San Diego State basketball picks up its second 2017 commitment in Jordan Schakel

Late last night, the Aztecs coaching staff received some excellent news: 6-foot-6 wing Jordan Schakel would commit to San Diego State. The four-star prospect is the second commit in the 2017 class, following Adam Seiko, which leaves the Aztecs with two more open scholarships.

In Schakel, the Aztecs are getting a strong all-around player. The first thing that you notice about Schakel is that he is a threat behind the three-point line. On a second look, you notice that Schakel is not just a three-point shooter; rather, he is a scorer that can put the ball in the hoop in a variety of ways.

Another thing that stands out and makes him a good fit for the Aztecs is that he is defensive minded. He plays hard-nosed defense and prides himself on playing on both sides of the ball. The final aspect that catches the eye is that he does not mind mixing it up on the glass for rebounds. Schakel’s versatility and his ability to do many things well will fit in with what the San Diego State coaching staff wants to do.

Schakel’s recruitment was interesting from the start in that it moved in San Diego State’s favor rather quickly. The Aztecs offered the Bishop Montgomery High product back in early February and quickly jumped into the mix. At the time of that offer, it seemed like he was going to continue his parents’ legacy and head to USC.

By the time Schakel arrived for his visit in June, the word was that Stanford was interested. If they had offered, he would have accepted. After his visit, he even mentioned that he was going to go visit the Cardinal. It seemed reasonable that a student with a GPA of 4.3 like Schakel would love the opportunity to attend an academically prestigious university like Stanford. The offer and visit never materialized and San Diego State continued being in the thick of things with Schakel.

In the end, Schakel chose the school that showed him the attention and the commitment to recruiting him. The Aztecs now have a complimentary piece to bring in with Seiko in 2017. Schakel will be behind Jeremy Hemsley and Devin Watson on the depth chart, but his opportunity will likely come early in his Aztec career.

With two players in the fold for 2017, Aztec Nation will turn its eyes on to the next potential Aztec. Could that player be Tyler Bey? We hope to find out soon.