Precious Achiuwa is an improving forward in the class of 2019. He originally hails from Nigeria and played high school ball at Montverde Academy.
NBADraft.net: How has Atlanta been and how does it feel to be a McDonald’s All American?
Precious Achiuwa: It’s been a great experience. A lot of good players and being able to compete against these dudes everyday is a great experience. I’ve really had fun so far and had enjoyed my time out here so far.
NBADraft.net: Do you feel like you got to show everything you can do in practice?
Precious Achiuwa: I think to an extent I have. I can’t really show everything obviously, because we haven’t really played a lot. You can’t really show your whole skillset when there’s a whole lot of good players playing with you. You can show decent parts of your game and people who know basketball know what you can do. You don’t have to show everything, you can tell “he can do this, he can do that” if you know basketball really well. I think all of us has really been able to do that and show what we can do on the basketball court.
NBADraft.net: Who else did you think played well?
Precious Achiuwa: I think a lot of dudes. I haven’t seen the other team play. I think my team can compete. I think everyone on my team played good, a lot of good guys. I really like dudes on my team, I think we’re all good individually and as a team collectively. I feel confident about the East team.
NBADraft.net: Who did you think was the best player not to make this game?
Precious Achiuwa: The best player not to make this game, man I don’t know to be honest. That’s a very confusing question because everybody here is really good and you can’t really say, because if you add someone here, you have to take someone out. So, it kind of goes back and forth. If you say someone is not here should be here, then you might even take a good player out to put a put in another good player. It’s a tough question to answer.
NBADraft.net: How’s it been for your senior year at Montverde Academy?
Precious Achiuwa: Montverde’s been great, I enjoy the school. Great coaching staff, great basketball every day, great teammates, and we’re just getting ready right now for Geico’s (National Tournament).
NBADraft.net: What are you trying to improve on before you go to college?
Precious Achiuwa: Before I go to college, I want to improve on my jump shot, ballhandling, just being able to locate my teammates, and a better understanding of the game.
NBADraft.net: You shot really well in practice yesterday, has that been a focus for you?
Precious Achiuwa: Yeah, that’s something I’ve really focused on, especially coming here, basketball’s a little bit different. The first day, my shots went in, but they didn’t go in as much as I wanted them to. So, that’s something I’ve put in a lot of work, my jump shot, improving it moving forward. Yesterday, I just felt good shooting the ball, I felt more comfortable shooting the ball. I just went out and just shot it. I’m confident with every shot that I take, and I think every shot that I take is going in as long as it’s a good shot.
NBADraft.net: Have any of these committed guys tried to recruit you?
Precious Achiuwa: Yeah, a lot of committed dudes try to recruit me. At the end of the day, I got to make a decision that’s going to benefit me and going to benefit my family moving forward.
NBADraft.net: At what age did you realize you wanted to take basketball seriously?
Precious Achiuwa: I played soccer most of my life to be honest. When I started to play basketball, I was playing just because…then at the end of my eighth-grade year, I was about to become a freshman, that was when I actually fell in love with basketball. The multiple hours it took being better at basketball because I really liked playing the game. Then I really felt like I could become something special.
NBADraft.net: When did you first dunk a ball?
Precious Achiuwa: I first dunked a ball in seventh grade.
NBADraft.net: How tall were you?
Precious Achiuwa: I was short actually. I was probably 5’11 and I wasn’t that tall. I only dunked one time in the seventh grade, one dunk, then I didn’t dunk until towards the end of my eighth-grade year maybe. Then I started dunking more consistently and it’s just been up from here.
NBADraft.net: What’s been your biggest accomplishment?
Precious Achiuwa: Throughout high school, I have a lot of accomplishments I’m really proud of, but I think the biggest is just improving my game, getting better every day, and just becoming a better basketball player every day, understanding the game a lot more. Like I said, I just started playing basketball, I know I have a long way to go understanding the game and improving my skillset.
NBADraft.net: Is there anyone in the NBA you like to watch and take things from?
Precious Achiuwa: I watch a lot of dudes in the NBA, I watch everybody in the NBA. I watch everybody in high school. I watch everybody in college basketball, and I try to take something from every single person no matter who it is. Even if I’m better than you, there’s got to be something that you do that I can’t do. I try to take bits and parts from everybody’s game and just add it to my game, because I know it’s going to help me become a better player at the end of the day. I’m always willing to learn from whoever and I think that’s what sets me apart from a lot of other dudes. I just want to get better over the year.
NBADraft.net: What position do you want to play ultimately?
Precious Achiuwa: I don’t have an ultimate position. I’m a basketball player. I play whatever position I’m needed to play at the moment and whatever the defense gives to me. I love to play off of feel, I love to play off what the defense gives me. If I have a bigger guy on me, I’m going to take him out. I have the skillset to take him off the dribble. If I have a smaller guy on me, easy, I usually take him down low and I just play off what the defense gives me. That’s what makes the game easier.
NBADraft.net: If you could go back and give advice to a ninth grade Precious Achiuwa, what would you say?
Precious Achiuwa: If I was to go back and give advice, I would say you should have fell in love with the game earlier.
NBADraft.net: Where do you see yourself five years from now?
Precious Achiuwa: Five years from now, I see myself playing pro basketball. Hopefully in the NBA, that’s the end goal and just doing good, getting better and improving my craft.
