Cardinal Ink Pair

STANFORD, Calif. – Stanford's Anne and Tony Joseph Director of Men's Basketball, Jerod Haase, has announced his first recruiting class with the Cardinal, as standouts Kezie Okpala and Oscar da Silva sign with the program.
 
Okpala, a 6-8, 185-pound small forward from Esperanza High School in Anaheim, California, and da Silva, a 6-9, 210-pound forward from Ludwig Gymnasium in Munich, Germany, will enroll at Stanford this summer and begin competing for the Cardinal in the 2017-18 season.
 
"We are really excited to welcome Kezie and Oscar to the Stanford family," Haase said. "Our staff's primary focus was on recruiting individuals that align with our vision of this program. In both Kezie and Oscar, we believe we have found two guys that embody our principles of scholar-athleticism. Both these individuals offer great size, versatility and a great passion for the game. We are thrilled about the future of this program."
 
Okpala is recognized as one of the nation's top prospects in the 2017 class, ranking No. 68 by Scout.com, No. 69 by Rivals.com, and No. 75 by ESPN's recruiting service. Ranked as the top small forward in the state of California, Okpala is considered the 18th-best prospect at his position in the entire 2017 class. He set Esperanza High School's single-season record for scoring average as a junior, averaging 23 points per game. Okpala was named the Crestview League Player of the Year in 2016, after guiding the Aztecs to their first conference title in four years. The versatile small forward also led Esperanza in rebounding, assists and steals his junior season. He is a two-time all-league selection.
 
A First Team All-Orange County selection by the Orange County Register, Okpala scored more than 30 points in a game on three occasions his junior season. A growth spurt over the last couple of years transformed the 5-10 freshman in 2014 to 6-8 as he enters his senior season at Esperanza in 2016. Okpala plays for the So-Cal All-Stars AAU program.    
 
"Kezie is extremely skilled," Haase said. "He is an exceptional ball-handler, with great command of the basketball. He brings a lot of energy on both ends of the court, which his teammates feed off."
 
A native of Munich, Germany, da Silva speaks six languages fluently. The forward is a standout for Ludwig Gymnasium. He is also a member of the NBBL's MTSV Schwabing, where he averaged 21.0 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 2.0 steals and 1.7 blocks last season. da Silva was selected for the NBBL All-Star Game last season.  
 
He played for Germany's U18 National Team in the prestigious Albert Schweitzer Tournament in April of 2016, averaging 7.0 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks.
 
"Oscar is extremely versatile, having played multiple positions throughout his scholastic career. His length and excellent skillset will allow us to use him different places around the court, offering several options offensively.
 
Okpala and da Silva are the first two signees of the Haase era at Stanford.