WVU Basketball
Meet the WVU Basketball Team: Sky is Limit for Toby Okani
It was easy to tell Toby Okani was becoming more comfortable in his game against Louisville. The fifth-year senior from UIC was averaging 6.5 PPG for WVU going into the Battle 4 Atlantis. By the end of the tournament, Okani is averaging close to 10 PPG.
His athleticism is always on display, being a 6-foot-8 guard and the second-best defensive player on the team—behind Sencire Harris. So, seeing him display his athleticism and aggressiveness in a tournament should not come as a surprise to Mountaineer fans.
Okani logged a season-high in minutes at 36 against Louisville, shooting 6-9 from the floor, a season high (at the time), and logged two offensive rebounds.
Those numbers grew in his performance against Arizona, logging 39 minutes, shooting 7-for-11 from the floor. 3-5 from three, three offensive rebounds, a block, two steals, and a season-high 20 points.
“He’s done a tremendous job of fitting in for what’s best for our team” DeVries said of Okani, “He can do even more… his success rate has gone up dramatically as he’s gotten more comfortable… he just wants to win”.
DeVries even said that Okani has a bright future ahead of him, and will play beyond the college level.
WVSN photo/Kelsie LeRose
Okani came to Morgantown, known for his defensive prowess, earning an All-Defensive Team in the Missouri Valley conference last year. However, he still was not just limited to only defense in his previous stops.
He caught the eye of DeVries when he dropped 31 points on the road at Drake. When DeVries reached out to him, Okani knew Morgantown was where he wanted to go, “When Coach reached out to me, it was a no-brainer just because I had mutual respect for him ad Tucker” said Okani.
The Battle 4 Atlantis tournament showcased to Mountaineer fans the grit this team has. The largest question entering the season was the size issue, but WVU walked out of the tournament out-rebounding the then ranked No. 3 Gonzaga and No. 24 Arizona.
Knowing the talents of Javon Small and Tucker DeVries on the offensive side of the ball, Amani Hansberry and Okani become more viable pieces, and should open the court more moving forward.
WVU will return home this Friday December 6th, playing host to an old Big East rival, the Georgetown Hoyas. Tip-off is slated for 7:00 p.m. and will air on ESPN2 as part of the Big 12-Big East Battle.
For a related story, read how the Battle 4 Atlantis impacted WVU’s KenPom rankings.
