How Nigerian Basketball Player Chidi Udengwu Made It to the NBA Draft

Chidi Udengwu dealt with much hardship early on in his career which would have left a lesser player completely dejected. In Chidi’s case, however, the hardships he faced served only to motivate him to be the best player he could be.

One of the things that made him stand out was that there were not many other Nigerians that did what he did or came from what he came from. Most Nigerian Division 1 basketball players are always expected to make it to the NBA, but Chidi faced numerous challenges early on which nearly prevented him from reaching that point. He was cut from his middle school basketball team both years, and he did not make the varsity basketball team in high school until his senior year. He then went to a prep school for one year, and then followed this up with a stint at San Bernardino Valley College for two years before attending Idaho State University for another two years. It was at Idaho State where his sporting career really began to take off.

As a basketball player at Idaho State, Chidi demonstrated his worth through his part as a high-energy, dedicated, forceful flash attachment who played with no fear.
Currently, Chidi is employing a specialist with the goal of being picked for the NBA draft. As long as he can remember, one of his main childhood dreams was to play in the NBA, and he is now closer to achieving this dream than ever before.

Chidi achieved an average of 7.3 points and 5.4 bounce backs in 21.2 minutes per game as a senior during the 2019–20 season. He played in every one of the 30 games for the Idaho State Bengals in that season, beginning 13th, and positioned second in bounce backs despite positioning 6th in minutes.

The 6-foot-7, 200-pound forward has experience as a ball overseer and hostile tone-setter. He was a point monitor at San Bernardino Valley College prior to moving to Idaho State in 2018.

He was named Idaho State’s most valuable player this season, a year after conflicting playing time led to a seat assignment for the last 11 rounds of the 2018–19 season.

Udengwu is certainly not a customary NBA draftee. His playstyle does not fit that of the average 6-foot-7 NBA player — he was zero for one on 3-pointers at ISU — and Idaho State is not known for generating a great deal of NBA superstars. In any case, Udengwu desires to join the gamut of unorthodox players who have found success in their careers despite all other expectations.

In the event that his bid for the NBA is unsuccessful, Udengwu could, in any case, get a shot in the G-League, the NBA’s official minor league.

Besides his everyday training regimen to help him get to the NBA or G-league, Chidi keeps himself occupied by hosting a podcast called ChitChatWithChidi.
You can also connect with Chidi for more updates on his Instagram and Twitter.

Article form The Ritz Herald