One of Boo Williams import players is headed to the ACC, 2 others could land there, too

"No one knows about him," Boo said of Okereafor lacking major-conference offers.

That's about to change.


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Like Okerafor, Boo's third import fits the bill literally. Ifeanyi Onyekaba, a 6-8 junior forward at Virginia Episcopal in Lynchburg, came to the United States two years ago, leaving his parents, three brothers and sister in their native Nigeria.

Onyekaba is far less refined than Anderson and Okereafor, indeed all of his teammates. Not surprising for someone who's been playing organized basketball for little more than two years.

"Playing with (Boo) I know my game is going to get better," Onyekaba said in deliberate but well-spoken English.

"He's a great kid," Williams said. "I wish he was two inches taller."

Onyekaba plays limited minutes but contributed eight points and plenty of hustle in Saturday's win over Ohio Red. He hit the floor for a loose ball and dunked off an offensive rebound.

Wake Forest and Liberty have offered Onyekaba scholarships, with Virginia still evaluating.

His potential was most evident in the Virginia Independent Schools Division III state championship game, when he had 29 points, 15 rebounds and five blocked shots in Virginia Episcopal's victory over Williamsburg Christian.

"He can shoot the basketball," Virginia Episcopal coach and former Virginia star Curtis Staples told the Roanoke Times. "That's one of the things people hadn't seen and didn't know about him. Stepping away from the basket, 8-10 feet away, he can really shoot it."

Onyekaba said he gets homesick and calls family in Nigeria each weekend. His role model, of course, is countryman and former NBA great Hakeem Olajuwon.

"Everything is about learning," Onyekaba said. "I have to work my way to the top. I see this as a challenge."

David Teel can be reached at 247-4636 or by e-mail at dteel@dailypress.com. For more from Teel, read his blog at dailypress.com/teeltime, and follow him at twitter.com/DavidTeelatDP
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