[TDDance234]

Word around campus is that there is a 7' foot Nigerian player named Frank Benjamin Eze looking to verbal soon, if he hasn't already.

Look for news soon.

[Sly Fox]

Apparently he is on the Nigerian Junior National Team. They often train here in Houston where many of the players live. If he's coming to the States for anything I could probably find him. And I believe the area in Nigeria where he is from is the same as Samkon.



Here is a description of Frank from African Basketball Online:

Frank Benjamin Eze: Center (7ft 0in)

This year, Frank has played 16 games for his home state team in the men’s amateur league and has averaged 22 ppg, 17 rebounds, and 4 assists. Oh, he also averages around 6 blocked shots each game. At Live Line Educational Center in Edo State, Nigeria, where he is an academic standout, he has plays on the varsity team, though he is still a sophomore. At 16, and 214 pounds, he plays on the very rugged and competitive men’s premier league where he demonstrates toughness and an uncanny ability to hold his own against much mature players. Frank possesses great footwork, can shoot the soft jumpers around the perimeter and has great coordination. Interestingly, this kid is unaware of his own talents. He has the ability to drop 25 points and grab 20 boards on a given night and then leave quietly afterwards not thinking much of his impressive performance. With Frank, the potentials are obvious. Aside from pursuing a professional career, he plans on becoming a Civil Engineer by training. He has held several leadership positions such as the President of the Junior Engineering Technician and Scientist Organization in his home state of Edo. Frank is also currently President of Nigerian Air Force Youth Association. It is impressive the ease with which he manages these roles while maintaining his grade point average, and being the fierce competitor on the court.

And here is Frank describing himself on the same website:

My name is Frank Benjamin Eze , I come from the eastern part of Nigeria , specifically Enugu State. I am a 7’0”, 214lbs 17 years old and a senior secondary school (High School) student of Life Line Educational Centre Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. I have an excellent academic record so far and do intend to keep it up where ever I do find myself in the future. My goal is to become an engineer.

[hurricane fan]

7 feet, 214 lbs??? the wind blows awful strong on the mountain this time of year. better get this guy in with gillespie

[thesportscritic]

7 feet, 214 lbs??? the wind blows awful strong on the mountain this time of year. better get this guy in with gillespie

That is what i was thinking of too

[LU'sbestmanager]

all he has to be able to do is block shots, and dunk. and im sure he can do more than that, by the stats and because most nigerians are just athletic. hey K.G. is only 210(not saying that he's KG) so you never know

[hurricane fan]

if he lives upwind can't get to the vines center, how can you block shots in the game?

[Sly Fox]

He's 17 and living in Nigeria. Those are similar dimensions to another Nigerian who came over here to Houston a quarter century ago. And that guy fared OK.

[flameshaw]

I think we are short an engineering degree though......aren't we? Hope we can get this guy.

[Sly Fox]

Allegedly the engineering program is already in the works.

[Sly Fox]

For what it is worth, this kid was at the Basketball Without Borders Africa camp back in August. Dikembe Mutombo was running the show so I'll ask Deek if he remembers this kid when I see him next.

The next Mutombo, Diop, Sene, Olajuwon from 28 countries across Africa to showcase skills
Top 100 Athletes Selected for Basketball without Borders Africa

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA – AUGUST 10, 2006 – The National Basketball Association (NBA), the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and Basketball South Africa (BSA) today announced the 100 top basketball players selected for Basketball without Borders (BWB) Africa, a basketball instructional camp for young people that also promotes friendship, healthy living and education. Led by Houston Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo ( Congo), the camp features current and former NBA players and team personnel as camp coaches, and uniquely incorporates community outreach activities and educational seminars addressing prevalent issues in today’s society such as HIV/AIDS education and prevention.

The young players (ages 19 & under) from 28 countries across the continent were selected by FIBA and the NBA, based on their basketball skills, leadership abilities and dedication to the sport. Basketball without Borders Africa, scheduled to take place September 6-10, will once again return to the American International School of Johannesburg, the event’s host since 2003. Co-organized by the NBA, FIBA, and BSA, the camp features Reebok, South African Airways, Sprite and Spalding as BWB Marketing Partners . South African Airways will help fly the 100 players from all over Africa to the camp. Sprite will provide refreshments for camp participants, players, coaches and media. Reebok will provide on-court apparel, footwear, sports bags and towels for all campers.

