Chikae Desdunes commits to Rutgers

Former Penn State commit Chikae Desdunes has committed to Rutgers, she announced. This marks the first recruiting get of the Gary Redus era with the Scarlet Knights.

The 5-10 combo guard from Daytona Beach (FL) DME Academy originally chose Penn State over Purdue, West Virginia, Michigan State, Auburn and Baylor. She’s ranked as a 4-star recruit on Rivals.

Desdunes’ shooting was one of her major strengths last year. At DME last season, she shot 42% from the field and 37% from beyond the arc. At Nike EYBL session one last summer, Desdunes showed out from the perimeter and gained the attention of several national powerhouses. 

“My shooting is number one,” Desdunes told Rivals. “That’s what has kind of stood out for me. I feel like now coming to DME, I’ve grown to become a three-level scorer. I’m a lot more confident with the ball in my hands – a combo guard who can read the game really well and also can guard multiple positions. I can be versatile at the combo guard position.” 

When Desdunes was in the midst of making her decision last year, she spoke to Rivals about some of the deciding factors.

“The biggest thing is my relationship with the coaches,” Desdunes told Rivals. “I want a family environment. I’m also looking at coaching staffs that have been together for a while, so that when they say family, I know it’s real, because they’ve been together.”