"Virginia Tech had built a 31-24 halftime lead at home against Stanford two weeks ago when coach Mike Young offered a reminder to his players about Cardinal freshman Ebuka Okorie. "Don't underestimate this kid," he said. "He's that good." Actually, Okorie has been better than almost anyone envisioned. Okorie had just five first-half points at Virginia Tech, but over the final 20 minutes, the 6-foot-2 guard scored 26 more on 9-for-12 shooting."
"He added five assists and, over the final 2:09 scored 11 points. His step-back 3-pointer with 3 seconds to play sent Stanford home with a 69-68 victory. Noting that Okorie scored a Stanford freshman record 36 points in a 95-90 win over 14th-ranked North Carolina a week later, Young said, "I feel a lot better about myself. He's a special talent.""
Ebuka Okorie has emerged as a high-scoring freshman, averaging 22.1 points per game and ranking eighth nationally. He exploded late at Virginia Tech, scoring 26 second-half points on 9-for-12 shooting and hitting a step-back 3 with three seconds left to secure a 69-68 win. Okorie followed with a Stanford freshman record 36 points in a 95-90 victory over 14th-ranked North Carolina, marking his fourth 30-point game in seven contests. Coaches have praised his talent, and opponents acknowledge difficulty containing him. Okorie is on pace to post the highest freshman scoring average among Bay Area Division I programs.
Read at The Mercury News
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