Jan. 16, 2007

Senior forward Ekene Ibekwe is a model of the progression coaches hope an athlete will make throughout his college career. Born and raised on the West Coast, Ibekwe's geographical transition was parallel to his physical and emotional development.

Ibekwe said about Maryland, "It's a lot colder than L.A. but I've gotten used to it. I feel at home in Maryland now, in a lot of ways. I've grown up over these last four years."

That growth undeniably includes his game, as he has progressed from an athletic player dependent on natural ability to a skilled power forward with strong post moves and a commanding defensive presence. Quickness and shot-blocking have always been among Ibekwe's strengths, along with natural intensity. Ibekwe calls his playing style "real intense and real aggressive. I'm somebody you can tell loves to play the game."

Maryland head coach Gary Williams affirmed, "Ekene has as much experience and ability as anyone in college basketball."

Ibekwe's impressive shot-blocking has been a consistent component of his success, and one that Maryland fans have come to expect from him. In his freshman season, Ibekwe amassed 44 blocked shots, making him the first freshman to lead the team in blocks since Joe Smith in 1994. He maintained that team-best position in his sophomore season, finishing fourth among ACC leaders with 1.83 blocks per game with a total of 55. Ibekwe completed his junior campaign seventh in the ACC with 1.34 blocks per game.

Nonetheless, other facets of his currently well-rounded game have emerged through equal parts time and effort. Ibekwe's strength has improved immensely since his freshman year, through age and countless hours spent in the weight room. Adding muscle to his lean 6-foot-9 inch frame and 7-foot wingspan has enabled Ibekwe to make explosive dunks on the offensive end and seemingly impossible blocked shots on defense.

Ibekwe's inside presence is enhanced by his improved shooting form, as opponents must defend him both in the paint and on the perimeter. Ibekwe's form changed noticeably between his sophomore and junior years, when he worked with a shooting coach. His previously unorthodox behind-the-head release was relatively effective in his high school days, but slowed him down at Maryland. With a new, higher release point, Ibekwe is able to get shots off quicker and with more arc. His shooting and free throw percentages improved dramatically in his junior season, from 40.9 to 50.6 percent shooting, and 55.2 to 62.3 percent free throw shooting. Ibekwe's soft touch from the outside still surprises many defenders.

On Ibekwe's altered shot Williams commented, "If you want to be an outstanding player, you have to be able to make that open shot. The way he shot it, it hurt him sometimes. You have to be willing to change, and he did it."

With age and practice, Ibewke has also found improvements in his rebounding skills. His total rebounds increased from 124 as a freshman to 212 as a junior. Most notably, his defensive rebounds climbed from 76 to 124 to 144 between his freshman and junior seasons. Last year Ibekwe finished 16th in the ACC with 6.6 rebounds per game and managed five double-doubles. He has already grabbed double-digit boards against Hampton, St. John's, American, and Mount St. Mary's less than halfway through his senior campaign.

Although he is certainly not having trouble scoring, with 10.9 points per game in the first 15 games of the 2006-07 season, Ibekwe has embraced his other roles as well. "I have realized that rebounding and blocking shots are essential parts of my game," he said, "and it is just as important for me to do those things as to score."

Ibekwe combined his strengths on November 16 this season when he scored a career-high 22 points and added 14 rebounds against St. John's in the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic. All of Ibekwe's points came in the first half, during which time he outscored the entire St. John's team by one point. The Terps went on to win that game 92-60 and to win the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic title with a 62-60 victory over Michigan State.

Another highlight of the 2006-07 season for Ibekwe was Maryland's 66-54 defeat of American University. Ibekwe used his full bag of tricks against the Eagles, scoring 11 points, grabbing 13 rebounds, and blocking six shots to give him his ninth career double-double.

Despite entering the 2006-07 season as the team's highest scorer and rebounder and rapidly climbing Maryland's all-time blocked shots, rebounding, and scoring lists, Ibekwe remains humble. He contends, "I'm still working on my all-around game. There are pieces of my game that still need work, and the improvement is going to come in time."

His obvious maturity and self-assured composure have prompted Ibekwe to emerge as a team leader. Ibekwe asserted, "I'm a senior now, so I see myself more as a leader. We have a lot of freshmen and sophomores on the team this year, and they look at me as somebody to look up to. I definitely have to set an example for them, and go out on the court and play hard so they will do the same."

Ibekwe leads by example, preferring to inspire through his intensity on the court rather than voicing instructions to his teammates. In his younger years, he respected the leadership of earlier teammates Jamar Smith and Nik Caner-Medley. "I was fond of the way they played," he explained, "and they made me want to go out there and play the same way."

For the 2006-07 season, Ibekwe's mind is set on leading the team back to the NCAA tournament. He added, "Not just getting to the tournament, but getting far in the tournament." Having played in both NCAA tournament games as a freshman in 2005, then missing the tournament in his sophomore and junior seasons, Ibekwe understands "the adversity of not making it to the tournament. Some of the younger guys might not understand what it takes, but I will be pushing myself every day to get where I need to be. I hope they will follow my lead."

In the summer of 2006, Ibekwe's experience and accomplishments led him straight to Japan for the FIBA World Championships, where he played for the Nigerian national team. "It was a good experience," Ibekwe said about the Championships. "I got the chance to play with top competition from all over the world."

With 24 teams participating, the competition included cream-of-the-crop college and professional players such as the NBA's Yao Ming, Dwayne Wade, and Carmelo Anthony. Among the world's best basketball players, Ibekwe finished the tournament with 8.7 points and 6.7 rebounds per game. Nigeria was narrowly defeated in their final game of the tournament by Germany 78-77 in front of 14,800 spectators. Ibekwe held his own against NBA powerhouse Dirk Nowitzki, matching Nowitzki's 23 points with 22 of his own. Ibekwe hauled in 10 rebounds to Nowitzki's nine. The previous game Ibekwe also made a strong showing, with 12 points and a team-high eight rebounds against Lebanon. Ibekwe reminisced, "It was a good feeling to know that I was a part of the experience, and I would love to do it again."

Ibekwe's maturity is also evident in his attitude towards his school work. He credits his parents with stressing academics as he was growing up, and understands the value of a college education off the court. He said, "A good education is something you need to have in life, so that you have something to fall back on. It's hard to balance with basketball, but it needs to be done and I think I've done a good job of it."

As such, Ibekwe is a three-time LeFrak Foundation Scholar, awarded to University of Maryland athletes "who exhibit extraordinary athletic leadership and academic achievement." Beyond college, Ibekwe has entrepreneurial aspirations. While he would like to ride his basketball success as long as possible and play at the professional level, Ibekwe noted that, "after that, I'd like to own my own business."

What else would one expect? Owning a business provides infinite room for growth and development, for which Ibekwe is the ideal poster child.

-- By Stephanie Haas, Athletics Media Relations Assistant