NGR - Rising profile of Nigeria prodigy, Oladimeji

LAGOS (National team) - Azeez Oladimeji was dropped by Nigeria before the FIBA U19 World Championship in Novi Sad, Serbia, but the youngster has maintained his focus and even taken his game to the next level in Germany with the junior team of EWE Baskets Oldenburg.

What do experts say about Azeez Oladimeji?

Azeez is a TOP prospect with unbelievable athletic attributes and abilities. After starting the career in Germany he develops really quickly and obviously has great chances to become a highest caliber Power forward.

Though the lacks of weight and some skills regarding his offense, however the way he acts on court, makes everyone to have no doubts about the future of this young Nigerian player. He is a real 4 position player, with strongly expressed defensive advantages.

A great 1x1 defender, but at the same time has a good "team defence" understanding. Has a great sense of blocking the shots. On offensive side you need to notice a few things: first - the kid has no completed "package" of the individual skills, however perfectly compensates that with his other great advantages: touch of the ball, a great reading of the game, sense of when and where to be for a good open-up positions and of course his wonderful athletics...

In offense he is active inside-outside, is playing face to face (even from the outside), can hit a middle range or even from the perimeter. His post moves are also pretty effective, with some improvements he can be a really skilful player-considered player even for the highest level basketball.
Young Oladimeji has a great understanding of how to use his advantages not only for individual scoring, but also for his teammates - he is a very good "pass out" player, what makes him dangerous not only while 1x1, however also as a team man. His disadvantage may be lack of weight yet, which sometimes makes him struggle with the bigger opponent, however this problem is about to be solved very quickly. Rebounds are also a "territory" of Azeez with 15-20 rebounds per game in the German Regional league is a normal number for this kid.

He demonstrates incredible energy while going for offensive rebounds (usually succeed!) and with his instincts of box out, gets all defensive rebounds pretty easily. In the professional basketball he will play really successfully with no doubts, if he will soon add a few more kilograms and will improve a little more with his 1x1 offensive skills (needs to develop more post moves, to become more unpredictable, as at the pro-level it will not be so easy to score everything using the athletic abilities). Presently being Compared with - Boris Diaw.

In an online chat with the Nigerian youthful prodigy by Olusegun Ikuesan of www.fiba-afrique.org, the former Court Cruisers basketball club forward has this to say:

How has life being since moving to Germany?

First and foremost I want to give thanks to almighty Allah for creating me and giving me a direction, secondly I want to thank my parents and elder brother Lekan for supporting me all through the thick and thin and lastly those whom I have come in contact with in my chequed career as a basketball player.

To the question, life in Germany has being good, though I am alone here but I’m not lonely as my teammates and the coaches have been wonderful to me. In fact I have enjoyed and improved greatly on my game since coming here in early August this year, it has been basketball education because I am taking a year course in one of the most wonderful language institute here.

Can let us into how it all began back in Nigeria?

Whao! It all started as a play at the open court of Dolphins female basketball club, the girls, I mean players of Dolphins and the owner Wale Aboderin gave me the first encouragement I needed in this game, then come coaches Emmanuel Okolo now of University of Lagos basketball teams and Peter Ahmedu of the Warriors Academy both men were then with Dolphins and took charge of the Court Cruisers basketball club, a club formed for the male youth that thronged the Dolphins ground daily in search of basketball funs, but by and large what I thought to be a child play is now becoming a reality.

From the Court Cruisers’ participations in the Warriors Academy quarterly programme, I was spotted by a basketball journalist – who actually encourage me to tryout with any of the big teams in the nations premier league, he first took me to Ayo Bakare, owner and coach of Ebun Comets basketball club who accepted me with open arm before I finally find myself in Islanders basketball club under the tutelage of coach Toyin Sonoiki, so I will say I have had the opportunity of working under the best coaches in Nigeria.

The road to Germany?

I am in Germany today through the grace of God and the help of this same journalist who does not want his name in print and an agent Tomas Kavaliunas who lives in Lithuania, it was Kavaliunas who linked me with the German club and here I am today.

Though the journey was rough but I always receive words of encouragements from my mother, elder brother and my journalist mentor who always told me that the world is not a perfect place that we all should strive to work towards perfection and remain focused in everything we embark on in life, especially when I was dropped from the Nigeria U19 team at the last minute just because I am an home-base as players who plies their trade in the Nigeria local league are labeled.

What to come after Germany?

I am not in a hurry to leave Germany as the team I play for has a senior team so my immediate plans is to break into the senior team come next season, the coaches already gave me a feel of what it takes to play among the big boys by making me to train with them once in a while and I am confident that I will surely make the team when the opportunity comes.

The German league is tough and competitive but I trust in my ability to make it to the top as I look forward to donning the Green-White-Green colour of the Nigeria national team some day.

by Olusegun Ikuesan
FIBA