1998-99 Men's Basketball Roster
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Jersey Number 54
Obinna Ekezie
- Height:
- 6-10
- Weight:
- 262
- Class:
- Senior
- Hometown:
- Port Harcourt, Nigeria
- High School:
- Worcester Academy
ON EKEZIE: Honorable mention All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection as a junior and an honorable mention selection to the ACC All Freshman team ... was as outstanding in a pressure situation as any player in the nation against Illinois in the second round of the 1998 NCAA Tournament ... made six straight free throws (both ends of one-and-one attempts) in the final 118 seconds to push Maryland past the Illini, 67-61, and into the "Sweet 16" for the third time in five years and the second time during his career ... enters his senior season with 90 blocks to rank seventh in school history ... enters his senior season with 404 free throws attempted which ranks him 13th in Maryland history ... has worked to develop himself into a serious inside threat and one of the top post players in the ACC and the nation ... "He's made amazing strides in terms of learning the game. As he plays more, he's going to get better. It still might be three or four years down the road before he reaches his full ability," said head coach Gary Williams during the 1997-98 season ... Ekezie is one of a select group of students enrolled in the QUEST (Quality Enhancement Systems and Teams) Program at Maryland ... the program QUEST is a joint business and engineering program focusing on skills training in teamwork, problem solving, customer satisfaction and cross-functional communication ... the QUEST program offered him the unique opportunity of pursuing his dual interest in engineering and business ... Ekezie has completed the QUEST program requirements and is now diligently working on the mechanical engineering requirements ... his father, Obi Ekezie, is a petroleum engineer in Nigeria ... his physical stature runs in his family ... despite his father standing only 5'6", his mom stands 5'8" and his grandfather on his mother's side is 6'9" ... patterns his game after Hakeem Olajuwon of the Houston Rockets ... depends on his footspeed for his quickness ... has a soccer background which has helped him develop his defensive skills.
As a Junior: Honorable mention All-ACC selection ... averaged a career-high 12.8 points (third on the team) and a career-high 1.2 blocked shots (first on the team) per game ... credited with 51 assists — nearly double his freshman and sophomore seasons combined total of 32 ... blocked a single-season career-high 37 shots and earned his single-season career high of six against Wake Forest in Cole Field House ... his 134 free throws was a career-high and tied him for the 13th most ever made in a single season by a Maryland player ... his 200 free-throw attempts was also a career-high and marked the second highest total by a Maryland junior and the tenth highest single-season total by a Maryland player ... jumped to the forefront of the national spotlight against Illinois in the second round of the NCAA Tournament as he was perfect on six free throws in the final two minutes of the Terps' victory ... first pair of free throws came with 1:58 remaining and gave the Terps a 59-56 lead ... in the ensuing 1:23 Illinois outscored Maryland, 5-2, to tie the game at 61 ... Ekezie returned to the line with 0:35 remaining and, after an Illinois timeout, swished two consecutive attempts to score the game-winning points and put the Terps up, 63-61 ... was sent back to the free throw line with 15.2 seconds remaining and was again perfect to close out the Illini, 65-61 ... said Ekezie: "I told myself: 'vou aren't here. Obinna. You're back at practice, you're in the gym, no one is around, just make these free throws' "... "The thing you have to know about Obinna is that he loves being in that position," said head coach Gary Williams after the game ... hit a foul-line jumper with 3:15 remaining to return the Terps to the lead, 61-60 and after a Carolina basket, put Maryland back on top with a low post fadeaway jumper on which he was fouled ... he hit the bonus free throw with 2:35 remaining to put the Terps ahead 66-62 ... was a key performer as the Terps recovered from an eight point second half deficit to win at Florida State on Feb. 7 ... re-entered the game with 7:34 remaining in the second half and the Seminoles ahead, 55-49 ... played the remainder of the way with four fouls as the Terps recovered to win, 68-62 ... scored his career high of 23 points against Duke in Cole Field House ... the 23 points was the game high scoring total and came on five of nine shooting from the field and a career-high 13 free throws made in 15 attempts ... was all important as Maryland defeated Clemson at home with his vital contribution of 12 points and seven rebounds ... scored four points (all on free throws) in the final four minutes as the Terps rallied for the victory against the 23rd ranked Tigers ... scored the game-winning point as Maryland defeated then No. 2 Kansas in the first round of the Franklin National Bank Classic at MCI Center ... was fouled by Jayhawk guard Ryan Robertson with 19.2 seconds remaining ... after missing the first of two free throws, he swished home the second to give Maryland an 84-81 lead.
