S P OR T S |
SHAWN FURY
The Great Defender
I
ke Obiagu ’21 has been away from his home country
Dalembert, who had 167 blocks for the Pirates in his
of Nigeria for the better part of a decade. During that
standout career that ended in 2001.
time, he has developed into an intimidating 7-foot-2, 265-pound presence on the basketball court, first
his blocking ability, though he might be even better at
in high school, then at Florida State and finally at Seton
understating that skill. “It came naturally to me. You have
Hall after he transferred in 2018.
to get the timing correct or you get a foul. Over the years
Those closest to Obiagu back in Nigeria are well aware of his accomplishments thousands of miles away. “I send them clips of the games, and they always keep up with everything,” Obiagu says. When his family
I’ve learned how to block a shot without fouling the player, and I know when to go for a block or when not to go for a block.” Obiagu came to Seton Hall thanks to the efforts of
watches those highlights, they can see what has become
former Pirates assistant Tony Skinn, a Nigerian-born
obvious to college basketball fans everywhere: There’s no
coach who helped the University land the talented
better center on the defensive side of the game.
center. Another Seton Hall assistant, current associate
After arriving at Seton Hall, Obiagu quickly climbed
head coach Grant Billmeier ’07, a former Pirates big
the list of Pirate leaders in blocking shots. During the
man himself, has since played a key role in Obiagu’s
2021 season, he led the BIG EAST by averaging 2.7 blocks
development.
in 19 conference games. His season included an eight-
“He’s an elite rim protector, and we’re fortunate
block effort against Wagner College, which he topped by
to have him,” Billmeier says. “He covers up for a lot of
swatting nine more against Georgetown, which tied for
guys on the defensive end. He allows us to be a lot
the most in a single game for a Division I player last year.
more aggressive. Guys know they can pressure the
And the 2022 campaign was simply more of the same. He started the season with five blocks against Fairleigh Dickinson. In early January, Obiagu recorded six blocks
basketball more, knowing that he’s back there to try and block shots.” Billmeier also credits Obiagu for being a “very calming
in a thrilling overtime victory over the University of
influence” on the court. “He’s not the most vocal guy, but
Connecticut. But he was only getting started. A game
when Ike speaks, because he’s more on the quiet side,
after notching five blocks versus DePaul, he collected
everyone listens because they have so much respect for
seven more against Marquette. St. John’s then suffered
him and how hard he works on the court and how hard
at the rim as Obiagu again blocked seven shots in a
he works in the classroom.”
triumphant showdown at Madison Square Garden. All of that led to the moment when Obiagu topped the
30
“I’ve always been pretty good at it,” Obiagu says of
While it’s impossible to miss Obiagu’s impact on the court, he also has earned academic accolades. In
Seton Hall record for career blocks on January 26. He
2021, Obiagu, who received his degree in business
picked up four blocks in a rematch against Marquette,
administration with a concentration in accounting and
giving him 169 (and counting) for his Seton Hall
now studies for his master’s in accounting, was named
career, breaking the record previously held by Samuel
the BIG EAST Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year, an
