Kuso likes family atmosphere at GU

Abdullahi Kuso, a 6-foot-9, 228-pound junior and first-year transfer from Tallahassee (Fla.) Community College, has carved out a seemingly comfortable niche as a backup forward for Gonzaga.

Kuso, a Nigerian native, has played in all 20 of the Bulldogs’ games and is averaging 5.1 points and four rebounds per game heading into Saturday’s 5 p.m. West Coast Conference game against San Francisco in the McCarthey Athletic Center.

He sat down with The Spokesman-Review to discuss his family, teammates and impression of GU.

S-R: How long has it been since you’ve been back to your native country?

Kuso: I haven’t been back since I came here (to the U.S.). I haven’t seen my mom and dad in over three years.

S-R: Has being so far from home for so long made the separation any easier?

Kuso: No, it’s still hard, especially at Christmas and Thanksgiving, when everybody gets to see their family and all I get is a phone call. But I keep in touch with them and all that. I usually talk to them on the phone twice every week.

S-R: Do you think your parents will ever get a chance to see you play in college?

Kuso: Hopefully, my senior year, maybe. At least my dad might. That would be awesome.

S-R: What does your dad do back in Nigeria?

Kuso: He’s a lawyer.

S-R: Do lawyers back there make the same kind of money as lawyers do here in the States?

Kuso: I wish.

S-R: How often do you see your aunt and uncle in New York?

Kuso: Every time I get out of school in the summer or on spring break, I go to New York.

S-R: What other schools were recruiting you out of junior college?

Kuso: Clemson, UMass and Virginia.

S-R: Why did you choose GU?

Kuso: When I came here on my visit, the way the guys and coaches interacted seemed natural and real compared to those other schools. I felt at the other places, everything was kind of professional. Here, the coaches’ kids will be out there (at practice) wearing my jersey. Everybody here is family.

S-R: What has been the biggest difference between living in Spokane and living in Nigeria?

Kuso: The weather. By far, the weather.