‘He was going to blow up’: Wichita State lands a commitment from this viral dunker
Chaunce Jenkins was on the verge of becoming a breakout prospect before the coronavirus pandemic prompted cancellation of the Nike youth-basketball circuit later this spring.
Rivals national recruiting analyst Corey Evans firmly believes that Jenkins’ recruiting would have taken off when college coaches saw the elite athleticism and raw talent of the 6-foot-4, 165-pound guard from Newport News, Virginia.
Instead, Wichita State did its homework and unearthed Jenkins anyway, a high school senior in the class of 2020 who committed to the Shockers Sunday afternoon. WSU assistant coach Isaac Brown spearheaded his recruitment. Jenkins is the third class of 2020 recruit for WSU, joining three-star wing JaDun Michael, who signed in the fall, and UConn graduate transfer point guard Alterique Gilbert, who committed Saturday.
“Jenkins was honestly one of my favorite prospects still available this spring,” Evans told The Eagle. “If he would have played in the Nike circuit next month, it would have made it extra difficult for Wichita State. He was going to blow up.
“He’s a super-talented, giant guard that can make shots, handle in a pinch, but most of all is an athlete. I think he can be a star at the next level. He needs more time to refine his game, but the talent and upside is evident.”
That supreme athleticism was evident in a dunk by Jenkins from January that went viral. It was on a fast break and he soared down the court, taking off just past the free-throw line and elevating well above the rim to throw down a thunderous jam over a defender. It looked as if he had jumped off a trampoline.
The dunk landed Jenkins on SportsCenter’s Top 10 plays but did not launch his recruiting.
Before WSU offered on March 20, Jenkins only had three Division I scholarship offers, and they were all from small-majors: Robert Morris, VMI and Hampton. He had not yet been evaluated by a major recruiting service in spite of the fact that he enjoyed an all-state season at Menchville (Va.) High.
Jenkins possesses not only the kind of athleticism that WSU needs to compete in the American Athletic Conference, but to stand apart in the highly competitive league. Combined with his length at 6-foot-4, he has the potential to become a top-notch defender capable of guarding multiple positions for the Shockers.
Going from an under-the-radar prospect to playing at the AAC level will take time — especially in terms of his offensive game — but WSU is encouraged by Jenkins’ skill-set. He needs to refine his handle and off-the-bounce game, but that situation aligns well with WSU’s needs. And at a wiry 165 in his 6-4 frame, Jenkins will only benefit from WSU’s weight-lifting program.
The Shockers already have their backcourt set in Gilbert, sophomore Tyson Etienne and junior Dexter Dennis. They aren’t going to ask Jenkins to come in and score big numbers right away in his first season. He will have time to mature and develop into the type of big-time player that WSU believes he can ultimately be.
After a rocky week that saw a seventh scholarship player leave the program on Friday, Marshall and the Shockers stabilized over the weekend with commitments from Gilbert and Jenkins. Plenty of work remains to be done, with up to five scholarships available, but the pair of commitments marks a strong start to the spring recruiting cycle for Marshall.
This story was originally published March 29, 2020 at 2:16 PM.
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