Four years ago, Victor Uyaelunmo could’ve never even dreamed of this. Today, he is one of the nation’s most promising prospects. Born in Nigeria, Uyaelunmo moved to the United States at the age of 14 and it just by luck that he started playing basketball in the first place. “My younger brother was already playing basketball, but I wasn’t. He told me that he was going to see a coach and he wanted to know if I wanted to come.” Uyaelunmo continued. “The coach saw that I was very tall, so, he asked, ‘How come you don’t play basketball?’ That was when he told me to come try out and that’s when I started playing basketball.”

 

Since then, Uyaelunmo, through his efforts with the Florida Vipers (FL), has peaked the interests of some of the top schools in the country, receiving offers from nearly 20 schools, from the likes of UCONN, Texas A&M, TCU, among others. Despite all of the overs, the four-star center recently cut his list down to eight. Schools include: Illinois, Florida, Tennessee, UConn, Pittsburgh, USC, Miami, and Vanderbilt.

Although he recently cut his list,  he has no timetable for when he plans on committing. Now, he is just focused on improving his game. After averaging a respectable 7.7 points per game, to go along with 1.8 blocks per game, Uyaelunmo made a huge impact on both sides of the court. “The greatest strength right now is my shot blocking. I can block shots very well.”  explained the 6’11” center.  “I have other things that I’m good at.”

 

Uyaelunmo has done a tremendous job of refining his game the last few years, given that he is still relatively new to the game of basketball. “I need to work on my jump shot, getting stronger, my hook shot, and my overall game,” Uyaelunmo stated. “I’ve been working really hard, so it’s been really cool with all the attention I’ve received.  I’m really thankful and blessed for everything that I have today.”

While it is clear that he is grateful, if he can keep up this recent success, then he may be able to achieve his ultimate goal of making it to the NBA. However, his still has a lot to do to get there, saying, “My goal is to make it to the NBA. I also want to have a really good college career, play for a good team, have fun, and get better. “

 

Making it to the NBA isn’t Uyaelunmo’s only goal. As a student-athlete, Uyaelunmo looks to excel in the classroom, stating, “a good academic school” as a deciding factor in his college choice. Often times, it can be hard for the four-star prospect to find time for school, but that hasn’t stopped him. “ It is hard, but I am able to do it. As a student-athlete, you have a lot to do, but if you have good time management, then you can manage it,” he says. “If you do things on time, then you’re fine. If you procrastinate then it’s harder to do.”

He also mentioned that while he would like to major in business in college, he is also leaning towards Real Estate development at the moment.

Victor Uyaelunmo may have only started playing basketball a few years ago, but now he is ready to take his game to the next level. Coming from Nigeria, Uyaelunmo isn’t only looking to be a great basketball player, but he also wants to be an inspiration, saying, “I want to inspire a lot of people because where I come from, people don’t have what I have today. I want to make the most of my opportunity and go back and help them. I also want to be a better person for myself and for my family.”