Pirate Preview: Emmanuel Okorafor

Published: Sunday, October 13, 2024

by Nick DiBlasi

The 2024-25 Seton Hall men’s basketball team faces an uphill battle. The reigning 2024 NIT champions finished last season strong with five top-100 wins. However, this year brings significant changes to the South Orange squad, led by head coach Shaheen Holloway. Entering his third season at the helm, Holloway will need to develop new stars from his eight transfer players and three freshmen. With eleven members of the championship roster gone, there will be plenty of opportunities this season. One player looking to make a name for himself at the Prudential Center is 6’9" junior Emmanuel Okorafor.

Hailing from Abia, Nigeria, Okorafor played forward and center in his two seasons at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. Ankle injuries affected Okorafor in both his freshman and sophomore seasons, causing him to miss thirteen games. Nonetheless, when healthy, he was a positive force on both ends of the floor. A highlight of his freshman year was becoming the first Cardinal freshman to record at least four blocks in a game since Chinanu Onuaku achieved the feat against Savannah State on November 24, 2014. Okorafor averaged 4.4 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks in five games during the 2022–23 season after joining the team during conference play. A year later, he played in 20 games, averaging 6.9 minutes, 2.4 points, and 2.2 rebounds. Unfortunately, his ankle issues persisted, causing him to miss seven ACC games in the 2023-24 campaign.

With NBA Academy experience, Okorafor brings something entirely different to the table for the 2024-25 season. He joined the NBA Academy Africa team in 2021 and enrolled full-time in March 2022. As one of the four NBA academies worldwide, the program selected Okorafor to train at the elite basketball center in Saly, Senegal, alongside Africa’s top talent. Unlike some of the other newcomers, Okorafor has invaluable experience that could lead to more minutes in the rotation this season. There's a strong possibility he could emerge as a dark horse contributor for the Pirates. With returning players like Dylan Addae-Wusu and Isaiah Coleman, Seton Hall will need to rely on past stars to help guide the arrival of Okorafor and others.

Nick DiBlasi can be reached at nicholas.diblasi@student.shu.edu. 

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