Adegboye Thinks Future With GB Team

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At just 23 years old and having just finished his career at St. Bonaventure, Ogo Adegboye, is one of the players competing for Great Britain in EuroBasket 2011, currently going on in Lithuania. Though not many are giving Great Britain much of a chance to go far in the tournament but Adegboye, is looking at the bigger picture.

“Being here is huge but I hope we are using this championship for a greater thing in the future,” said Adegboye. Britain’s point guard maintains that competitive play in this tournament and at the 2012 Olympic Games in London represents a great opportunity for the entire national programme.

“We know we don’t get a lot of respect,” Adegboye said, “but in the last five years, Great Britain basketball has come up a lot.”

“The current process of coming together as a viable contender, more than wins and losses, is what playing top-level international ball is all about for the team right now.”

Despite his youth, Adegboye shows wisdom both on and off court beyond his years, thanks to necessity. Beginning with the English Basketball League’s Brixton TopCats, Adegboye moved on to America, first playing with Findlay College Prep before ascending to the college ranks with Lamar Community College and then onto St. Bonaventure,a private, Franciscan Catholic university, located near Olean, New York.

With his natural ability and remarkable stamina, Adegboye led the entire NCAA in minutes played in 2010-11 at over 39 per game – a reflection of his summer 2010 with Great Britain, when coach Chris Finch had him sharing duties at the point in Eurobasket Qualifying Round play, earning Adegboye an average 20 minutes per game in his debut with the national team.

Adegboye proved to be a natural leader on a team that currently features just one player with NBA experience, Luol Deng and two with Euroleague credits on their CV,Joel Freeland and Robert Archibald.If Finch has his way, Adegboye will certainly continue to grow and develop along with the burgeoning Britain squad.

—Bamidele Olowosegba

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