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Echefu's Game Is Growing At FSU

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By SCOTT CARTER, The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 16, 2008

TALLAHASSEE - One of the 50 greatest players in NBA history, Hakeem Olajuwon, was born in the same city. Two other former NBA first-round picks, Michael Olowokandi and Yinka Dare, were born in his native country.

Still, Florida State junior forward Uche Echefu's first love was soccer while growing up in Lagos, Nigeria. As he began to tower above his soccer teammates, the 6-foot-9 Echefu finally picked up a basketball a few months before arriving in the United States. He moved - leaving behind his parents and four siblings - to study and to play the recently discovered game at Montrose Christian School in Rockville, Md., in 2002.

"I knew about them a little bit, but I really didn't know that much about basketball," Echefu said of his famous countrymen. "When I came here, everything was new to me."

Six years later, Echefu continues to do new things, such as developing into one of FSU's most dangerous players. He not only has come a long way since he moved to America, but Echefu has made monumental strides since last season.

As a sophomore, Echefu started all 35 games, but with senior Al Thornton the Seminoles' top offensive weapon inside and a strong trio of guards scoring from the outside, Echefu was often a forgotten man. He set picks, fired up the occasional shot and grabbed a rebound here and there, averaging 6.9 points and 4.3 rebounds.

But Echefu spent most of the summer working on his game in the gym and his body in the weight room, fully aware that FSU coach Leonard Hamilton needed more from him this year. Midway through the season, Echefu is finally getting paid back for all that overtime he worked.

"I'm not real sure he categorizes his effort as work, because he enjoys it," Hamilton said. "He is becoming more and more of a student of the game. And you have to understand, where he's from, you don't start playing basketball at as an early age as a lot of kids in America.

"To his credit, he seems to be catching on and playing the best basketball of his career."
Echefu is averaging 12.2 points and a team-high 7.4 rebounds entering tonight's game against No. 7 Duke. He has surpassed his previous career high in points (14) five times this season, including a career-high 24-point, 12-rebound effort in Saturday's 97-85 double-overtime loss at Clemson. During his last five games, Echefu is averaging 17.4 points and 9.4 rebounds, helping FSU's guard-heavy lineup by providing a low-post presence to go with his soft touch from the perimeter.

"He has come a long way," FSU senior guard Jason Rich said. "He's becoming a guy we can depend on, and that's big. It's no surprise to me that he's doing that. He understands what we need from him, and now he is giving it to us."

Hamilton says that what the Noles need most from him, especially with FSU's lack of size and experience under the basket, is rebounding, solid defense and an occasional jumper like the 3-pointer he hit to give FSU a two-point lead with 15 seconds left in the first overtime at Clemson.

So far, Echefu has done that and more. If he continues to improve at this rate, maybe someday a child in Nigeria will be impressed enough after seeing Echefu play to give up soccer and start playing basketball.

Or, maybe not. After all, despite the heroics of Olajuwon and other Nigerians on the basketball court, Echefu's reason for changing sports?

"My height," he said.

Reporter Scott Carter can be reached at (850) 294-3088 or scarter@tampatrib.com.

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