The inaugural Basketball without Borders took place in Europe in July 2001. Since then, Basketball without Borders has expanded its reach to four continents. In addition to Africa, Basketball without Borders Asia took place in Shanghai, China June 8-11. In its sixth year, Basketball without Borders Europe took place June 29-July 3 in Vilnius, Lithuania. The third annual Basketball without Borders Americas headed to San Juan, Puerto Rico July 17-20.

Since its inaugural year in 2001, Basketball without Borders has expanded its reach to eight countries and territories on four separate continents and featured more than 160 NBA players, coaches and team personnel from 30 different teams as camp coaches for nearly 1000 young athletes from 100 different countries and territories. In addition, the program has reached countless others through its community relations outreach efforts in each region. The NBA family and the campers have traveled more than 100 million miles and logged more than one million hours of community service participating in Basketball without Borders.

Three former Basketball without Borders campers are now part of NBA teams. Senegal native Mouhamed Sene, the Seattle SuperSonics 10 th overall pick from the 2006 NBA Draft, participated in the 2004 Africa camp and is the first BWB Africa camper to be drafted. The first BWB participant ever to be drafted was Lithuanian Martynas Andriuskevicius, who was chosen in the second round of the 2005 draft by Cleveland. This year’s No. 1 draft pick by the Toronto Raptors, Andrea Bargnani, was a participant of BWB Europe in 2003 along with Andriuskevicius.

Joining Mutombo, who has led the camp since it was first staged in Johannesburg in 2003 as Africa 100, will be former NBA player Manute Bol, NBA community ambassadors Bob Lanier and Jerome Williams, Sacramento Kings forward Shareef Abdur-Rahim, New Orleans/OKC Hornets forward Rasual Butler, San Antonio Spurs forward Bruce Bowen, Dallas Mavericks center DeSagana Diop (Senegal), Chicago Bulls teammates Luol Deng (Sudan) and Chris Duhon, Phoenix Suns guard Boris Diaw, Philadelphia 76ers forward Kyle Korver, Los Angeles Lakers teammates Luke Walton, Vladimir Radmanovic (Serbia and Montenegro) and Jim Jackson.

Other NBA participants include Randy Ayers (Orlando Magic), Rolando Blackman (Dallas Mavericks), Bill Branch (Denver Nuggets), Mike Brown (Cleveland Cavaliers), Tim Connelly (Washington Wizards), Dell Demps (San Antonio Spurs), Mario Elie (Golden State Warriors), Harold Ellis (Atlanta Hawks), Alex English (Toronto Raptors), B.J. Johnson (Houston Rockets), Maurice Lucas (Portland Trail Blazers), Frank Ross (Charlotte Bobcats), Adam Simon (Miami Heat), Terry Stotts (Milwaukee Bucks), Chris Wallace (Boston Celtics), and Fred Tedeschi (Chicago Bulls). Lance Blanks (Cleveland Cavaliers) and R.C. Buford (San Antonio Spurs), Amadou Fall (Dallas Mavericks), Masai Ujiri (Denver Nuggets) and NBA scout Joe Touomou will oversee the camp as camp directors.

To promote friendship and diversity, the campers will be divided into teams without regard to race and nationality. They will share living quarters with their new teammates and participate in daily motivational and life-skills seminars that promote education, leadership, character development, healthy living and HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention. The HIV/AIDS interactive educational seminars will be led by NBA Cares community partners, such as Hoops for Hope and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the world’s leading non-governmental organization dedicated to children. The U.S. Embassy in Pretoria and the U.S. Consulate in Johannesburg will again partner with the NBA for community outreach activities focused on HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention.

The camp will be highlighted by extensive community outreach activities focusing on HIV/AIDS awareness, education and grassroots basketball development. Led by NBA Legend and Community Ambassador Bob Lanier, the program includes a return visit to the Ithuteng Trust, a Youth Empowerment Program founded in 1990 by Jackey “Mama Jackey” Maarohanye, in Pimville, South Africa, where a US Embassy-funded dining hall will be opened. A new multi-purpose dining facility will also be inaugurated at the Soweto Kliptown Youth Trust (SKY), where a Learn & Play Center was opened last year. Building on the importance of HIV/AIDS education and prevention, an awareness event will take place at Cotlands, a nonprofit organization in Johannesburg that operates one of the most renowned pediatric AIDS hospices for children ages 0-9 years old and provides onsite care for abused, abandoned and HIV/AIDS infected children. During the event, the NBA contingent will participate in an HIV/AIDS education training seminar led by staff members, take a tour of the facility, and spend time with the facility’s patients.

