STANFORD, Calif. (AP) — Kyle Smith’s sales pitch to Ebuka Okorie on everything Stanford had to offer him kept on coming: For about 10 minutes the coach shared all the great things he believed could happen if Okorie decided to come West and play basketball for the Cardinal.
Turns out Smith could have saved his words and energy during their sit-down that day. The under-the-radar point guard from New Hampshire had already made up his mind to move across the country instead of attending Harvard as he’d originally planned — and as his parents had hoped.
Okorie made the choice during his recruiting visit to The Farm.
“He actually gave me a little speech,” Okorie recalled. “He was talking to me for like 10 minutes and then at the end of his speech I told him I was committing and we still laugh and joke about it today because he was basically saying I should have just said it at first so he didn’t have to give me a whole speech.”
They enjoy reflecting on all of it now, nearly a year and a half later and with Okorie leading Stanford (20-11, 9-9 ACC) into the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament on Tuesday against Pittsburgh with a chance to finish as the ACC’s top scorer — beginning the week ahead of Duke's conference Player of the Year and Rookie of the Year Cameron Boozer — and already the league's regular-season scoring champion. Okorie ranks fifth in the nation averaging 23.1 points per game and second among freshmen.
The last Stanford player who led the conference in scoring was Landry Fields in 2009-10, at 22 points per game.
“I was just selling Stanford, why you should do it and he let me go on the whole deal and I was just talking about, ‘Hey, you’re a great fit, we want guys that are committed, guys with great attitudes, great work ethic and your profile,’ how academics is important,” Smith shared. “I went on and on and on and on. And then he’s like, ‘I’m coming.’ That’s when I said, ‘You let me rattle on, you were coming the whole time?’”
Initially, Okorie had decided on Harvard over Brown based on his Nigerian parents’ guidance that it would be a better choice academically. Then Okorie’s high school coach from Brewster Academy in New Hampshire, Jason Smith, reached out to Stanford and some other programs inquiring about whether there might be an opportunity for him at a more prominent school in a bigger conference.
On Monday, the 6-foot-2 Okorie was named to the All-ACC first team and ACC All-Rookie team. He also averages 3.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals.
Okorie doesn’t even turn 19 until April — and the next pressing question will be whether he stays put at Stanford or declares for the NBA Draft. Okorie insists he isn’t thinking about all of that just yet.
Stanford has been a nice fit so far.
“It’s been great. From the beginning the coaches and all my teammates have welcomed me,” he said. “I’ve been working and I feel like I’ve earned my spot. Coming here I feel like I had the opportunity to do that. It’s been really fun.”
Smith has challenged Okorie to be more vocal, recently presenting him with a five-page “Cardinal Rules” tutorial — Smith wrote the “manifesto” as he calls it — about playing point guard at Stanford, using the names of past Cardinal stars at the position like Chris Hernandez and Brevin Knight as part of the lesson.
He didn’t give that to Okorie right way, rather waiting until the freshman found a rhythm with college basketball and life as a student-athlete.
That comfort level shows, whether in front of a big crowd or behind the scenes.
During a practice last week at Maples Pavilion, Okorie flipped an overhead pass to Donavin Young, who knocked down the 3-pointer as Okorie pumped his fist in delight on the opposite side of the arc.
Okorie then yelled “He can’t guard you!” after AJ Rohosy drove to his left for a layup and converted the three-point play.
“Good take!” Okorie let out when Jaylen Thompson made a three-point play of his own a couple of minutes later.
His spirit is infectious, and Okorie insists all the support from the players around him like senior guard Benny Gealer has been the reason he has adapted so quickly and had the kind of season he has had.
“That’s really high praise from a great player who has been great for our team, as important as any one of us,” Gealer said. “He’s just so talented as a young person. I feel like he’s probably giving me too much credit. I’m just there to support him and encourage him and keep him locked in because you don’t really see too many talents like him come by. I know coach wants him to maximize his potential and every one of us wants him to maximize his potential, too.”
Okorie is doing just that.
Smith loves watching the growth and maturity Okorie exhibits each day, initially figuring Okorie would play 20 to 25 minutes per game “and now he’s a two-way player and I can’t take him out of the game."
Everybody involved has celebrated Okorie, taking to heart Smith’s recent message of having joy for others.
“It’s pretty amazing,” Smith said. “He’s just so coachable, and where I’m at in my life and my coaching career it’s ‘enjoy the ride.’ … He’s just a good dude, so he’s easy to root for.”
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