DETROIT (11/1/2024) -- It has been a quick rise for Detroit Mercy freshman
Stephen Okoro. A native of Imo State, Nigeria, he grew up playing soccer and one day was told to give basketball a try.
He loved it and began pursuing it, eventually bringing him to Canada, Missouri and North Carolina for high school and now the Motor City for college.
The problem is that one day was nearly four years ago, putting Okoro on the fast track to playing Division I basketball.
"Just four years ago, I was a soccer player," said Okoro. "I was strong and tall and a coach saw me and said he thought I could be a good basketball player. I didn't think of basketball at all. I never played it. I wasn't interested, but I told him I would try it so he would leave me alone. I didn't want to disappoint him and tell him no. I wanted to be respectful to him because he took his time to come to me. The next thing I knew, he came to my house at about six in the morning, and I was like, wait, this is how this works. He had just started working with me, and I loved it."
On his brother's advice, Francis, who played college basketball at Oregon and Saint Louis and now plays professionally in Greece, he decided to pursue basketball. Later that month, he was offered a chance to attend school in Canada. That led him to a school in Missouri and, eventually, a prep school in North Carolina.
"I saw what basketball could do for me and my life. It could give me better opportunities, improve my education, and make me a better person to help my family. I wanted that, so I went with everything," said Okoro.
Okoro had to leave home and was by himself. He knew this was a great opportunity but was also scared of the unknown.
"Mentally, it was hard," said Okoro. "Who was I going to talk to? I didn't really speak English; I was living in a dorm, and it was also during COVID. It was very tough. I was confused about things, but at the same time, I just took the challenge and said that if this was supposed to make me a better person, I needed to go through with it."
Being away from his family has been a big challenge. Technology has made communication easier, but it differs from seeing your family daily.
"It was hard at first because your family wants you to talk to them more and be around, but everyone just has to get used to what it takes to succeed here," said Okoro. "Like right now, it is a six-hour difference. In the morning, I am doing workouts, and I am going to class, and then there is practice, so I am free around six or seven, but now they are sleeping. I text them a lot during the day. We are on a family group chat, so we stay in contact as much as I can."
Okoro's first challenge was leaving home for a different place and learning a new language, culture, and lifestyle. But last year, he was hit with another obstacle that he still faces today, one that the Titan coaching staff has shown what he means to them.
"I went back home last year for one week for the first time because my mom got sick and is battling cancer, and we needed to be there for her treatments," said Okoro. "That is my biggest challenge right now, just being in school, playing basketball, and thinking of her. But that is where the coaching staff has been great. I try not to tell people my feelings and what I am dealing with, but the coaching staff saw that something was wrong with how I practiced. Coach Monty has been there for me and said, hey, at the end of the day, your mom wants you to succeed. I lost my dad in 2019, so I was depressed, but they have been there for me, helping me. Talking to him has helped me get through this. He showed me he cared about me more than just as a basketball player."
"You have basketball on one side, life on the other, and family in the middle, so I am just trying to put it together. My family has never seen me play basketball. My brother saw me in warm-ups, but never saw the game because he had to leave. All of my family is still in Nigeria, and they have never seen me play."
That was not the first time the coaching staff had show how they felt about their student-athletes off the court.
"A lot of schools were recruiting me, and I chose Detroit Mercy even though it was my last offer," said Okoro. "I had like six schools that I was looking at, and I talked to coach Stone and coach Monty, and the one thing about them was that they were more interested in me and cared more about me, the person, and my education than basketball. I felt the other schools were all about basketball. I came on a visit, talked to Amy (Gasahl), and saw that Detroit Mercy cared about my education and myself more than basketball. I loved it."
Okoro has been with the team since the summer, and while he is still learning the game, he appreciates the day-to-day battles and lessons he is learning and how different college is from high school.
"It is different. There is no permanent spot here and you are always fighting to be better. You can be at the top one day and then be knocked down and you have to get back up. The coaches are tough. They are not going to babysit you like high school. They are great and will help you, but they are not going to tell you what you want to hear to make you feel good. They will be straight with you and tell you what you're doing right and wrong, and I like that. Everything is intense here, and you have to learn how to handle pressure and learn that the coaches are here to help you improve as a player and as a person. They are going to tell you the truth, and sometimes it will be good, and sometimes it will be bad."
The road hasn't always been smooth, but when he suited up for the exhibition against Wayne State, he took time to reflect on everything he had gone through and accomplished in such a short amount of time.
"Against Wayne State, I thought about how far I have come. I just remember thinking that I went from just starting to play basketball and a few weeks later, getting a chance to move to Canada. I knew I wanted to play DI basketball when I was there, and now I am here. From high school to AAU and now I am here," added Okoro.