NBA and FIBA will also donate products, such as basketballs, rims and sporting goods to local basketball federations and communities. Through Basketball without Borders, eight Learn & Play Centers and eight new or refurbished basketball courts have been opened outside the United States and Canada. As a part of NBA Cares, the NBA and its teams have created Learn & Play Centers, built homes, refurbished basketball courts and other play spaces.

The NBA, founded in 1946, is a global sports and entertainment brand that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2005-06 season, the NBA distributed 44,000 hours of programming to 215 countries and territories in 43 languages. The league's worldwide reach included 82 international players on NBA rosters. Domestically, the NBA televised 142 games on national television this season on ABC, TNT, ESPN and ESPN2.

NBA Entertainment, the league's award-winning production and programming division, produces NBA TV, a 24-hour television network, and exclusive content for each of the NBA's team web sites, and the league's official sites, NBA.com, WNBA.com and NBADLEAGUE.com. The NBA is also an established leader in sports marketing, currently maintaining its longest list of fully integrated domestic and global marketing partnerships with the most recognizable brands in the world, including the leading Internet content and technology providers that bring the game even closer to fans around the world.

As fans witness tremendous performances on the court, some of the NBA's most significant efforts occur off the court. This past year, the league launched its most ambitious community outreach endeavor, NBA Cares. Over a five-year span, players and teams will raise and contribute $100 million for charity, donate more than one million hours of volunteer service to communities worldwide, and build more than 100 educational and athletic facilities where children can learn and play. For more information on the NBA, visit NBA.com.

http://www.nba.com/bwb/participants_africa2006.html

[Sly Fox]

I wonder if Frank Benjamin Eze is any relation to the Benjamin Eze from Nigerian who played college ball at Southern Idaho after going to high school in Toronto?

[Purple Haize]

Just to be obtuse:
If he was dislexic he could be called EZE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN. (Something apparently uttered a lot by the female socialites in France around the 1770's)
Since most Nigerians are Bi Lingual, what language did he give his verbal in? Does it count if it is not in English? (Maybe he wanted to use a differet language?
Engineeering?? Now it makes sense why we are looking at adding that degree

Now back to our regularly scheduled thread

[Sly Fox]

For the record, most Nigerians speak more than adequate English. Your Outlook inbox with that money waiting to be claimed is a perfect example.

As for the dyslexia humor ... I admit it generated a laugh.

[PeterParker]

Purple, I thought the same thing about the engineering thing.

On a rhetorical side note: If the proposed engineering program/school ever expands to add an architecture degree, would an LU architecture degree be considered an oxymoron?

[WWJFD]

i will find out about him

[SuperJon]

I just realized Sly dropped probably the biggest name drop in the history of FlameFans earlier.

[Sly Fox]

I did? Are you sure about that? I've dropped much bigger.

[SuperJon]

Maybe more significant, none bigger.

[Sly Fox]

Yao

[SuperJon]

But you've never dropped Yao in an LU-related discussion. I think that's the point I was making. I honestly don't know. I just woke up when I wrote that.

[Purple Haize]

For the record, most Nigerians speak more than adequate English. Your Outlook inbox with that money waiting to be claimed is a perfect example.

As for the dyslexia humor ... I admit it generated a laugh.

I KNOW that most Nigerians speak English. However, I believe Dikiembe Mutumbo (or HOWEVER he spells it) was "Prop 48'd" because his english reading skills were sub par, yet he spoke about 8 languages fluently. (And English, pretty gooder too!)

[Sly Fox]

I still have trouble understanding Deek and he's been here in the States for a L O N G time. Yao's been here just a fe wyears and his English speech is better.

Hey, Julius & Peter both made it in OK. And these days the kids in Nigeria are training early on how to be ready to come to America for hoops if they sow skill at a young age. That appears to be the case here. Obviously it helps if they are like Emeka Okafor and spend most of their lives here assimilating.

[WWJFD]

This recruit has given a verbal to Liberty. I believe the new assistant (not sure his name) was over there and was recruiting him. I guess the coaching staff is excited about him even though only one coach has seen him play.

[LU'sbestmanager]

his name is dominic okon

[Sly Fox]

Is our verbal still growing? He was listed as 7' 1" at a camp in Nigeria this week.