Prospect Spotlight: Ikenna Ozor (2017)
Superlative point guard Colbey Ross received adulation and praise for helping lead Eaglecrest to the Class 5A state title game last season. And deservedly so. Ross, who was named the Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year, demonstrated the ability to…
Access all of Prep Hoops
Continue reading this article and more.
Continue ReadingSuperlative point guard Colbey Ross received adulation and praise for helping lead Eaglecrest to the Class 5A state title game last season. And deservedly so. Ross, who was named the Colorado Gatorade Player of the Year, demonstrated the ability to take over games when the Raptors needed him most.
But Ross also would be the first to tell you that Eaglecrest’s special season would not have been achieved without a strong supporting cast. And one impressive member of that unit last season was Ikenna Ozor.
An undersized forward at 6-3, Ozor still managed to do plenty of damage in the post last season by being a Swiss Army Knife of sorts, able to affect the game in multiple ways and on both ends of the court.
As a junior, playing his first season on the varsity squad, Ozor averaged 8.8 points (second on the team) and 3.6 rebounds (third) per game. He had 10 points (on 4-of-4 shooting) and six rebounds in the Raptors’ semifinal upset of Rangeview.
“I think it’s that I was finding chemistry with my teammates, and they were finding trust in my ability to score,” Okor said. “I think scoring in the post, I’ve played that position most my life. The thing about coach (John) Olander is that he really pushes you to your strengths. Every day at practice, that’s something I really focused on, finding holes in the paint and trying to score.”
Offensively, Okor is a tough finisher, which helps him find success inside even while often being smaller than the opponent guarding him. He has good mid-range touch and he’s constantly working the offensive glass to find scoring opportunities. In short, he’s a pest in the best sense of the word.
“I try to find the weaknesses,” he said. “I think every player has a weakness. I just try not to be intimidated by those players. To be honest, I’m not the biggest big man. The fact that I have to push myself to stand my ground and not be intimidated, I think that mentality helps me. People don’t really expect that from me, so when we start playing, it’s a whole different perception of what will happen in a game.”
Okor, a 3.5 GPA student, said he is hopeful basketball can help him pay for college. His high IQ, strong motor, and work he’s put into handling the ball could make him a strong Division III or NAIA-type prospect, even though he’s a bit undersized at his position.
Chances are his stock will only rise playing this summer with a Hook ‘Em team led by talented Mountain Vista point guard Isaac Essien, with stops in Kansas and Las Vegas. And he’ll really have a chance to shine with an Eaglecrest team that recently captured the Northern Colorado Team Camp title and has the look of a team that could very well compete again for a championship this season.
“Last year gave me a lot of confidence,” Okor said. “Seeing how far we already got, know that we’re just growing on the team we had last year, we’re excited about this upcoming year.”