Oladokun, 16, of Upland, California, was invited to the Pangos All-America Camp in Las Vegas, which included many of the top 100 prospects in the nation. The camp was not held during an individual evaluation period, so it only drew NBA evaluators, including Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti and Denver Nuggets president of basketball operations Calvin Booth, and recruiting analysts.
At 6-9,210 pounds, Oladokun plays like an oversized pup, more exuberance than grace, but he made his mark hitting relentlessly for rebounds with some of the top prospects in the country.
“I was so nervous,” said Oladokun, who has a 4.5 GPA and, since camp, has received scholarship offers from the University of California, San Diego and UC Davis, as well as an offer for a spot on the list. . . Yale, which does not offer athletic scholarships, but may provide other financial aid.
“A big part of basketball is confidence; no matter what skill you have,” he continued. “Camp helped show me what I could do, even if I didn’t play to the ceiling. I realize that he is a great player, but he is like me in many ways.”
These revelations have been happening from coast to coast.
Last Friday night in a nearly empty gym, Efstathio faced Alassen Amadou, a lanky and athletic 6-9 flanker from Quakertown, Pa., being watched carefully from the baseline by Marquette coach Shaka Smart, and an assistant coach. Cody’s hat. (Applauds when Amadou performs a play in front of him.)
Efstathio’s team, which had lost two starts to injuries in its first game, was quickly trailing 22 points when Amadou flew down the lane for a dunk that Efstathio couldn’t stop.
