On Sunday, four-star power forward Chance Comanche committed to Arizona, announcing that he would be joining the Wildcats come the 2015-16 season.
Comanche, who is a current senior at Beverly Hills High School in Los Angeles, is ranked 97 in the 2015 ESPN 100 and had also received offers from UConn, ASU, California, UCLA and Louisville, among others.
Before transferring to Beverly Hills this year, Comanche played for View Park Prep as a sophomore and junior, where he averaged 15.7 points and 13.7 rebounds per game.
The Daily Wildcat got the chance to speak with two of Comanche’s most recent coaches, Beverly Hills head coach Jarvis Turner and View Park Prep head coach Ken Henderson, and talk about what Comanche can potentially bring to the table when he joins the Wildcats basketball program a year from now.
Daily Wildcat: What type of vibe does Comanche bring to a team both in the locker room and on the court?
Ken Henderson: He was sort of a silent leader on the court and was one of those guys that really set by example. He didn’t really become vocal unless he needed to be. But regardless, I know for a fact that a lot of players feed off of the energy he brings when he’s on the court.
What do you see as some of Comanche’s biggest strengths and weaknesses?
Jarvis Turner: I think his biggest strength is his skill set. He’s a great shooter — shoots from about 18 or 19-feet extremely well — he has a nice soft touch around the basket and he just has an overall good feel for the game. That being said, this year I’m going to try to make him more agile with his athletic movements and fluidity and also get him a little stronger, bulk him up a little.
Henderson: A lot of people downplay his work ethic, but I disagree. He’s a versatile guy so he wants to do a lot of different things, and a lot of people assume that because he’s a big man he just wants to get inside in the paint with his back to the basket. Chance is a great passer; his ability to handle the ball is underestimated and his ability to step off and shoot the jump shot is also underestimated. His only weakness is his strength. He has the type of body that he could put on some more weight and some muscle.
How are you expecting Comanche to fit in a Pac-12 Conference level program like Arizona’s?
Turner: I think he’ll do great. Coach Miller is an excellent coach and he does a great job with his kids. I think Chance will do a good job with fitting in to the system Miller runs of having big guys who step out and shoot the basketball, make passes and initiate the offense.
—Follow Evan Rosenfeld @EvanRosenfeld17
