American dream for Mayo's Victor Okojie - joins NCAA team

Last night, the first round of the NBA draft took place, when multi-billion dollar basketball franchises pick new players.

Certainly an event, that a Mayo boy from Castlebar dreams about being part of at some stage.

Victor Okojie has definitely made a huge step towards a professional basketball career. The 18-year-old has been signed by UMass Lowell, a college team in Massachusetts, near Boston. 

READ: Teenage basketball talent is a rising star for Mayo Meteors

It's not a normal college basketball program. The 'River Hawks' Lowell are a NCAA Division 1 team in the famous NCAA tournament. 

"It will be a great experience and opportunity, coming from Ireland. The environment in Lowell impressed Victor: "Friendly coaches, a good campus, helpful people. Lowell feels like a big city with a small-town vibe, similar to Ireland actually."

What makes Victor's basketball journey so special, is the fact that he's a relatively recent convert to the sport. He only started playing basketball when he was 15.

READ: The basketball dream is back in Ballina after Merry Monk victory

And now, a mere three years later, he has bagged a full scholarship and the opportunity to compete against the best players in his age group.

"I started with St Gerald's College in Castlebar. Then went to Dublin, for the North Atlantic Basketball Academy. After that he went to Wesley Christian in Kentucky. When the coach there left, I moved to Hamilton Heights Christian Academy in Chattanooga, Tennessee."

Victor admits, that it was very tough at first being away from home, but he says he has adjusted and made friends.

And then at a tournament in Baltimore, scouts from UMass saw Victor play. His coach called to say they’d tracked him since last November, liked his game and wanted him to visit the school. He went over to Lowell, met the staff, and that’s how it all happened.

Standing tall at 6' 8'', Victor describes himself as a team player who can play on both ends of the floor. 

He names Paul George as a player who inspired him initially but after a while Victor realised, he would have to develop his own style.

"I love the sport," Victor says: "My faith guides me. I want to share God’s word and give back to my family."

And as many players who are drafted into the NBA played college basketball before, who knows, the love for the sport might take the Castlebar born and raised Victor Okojie to the NBA one day, one of the most glamorous sports leagues in the world. 

Victor has an exciting freshman's year at college ahead of him. It's pretty certain, it won't be the last we hear from him.

Victor Okojie has already represented Ireland at the Euros at U-20 level

The UMass Lowell basketball team is coached by Pat Duquette. He has been head coach of the program since its inception in 2013.

Duquette was named coach of the year 2023 in the America East Conference of the NCAA. During his career, he has slowly worked himself up, from several assistant coach positions.

He comes from a family a big sports credentials. His cousin Dan Duquette is a former General Manager of the famous Boston Red Sox in the Major League Baseball.

And Pat's older brother Tim Duquette is the former General Manager of the New York Mets in the MLB.