Femi Ibikunle

Offered per Insiders

4/16/03: "On Tuesday Ibikunle committed to Texas Christian over Iowa State, Marquette and Oklahoma State. In the last month or so he's taken official visits to each. Marquette was thought to be the leader at one time." - Insiders

4/10/03: "New Hampton Head Coach Jamie Arsenault told RivalsHoops.com that 6-9, 245 pound big forward Oluwafemi Ibikunle will take a campus trip to TCU this weekend. This official visit will be his final trip, according to Arsenault. Arsenault told us that his big man has already taken official visits to Oklahoma State, Iowa State, and Marquette." - RivalsHoops (moved to inactive)


3/25/03: "Marquette University coach Tom Crean's long and exhaustive search for a talented big man may be coming to a happy conclusion. Oluwafemi Ibikunle, a native of Nigeria who attends New Hampton (N.H.) Prep School, is leaning toward attending Marquette and may sign a national letter of intent with the Golden Eagles next month. Ibikunle, who is 6-foot-9 and 245 pounds, has been recruited by a slew of colleges in the last year. He has made three official visits, with those being Marquette, Oklahoma State and Iowa State. Under NCAA rules, Ibikunle can visit two more schools and is considering trips to Texas Christian University and Oregon. However, Marquette appears to be the front-runner. "I think Marquette has a very, very good shot at signing him," said New Hampton Prep School coach Jamie Arsenault. "I think they got a great shot."

Ibikunle is regarded one of the better unsigned big men in the country and possesses a big upside. He has only played basketball for about four years and, while his offensive game is raw, he is already an above-average defender.

Ibikunle has reminded some observers of a young Ben Wallace, the Detroit Pistons' outstanding defensive center, because of his rebounding and shot-blocking abilities. "Femi is so tough and so strong," Arsenault said of Ibikunle, who averaged 12 points and eight rebounds a game this season. "Offensively, you're not going to say, 'Wow.' But he can play defense; he's a great defender."

Arsenault also coached current Marquette starting small forward Todd Townsend and some other top-flight collegians, including Tom Coverdale of Indiana and Rashad McCants of North Carolina.

Arsenault believes Ibikunle has the potential to some day play for pay. "He's got a chance to be real good,'' Arsenault said. "Femi could be a future pro." Ibikunle is perhaps Crean's last chance to land a big man for the April signing period and find a suitable replacement for senior center Robert Jackson. - Racine Journal Times (3 to 1)

3/8/03: Attended the Cincinnati at Marquette game.

3/4/03: Femi lists includes Iowa State, Marquette, Oklahoma State, Oregon and TCU. - PrepStars (4 to 3)

2/28: "South Carolina Head Coach Dave Odom was in the building to take a look at New Hampton's Femi Ibikunle and Bridgton's Alex Johnson." - RivalsHoops

2/21/03: "New Hampton Head Coach Jamie Arsenault told Rivalshoops.com that Oluwafemi Ibikunle will take spring trips to Marquette, Iowa State and TCU. Others in the mix include Oklahoma State, Cincinnati and St. John's." - RivalsHoops.com

2/11/03: "Ibikunle is hearing from Marquette, Cincinnati, Utah, Hawaii and Virginia. The Cavaliers offered him in December but, according to coach Arsenault, have not been in contact since. Arsenault said that Ibikunle will make some official visits in March." - Chris Monter

1/22/03: "Femi Ibikunle is tossing in between 8 and 10 points a game for New Hampton this year. From a recruiting standpoint, Ibikunle is hearing from Marquette, Cincinnati, Utah, Hawaii and Virginia. The Cavaliers offered him in December but, according to Arsenault, have not been in contact since. Arsenault said that Ibikunle will make some official visits in March." - http://theinsidershoops.theinsiders.com/

pic -
http://media.theinsiders.com/Media/HS_Basketball/25_FemiIbikunle.JPG

12/9: "Femi was a bit of a mystery to most recruiting services heading into the War on the Shore tournament in Milford, DE last month. However, he left Delaware a clear high major post target. Though raw at the offensive end of the floor, he attacks the boards with a vengeance and has excellent timing and quickness on defense. Ibikule is about as strong as they come, and as his feel for the game improves, so too will his comfort level on offense. Memphis, Louisville, Villanova, North Carolina and Cincinnati are the schools taking a long look." - Bob Gibbons All Star Report

