Jonathan Mayer / Staff Writer
In FIU Basketball history, there have been only two Panthers who have made it to the NBA- Carlos Arroyo and Raja Bell. Osasu Osaghae aspires to become the third.
Osaghae, who played his college basketball at FIU from 2016-2020, finished his first season as a professional basketball player overseas in Finland, playing in the Korisliiga league. However, Osasu has come a long way in his journey of trying to chase his dream of one day becoming a center in the NBA.
Osasu grew up playing and loving soccer as a young kid and teenager until the age of 16, when he made the switch to basketball. In an interview with PantherNOW, Osaghae said, “At first, I really did not like the sport so much. However, with the support of my parents and a summer growing five inches, I realized the potential I can make by trying something new.”
He then started to play basketball for Miami Southridge in his junior and senior year of high school, learning the tricks of the game. After graduating, Osaghae was not given any college basketball offers, and decided to enroll at FIU as a student hoping to become a walk-on, but there was one obstacle that stood in his way- he weighed 300 pounds.
“I was very top heavy, and wanted to move better on the court”
Osaghae also adds that, “I needed this for my self confidence and if basketball did not work, losing weight would help me get in better shape and feel better”. So he took on a healthier diet, which helped him lose 60 pounds in addition to improving his basketball skills.
His motivation to lose the weight and work on his basketball craft in the gym helped Osaghae earn the opportunity to walk-on to the FIU basketball team as a college freshman, but he only managed to make four appearances. As a sophomore, he played in 27 games, but averaged less than four points per game. With a mediocre scoring record and inconsistent playing time in his opening two seasons, Osaghae still felt he had a lot to prove on the hardwood.
“I do like to prove people wrong, a little bit more than proving myself right, so the fact that I kept on practicing, and sticking at the game I am going to still be here to have a shot at getting more time.”
As he headed into his junior year, Osaghae wanted a scholarship, and was questioning if he was going to get one.
“I was getting a little impatient and asked Head Coach Jeremy Ballard where I stood on the team, but Coach did not know I was even a walk-on.”
After speaking to Coach Ballard, assistant coach Joey Rodriguez tracked down Osaghae and told him to have patience, and the next day he was surprised with a scholarship. With a chance for more playing time and a scholarship finally in hand, Osaghae knew this opportunity was a pivotal moment in his basketball career, and he did not disappoint.
In his junior year, he had established himself as the top center in Conference USA as he averaged 8.5 points a game, collected 8.5 rebounds per game- which was third in C-USA- and was fourth in the nation in blocks with 3.1.
He then took his game to the next level in his senior year, where he started \in all 32 games, averaging 13 points, and eventually led the nation in blocks with over 122. His outstanding defensive numbers earned him the titles of All-Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year, All-Conference USA Defensive Team and All-Conference USA Second Team.
In March 2020, Osaghae was once again leading the charge for his team, helping them to a 19-13 overall record. The team was preparing for their second round against Charlotte after defeating Rice in their opening match when things suddenly took a sharp turn for Osaghae and the league.
Due to the spread of COVID-19 in the United States, C-USA made the decision to cancel the tournament, ending Osaghae’s college career in the process.
“It was honestly a crazy 48 hours. We knew of other league tournaments being cancelled, but never thought it might affect us”.
Osasu adds, “The next morning on the day of our game, we find out on our ESPN notifications that our conference tournament was cancelled and the whole team was in complete shock.”
After COVID shut down the season, Osaghae looked ahead as he announced he would enter the NBA Draft in 2020, but had lots of uncertainty of how the pre-draft process would happen.
“I was preparing for whatever happened, but there were pros and cons. It allowed me to work on my game, but not knowing what I am working toward.”
Ultimately, the draft event was held later in November, and Osaghae was not selected in either round.
A month later, he received interest from multiple G-League teams (NBA’s minor league organization) and overseas leagues in Spain and Europe, but ultimately decided to make the decision to play professional basketball in Finland.
Despite joining mid-season, Osaghae saw it as a good opportunity to develop his skills and maintain his fitness.
“I did not want to sit out not playing basketball for a year, and it was a good opportunity for four to five months to continue to develop my basketball skills.”
His family and friends were ecstatic for his new adventure, and he added that he was, “more nervous than they were excited as they knew how hard I worked for this and I am going on the right track of where I want to be in the future playing basketball.”
He took his talents to the Korisliiga league, playing for the Kauhajoen Karhu, making nine starts. He averaged 14 points a game, with eight rebounds and two blocks per game. His best performance came on his first start on January 13, 2021, where he had 27 points, 13 rebounds, and blocked three shots.
In July of 2021, Osaghae announced via social media his signing with the MLP Academics Heidelberg, a German Basketball club that plays in Basketball Bundesliga for the 2021-2022 season. As Osaghae gets ready to prepare for another season as a professional basketball player, he still has a number one goal in mind: becoming an NBA player.
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