Felix Okpara (born January 1, 2004) is a Nigerian college basketball center for the Tennessee Volunteers of the Southeastern Conference. He previously played for the Ohio State Buckeyes.
| No. 34 – Tennessee Volunteers | |
|---|---|
| Position | Center |
| League | Southeastern Conference |
| Personal information | |
| Born | January 1, 2004 Lagos, Nigeria |
| Listed height | 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m) |
| Listed weight | 235 lb (107 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school |
|
| College |
|
Early life and high school
editOkpara was born in Lagos, Nigeria, where he played soccer during his early years as a defensive midfielder and center midfielder.[1] At the age of 14, Okpara moved to the United States to pursue a basketball career, having never played basketball before,[2] and initially attended Hamilton Heights Christian Academy, where he averaged 11.9 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game, and Okpara also blocked double-digit shots in two games, one game being the St. James NIBC Invitational against Oak Hill Academy, where he blocked 12 shots.[3][1][4] As a reserve his senior year, he averaged 8 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game, helping his team reach the Geico Nationals, where he had 4 points, 4 rebounds, and 4 blocks in their loss to Montverde Academy.[4] He received offers from Ohio State, Florida, Ole Miss, Georgia, Vanderbilt, Texas, Tennessee, San Diego, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Illinois, and Oklahoma State.[4] On July 26, 2021, Okpara committed to play at Ohio State.[5]
Recruiting
editOkpara was ranked the 74th best player in the nation, the 15th best center in the nation, and the 4th best player in the state of Missouri in the class of 2022.[5]
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Felix Okpara C |
Lagos, Nigeria | Link Academy (MO) | 6 ft 10 in (2.08 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Jul 26, 2021 | |
Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ESPN grade: 85
| ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: 247Sports: 8 | ||||||
Sources:
| ||||||
College career
editOhio State
editIn the Buckeyes' 96–59 win over Saint Francis on December 3, 2022, Okpara achieved his first career double-double, and also hit his first career three.[6] Okpara, who had been dealing with an injury, played 8 minutes in the team's 72–60 win over Illinois on February 26, 2023.[7] In the final 9 games of the season, Okpara averaged 5.8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game, along with shooting a solid 63.2% from the floor, after starting center Zed Key was declared out for the season.[8] On March 1, Okpara had his best game of the season, tallying 12 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 blocks in a 73–62 upset win over No. 21 Maryland.[8][9] In the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament, Okpara notched 8 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 blocks in the 68–58 win over Michigan State.[8]
On November 29, 2023, in the 88–61 win against Central Michigan, Okpara notched a career-high 14 points.[10] On April 21, 2024, after pledging his return to the team, Okpara entered the transfer portal.[11]
Tennessee
editCareer statistics
edit| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
College
edit| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Ohio State | 35 | 11 | 15.5 | .587 | .200 | .615 | 3.6 | 0.3 | 0.4 | 1.3 | 4.0 |
| 2023–24 | Ohio State | 35 | 34 | 23.5 | .586 | .000 | .589 | 6.4 | 0.5 | 0.4 | 2.4 | 6.6 |
| 2024–25 | Tennessee | |||||||||||
| Career[13] | 70 | 45 | 19.5 | .586 | .091 | .598 | 5.0 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 5.3 | |
References
edit- ^ a b Jordan, Jason (January 12, 2021). "2022 Center Felix Okpara Thrives as an Elite Shot Blocker". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ Jardy, Adam (October 21, 2022). "After latest move, 'adaptable' Felix Okpara working to settle in as Ohio State Buckeye". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ Jordan, Jason (January 11, 2021). "Jalen Duren, Kennedy Chandler, Felix Okpara and Others Shine at the St. James NIBC Invitational". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ a b c Jardy, Adam (October 19, 2022). "Ohio State men's basketball power rankings: No. 10 Felix Okpara". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved January 31, 2024.
- ^ a b Hass-Hill, Colin (July 26, 2021). "FOUR-STAR CENTER FELIX OKPARA COMMITS TO OHIO STATE". ElevenWarriors.com. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
- ^ Jardy, Adam (December 4, 2022). "Felix Okpara, balanced freshman attack highlight Ohio State's win against St. Francis". The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved March 2, 2024.
- ^ Smith, Casey (March 1, 2023). "Ohio State 'Nursing' Injury With C Felix Okpara". Buckeyes Now. Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
- ^ a b c Helwagen, Steve (November 1, 2023). "Watch: Felix Okpara ready to make his mark at center for basketball Buckeyes". Bucknuts. 247Sports. Retrieved March 10, 2024.
- ^ "Felix Okpara fuels Ohio State basketball in 73-62 win over No. 21 Maryland". Cleveland.com. Associated Press. March 1, 2023. Retrieved April 7, 2024.
- ^ Kruskevich, Gaston (December 27, 2023). "MEN'S BASKETBALL: FELIX OKPARA'S "BIGGER, STRONGER AND MORE EXPLOSIVE" BODY TRANSFORMATION JOURNEY". The Lantern. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Jardy, Adam (April 23, 2024). "After pledging Ohio State return, Felix Okpara changes course, enters transfer portal". Dispatch.com. The Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
- ^ Wilson, Mike (April 25, 2024). "Felix Okpara commits to Tennessee basketball as Ohio State transfer". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
- ^ "Felix Okpara College Stats". Sports Reference. Retrieved April 7, 2024.