12/5: "Ibikunle, a native of Nigeria, struggled quite a bit at the War on the Shore. He scored just two points before fouling out in Saturday's victory over Coastal Christian Academy, and then was ejected from Sunday's loss to Notre Dame Prep after picking up a quick pair of technical fouls. A 6-9 power forward seemingly carved out of granite, Ibikunle will likely remain a key high major recruiting target this winter due to his size and upside. But he's far from a finished product at this juncture." - RivalsHoops.com

12/3/02: "Everyone talked about Femi Ibikunle but few had actually seen him prior to the War On The Shore. Although Ibikunle did little in terms of production, the mere fact that he showed up in Delaware will be enough to get him a high-major scholarship. Recruiters were able to confirm his size and type of game. Schools looking for a big man will accept him as a rebounder and active forward and recruit him as such." - InsidersHoops

11/25: "Louisville coach Rick Pitino had to be disappointed. He took a plane to Delaware to watch Ewing and Femi only to see the latter ejected minutes into the game against Notre Dame Academy. Ibikunle was frustrated with a call early in the game and let his emotions get the best of him and he was regulated to spectator duty." - Insiders Hoops

11/24: "The 6-foot-8 Ibikunle plays for New Hampton Prep. A good performance at this event (War on the Shore in Milford, Del) and he’ll blossom into a high-major priority. A so-so effort and he’ll likely still boost his stock. But, with over a hundred college coaches expected to attend, he’d be wise to capitalize on his opportunity." - CNN SI, Telep

11/24/02: "His name is Oluwafemi Ibikunle. Just call him Femi. And also call the 6-foot-8, 235-pound New Hampton (NH) School import what he's about to become - one of the most sought-after big men in the whole darn Class of 2003. "He's a tough, physical, rebounding kid who knows how to play the game," Huskies coach Jamie Arsenault said Saturday afternoon here at the War on the Shore. "And it's still real early in the year." In other words, there's plenty of time for high-major schools to continue to recruit the native Nigerian, and there's plenty of time for the native Nigerian to try to sort through said high-major schools. Right now? "Everybody sends mail," Femi Ibikunle said with a smile after New Hampton's 62-51 win over Virginia Beach (VA) Coastal Christian Academy. "'We want you. We love you.'" Who wants him? Who loves him? Some of the programs that have shown interest to this point: North Carolina, Iowa, Cincinnati, Memphis, Louisville, Villanova, Richmond, Boston University, etc. - http://theinsidershoops.theinsiders.com/

11/24: "Femi fouled out with about 5 minutes to go in this one. He recorded 2 points, 4 rebounds and 3 blocks. He's got a strong frame, is an average athlete and his offensive game is limited. He'll be recruited for his size, strength and rebounding potential. - http://theinsidershoops.theinsiders.com/

11/14/02: "After the early signing period comes and goes next week, the most popular prospects in the country will be those with big man skills. Meet Femi Ibikunle. "He's high-major," New Hampton head coach Jamie Arsenault says of his prospect. "I think he's as good a big guy as I've seen in this league. He's strong, he's quick and he can run the floor. He's an absolute physical specimen. I measured him without he's shoes and he's 6-8. The problem is that he's so big and strong that he looks smaller than he is."

We can see what Arsenault means. In the summer, when we saw Femi at the Big Time, he looked about 6-7 and 220. Arsenault says he's much bigger. The Nigerian has seen his interest level pretty much go through the roof. Arsenault said that Cincinnati, Memphis and St. John's offered him early. Villanova has called. So have the North Carolina Tar Heels. Arsenault says that there'll be plenty of schools peering at Femi at the War on The Shore next week." - www.theinsidershoops.com/

11/4/02: "Ibikunle burst onto the scene in July at the adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas, where he played with Mickey Walker's Donyell Marshall Foundation program. A physical specimen who is a bit rough around the edges, Ibikunle stood out like a sore thumb thanks to his tremendous frame. Even so, he wasn't one of the primary offensive options for DMF, which was led by Loren Stokes (Hofstra), Jeff Parmer (Providence) and Tyler Relph (West Virginia). St. John's, Memphis, Cincinnati and Iowa State offered Ibikunle scholarships, according to Coach Arsenault. Louisville also expressed interest in the Nigerian big man." - InsidersHoops

10/13/02: "Femi Ibikunle, a 6-9, 245 pound power forward from the New Hampton School in New Hampton, N.H., has seen a number of programs come in to take a look at him this fall. According to New Hampton Head Coach Jamie Arsenault, Louisville, Boston College, Connecticut, Memphis, St. John's and Iowa State are just a small sampling of the schools who have made the pilgrimage up to New Hampshire to see "Femi." Arsenault also told us that Cincinnati is also being considered. "Memphis has offered," Arsenault said. "Cincinnati is close to offering."

