Updated as of May 6, 2002
At Connecticut: First-year standout shot
blocker and rebounder who earned consensus recognition as a Freshman
All-American... Set a UConn record for blocked shots and grabbed more rebounds
than any other freshman in school history.
As a Freshman in 2001-2002: Named a First Team
Freshman All-American by the Sporting News, Basketball News and
Basketball Times... Named to the All-BIG EAST Third Team and a unanimous
selection to the BIG EAST All-Rookie Team... Named to the NABC All-District I
Second Team... Started all 34 games at the center position... Averaged 7.9
points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.1 blocks per game... Led the team in rebounding and
blocks... His 138 blocked shots are a UConn single season record, breaking the
old mark of 111 set by Donyell Marshall in 1993-94... Led the BIG EAST and was
No. 3 in the nation in blocked shots at 4.1 per game... His 9.0 rebounding total
was second in the nation among freshmen (45th overall) and is the second highest
freshman average in UConn history... He is the first UConn freshman to record
300 or more rebounds... Shot 59.0% from the field, No. 6 on the UConn single
season list... Reached double figures in points 11 times, in rebounds 16 times
and had seven double-doubles on the season... Named CBS Player of the Game in
First Round of the NCAA Tournament vs. Hampton after recording his seventh
double-double with 12 points, 15 boards and adding five blocks... Averaged 8.8
points and 8.3 rebounds in the NCAA Tournament... Averaged 7.7 points and 10.0
rebounds in the BIG EAST Tournament... Nearly recorded a triple-double on two
occasions... In the win over Boston College on February 16, he totaled nine
points, 11 rebounds and nine blocked shots... In the win at Arizona, he totaled
19 points, 15 rebounds and nine blocks, all career-highs... For his performance
against Arizona, Andy Katz of ESPN.com listed Okafor as his national player of
the week and Dick Vitale of ESPN had Okafor and teammate Ben Gordon as his
Diaper Dandies of the Week... He was also the winner of ESPN’s weekly poll "Big
Man on Campus", which runs throughout the course of the evening during the Big
Monday telecasts and was named the Sporting News National Player of the Week...
Also had nine blocks in the loss at Rutgers... One of only two players in BIG
EAST history to block nine or more shots in a league game twice in his career...
Also blocked eight shots in a game on three occasions (Northeastern, Oklahoma
and West Virginia)... Three-time BIG EAST Rookie of the Week (December 23,
January 14 and January 28)... Received the annual Scholar-Athlete Award,
Outstanding Defensive Player and Outstanding Rebounder awards at the team
banquet.
High School: Top 50 national recruit…Named
Most Valuable Player for Team USA at Pittsburgh Hoops Classic All-Star game in
April of 2001 after posting rare "triple-double" with 26 points, 12 rebounds, 10
blocked shots in pacing a 121-116 victory…Averaged 22 points, 16 rebounds and
six blocked shots per game as a senior for 26-5 Bellaire HS.
Personality Profile: Chukwuemeka Noubuisi
Okafor…Born September 28, 1982…Business Administration major.