Leaping Feet First Into Hoops
Just a few years ago, officials of the Nigerian state of Akwa Ibom decided to put together a basketball team.
They brought in the tallest guys in the state, very few of whom had previously played, and competed in a tournament on a concrete court.
That made it a little tough on young Ime Oduok. See, no one could find shoes to fit his size 18 feet, so he had to play barefooted.
“I had bumps all over my feet. It was a terrible experience, but I wouldn’t let anything stop me,” Oduok told the Los Angeles Times recently. “Ever since I was told to go into basketball, I always said I was going to do this, no matter what.”
He has certainly kept his word.
And Loyola Marymount coach John Olive is delighted about it as Oduok eventually walked into his office, offered his services, and now leads the West Coast Conference in rebounding. Beyond that, he’s the only player in the league to average a double-double (11.9 points and 10 rebounds).
Didn’t somebody make a movie with this plot?
At 6-foot-9 and 240 pounds, Ime Oduok (e-may o-dwok) is still a raw but extremely powerful force under the basket.
Against Notre Dame early this season, Oduok had 27 points and 16 rebounds.
But in last week’s loss to Gonzaga, Oduok fouled out with only one point and three rebounds.
He may struggle with inconsistency, but he is once again expected to challenge the GU front line when the teams meet in L.A. on Saturday.
“He’s really become a problem for people under the basket,” GU coach Dan Fitzgerald said last week, “because he’s got really good size and strength.”
Olive saw the potential, but admitted even he’s surprised by Oduok’s advancement.
“I never would have thought that he would be where he is today,” Olive told the Times. “But Ime’s so bright, he’s a real quick study.”
Well, if the shoe fits, wear it. And in the case of Oduok, if it doesn’t fit, he’ll play barefooted.
Around the league
Santa Clara can clinch a tie for the league championship with wins over San Francisco and San Diego at home this week.
But the Broncos need a little help, as Portland would have to lose two in Los Angeles and St. Mary’s would have to lose to either USF or San Diego.
In the 28 years the WCC has had eight members, the champ has never had more than three league losses. Santa Clara, Portland and St. Mary’s meet that criterion.
GU’s Jon Kinloch leads the WCC in 3-point accuracy at 48.2 percent. The Bulldogs also lead the league in field-goal (49.3) and 3-point (38.7) percentages. Defensively, they lead in scoring defense (66.8 points) and field-goal defense (40.4). So why are they 2-6 in the league?
Portland’s 15 wins are the most at the school since 1982.
USF guard Gerald Walker is creeping up on GU’s John Stockton on the career steals list. He’s four short of Stockton, whose 262 steals leaves him in third. Atop the list is Walker’s former USF teammate, Orlando Smart, with 279.
Heading to Los Angeles this weekend
for games tonight and Saturday against Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount, Gonzaga is looking for a first.
In 15 WCC previous WCC seasons, the Bulldogs have never defeated both L.A. teams on the road during the same trip.