"He's been playing so well this fall," Arsenault said. "He's a natural."

A native of Africa, Ibikunle made his American debut this summer by playing with Mickey Walker's Donyell Marshall Foundation program at the adidas Big Time Tournament in Las Vegas, Nev.

Blessed with an excellent frame and a developing offensive game, Ibikunle has progressed rapidly at New Hampton this fall. Arsenault said that Femi picks up things very quickly, and that he could be his best big man on this year's squad. That is saying something, since New Hampton will also have the services of 7-0 Julius Lamptey of Oklahoma this winter.

While many big time programs are interested in "Femi," he is not going to do anything this fall regarding his recruitment. "Femi is not taking any visits now," Arsenault said. "He is going to take all of his visits in the spring."


9/26/02: "Another big man on the Huskies' list is Ibikunle Oluwafemi, a 6-9 center from Nigeria who will play at New Hampton School in New Hampshire. He joins a list of about six or seven other big men, including Brandon Bass, a 6-8 forward from Baton Rouge, La. - Hartford Courant


From an undated 2001 series of articles in the Dallas Morning News
(snipped):
"The first game of the Premier League playoffs is three hours away. Ibikunle Oluwafemi, known simply as "Femi" in this neighborhood, climbs off a brown corduroy couch that is his bed. The 17-year-old hand-washes his bright yellow uniform in a sink and hangs it on the iron railing outside his family's apartment to dry in the sun.

He walks down the dark stairwell from the two-bedroom apartment he shares with his parents, two brothers and two sisters and hops over the gutter, landing in the street. A woman around the corner gives him a full plate of fried plantains, rice and beans for 50 naira - about 50 cents - and he sits on a picnic bench and begins shoveling the food into his mouth.

Femi is 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, and eyes follow him as he walks the streets around his childhood home. He is the starting center for the Islanders, and that makes him a local celebrity. "Femi!" a man calls out in Yoruba, his tribal tongue. "When are you going to become a millionaire?"

He is athletic, strong and quick. He is a powerful rebounder with a soft touch around the basket. Few players in his country have more potential. Femi could play in the Big East Conference right now. He could start for Rutgers, make a difference on any college team. Instead, he plays here for 5,000 naira a month - a little less than $50 - and even that token amount could jeopardize his amateur status should he eventually reach the United States, which is his goal.

It is difficult to believe he started playing basketball just three years ago, scaling a wall at a private school to use the neighborhood's only court. He carefully avoided the shards of glass placed in the concrete to act as barbed wire. The school headmaster often chased him away, but within a year, Femi was playing for the Islanders. Now he is anxious to leave Nigeria. "I want to play in the U.S., in the NBA," he says. "When I watched the NBA as a kid, I would tell my family, 'I want to be a professional basketball player.' But I can't. I can't get a visa."

Some players try a half-dozen times to obtain a U.S. visa, and each time they are turned away due to the strict requirements at the American Embassy. The embassy requires Nigerians to present evidence that they will return to the country - such as property ownership or bank accounts - and that is difficult for a teenager.

Unable to get a visa to the United States, the young men face a choice. They can stay in Nigeria and play basketball on the country's rotting courts for $50 a month. Or they can find another way - at whatever cost.

For most, the choice is easy. "When the American immigration laws became so stringent, it became as if it was easier for a camel to pass through a needle," Coach Ahmedu says. "Kids are desperate to go out. That's when it led to this funky business to start happening. It is like life If you continue to block legitimate ways, people will go underground." Going underground means the pipeline, the streamlined way to a precious visa. This is Noik's specialty.

Canada's rules are much more relaxed, so Noik arranges for players to drive 300 miles from Lagos to the nearest Canadian Embassy, in Accra, Ghana. Once the players are in Canada, the U.S. Embassy there is less concerned with whether they will return to Nigeria. That makes it easier to receive a visa and enter the States to be united with talent-hungry coaches.