Ekene Ibekwe's Worldwide Growth

Senior forward Ekene Ibekwe is a model of the progression coaches hope an athlete will make throughout his college career. Born and raised on the West Coast, Ibekwe's geographical transition was parallel to his physical and emotional development.

Ibekwe's maturity is also evident in his attitude towards his school work. He credits his parents with stressing academics as he was growing up, and understands the value of a college education off the court. He said, "A good education is something you need to have in life, so that you have something to fall back on. It's hard to balance with basketball, but it needs to be done and I think I've done a good job of it."

As such, Ibekwe is a three-time LeFrak Foundation Scholar, awarded to University of Maryland athletes "who exhibit extraordinary athletic leadership and academic achievement."

Click here to read ""Ibekwe's Worldwide Growth, On and Off the Court" on Maryland's official website. There, you can find out how he fared against Dirk Nowitzki in last summer's FIBA World Championship tournament as a member of the Nigerian national team.