She is not the first point guard to commit very early. Hailey Swain from Georgia, an incoming 5-star recruit in the 2025-26 class also committed very early, as either a freshman or sophomore in high school. And Anna Wilson '22, was a high schooler from the East who committed as a freshman in high school.
"The Stanford commit, Alexandra Eschmeyer 6'5", started off the season with a bang with a 30-point double-double performance in a win over The Classical Academy." Click on link to read more.
QUOTE FROM 12/27 ARTICLE: Ezike erupted for a career-high 40 points and added seven rebounds and two steals to lift the Lions to a 71-58 victory over Prospect in the Montini Christmas Tournament quarterfinals.
Ezike broke the school single-game scoring record of 39 points, which was set by Mallory Heydorn in 2005, making 15 of 18 shots and all 10 of her free throw attempts. Two of her missed shots were 3-pointers.
Nora Ezike ‘25 had always known she wanted to go to Stanford University and junior year is when she gained the opportunity to make her dream a reality.
While she began playing basketball on her middle school team at Highlands, it was not until Ezike started high school that she initially fell in love with the sport.
“I really fell in love with [basketball] going into freshman year when I started playing for M14 which is my AAU [Amateur Athlete Union] club team just because of the competitiveness, and I really just loved everything about it,” she said.
In addition to participating in a competitive club team, Ezike began training with her uncle, Stanley Boateng. There, she worked to develop her technical skills and overall ability which has improved her versatility in the game.
“I feel I’ve grown all around as a player, but especially when I was younger, I was specifically a post,” Ezike said. “I’ve been able to expand my game by improving my handles, and improving my shot allowed me to play on the outside and develop my skills all around.”
September 2024 Video - Nora Ezike, 2025 4-Star recruit, featured in this 2:57 high school student spotlight.
Nora Ezike - Nov 2024 Backgrounder by Stanford Athletics 6-2 • La Grange, Ill. • Lyons Township
A 6-foot-2 forward, Nora Ezike is four-star prospect rated as the No. 84 player nationally.
She was named to the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association Class 4A third-team all-state team last season after averaging 15.9 points and 8.4 rebounds to lead Lyons Township to a third consecutive 4A regional title. A two-time All-West Suburban Conference Silver Division honoree, Ezike was promoted to varsity midway through her freshman year.
She scored 31 points as a junior against Glenbard West this past season, the second-best scoring performance in school history, and pulled down 18 rebounds as a sophomore against York, No. 4 in program history. Ezike also has eight double-doubles.
“Stanford has always been my dream school because of the unique combination of athletic and academic excellence,” Ezike said of her decision. “On my visit, the campus was beautiful, and the players and coaches were friendly and sincere. Everything just felt right.”
“Nora is an athletic, physical forward with a fantastic all-around game,” Paye said. “She attacks the basket, is a great rebounder and defender and can shoot from behind the arc.”
