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Emeka Okafor
Sophomore
Forward/Center
6-9, 252
Houston, TX
Updated as of October 10, 2002
 At
Connecticut: Second-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…Finance major. |
