor or facing up and attacking his man in the quarter court. He has a soft touch in the mid-range area and can even step out and knock down the occasional three-pointer. His mobility is a major weapon defensively and he is already a good shot blocker and high volume rebounder.Weaknesses:
While Katenda is very skilled for a player his size, he gets a little too enamored with the perimeter at times. He is much more comfortable facing the basket then playing with his back to it and would do well to capitalize on his athleticism more consistently in the post instead of settling for so many long jumpers. He isn't a big fan of contact inside the paint on either end of the floor and needs to develop the killer instinct to be great.Bottom Line:
Katenda is an undeniable talent with great size, length, athleticism, and skills for a player his size. He needs to become a little more physically assertive and concentrate on impacting the game more in the paint instead of constantly trying to prove his worth on the perimeter.Notes
Native of Cameroon...