As a Sophomore: Averaged 10.1 points and 6.6 rebounds as Maryland's starting center ... a starter in all 32 games ...his 10.1 points-per game average ranked fourth on the team, his 6.6 rebounds per game average ranked second on the team and ninth in the ACC and his 1.0 blocked shots per game average led the Terps and ranked tenth in the conference ... his 33 blocked shots was the sixth best ever total by a Maryland sophomore ... his 23 steals was the 13th best single-season total by a Terp sophomore ... Maryland was 1-3 in games that he fouled out and 11-4 in games when he committed three fouls or less ... a career-high four double/doubles with back-to-back efforts coming against Florida State (Feb. 13) and Massachusetts (Feb. 15) ... averaged 13.0 points and 10.5 rebounds as the Terps defeated the Seminoles in Cole Field House and traveled to play the Minutemen in Worcester, Mass. ... played maybe his best game of his sophomore season and possibly of his collegiate career as the Terps defeated Clemson in the first round of the ACC Tournament ... he led four Maryland players with 20 points (one below his career-best) and dominated the paint with 10 rebounds ... Ekezie's inside dominance set an early tone for the Terps to recover from an early 1 1 -2 deficit and take a first half lead that it did not relinquish ... played a non-overtime game season high of 38 total minutes and shot six-of-ten from the field versus the Tigers ... opened the season with a flourish as he scored a then career-high of 19 points versus Howard on Nov. 26 with 10 points in the second half ... tied that career high with a team-best 19 versus American on Dec. 21 ... tied a school record as he shot 100 percent (eight-for-eight) versus American ... he tied, among others, Terp head coach Gary Williams ... grabbed 10 rebounds versus Chicago State in Cole Field House on Dec. 2 ... played well in helping the Terps to the championship of the Franklin National Bank/Children's Charities Classic with averages of 10.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game ... a career-high 12 rebounds came versus Georgia in the championship game of the Rainbow Classic ... a career-high tying five offensive rebounds in a career-high 40 minutes of playing time versus the Bulldogs ... a career-high 21 points in the Terps' amazing comeback victory, 85-75, at North Carolina on Jan. 8 ... the Terps' 22-point comeback was the largest in school history and second-largest in the annals of the ACC ... Maryland trailed 6644 with just over 14 minutes to play in regulation but outscored the Tar Heels, 41-9, over the remainder of the contest ... shot six-of eight from the field and sank nine free throws to lead all scorers ... 1 1 points and four rebounds in the first half and 10 points and four rebounds in the second half versus North Carolina ... scored nine points in the comeback while committing only two fouls and played all but 11 seconds of the final 14:24 of the game ... enjoyed a career-best four game stretch in Feb. as he scored in double figures in four consecutive games — Florida State (15 points, 11 rebounds), at Massachusetts ( 1 1 points, 10 rebounds), at Georgia Tech (10 points, five rebounds) and the home finale versus North Carolina (14 points and seven rebounds) ... averaged 12.5 points and 8.3 rebounds during the span to help keep Maryland in the upper echelon of the ACC race.
As a freshman: An honorable mention All ACC Freshman Team selection as he played in all 30 Terp games while starting 18 ... scored in double figures twice — 16 versus Delaware State and 12 versus NC Obinna Ekezie with Director of Athletics Deborah A. Yow.
State, in back-to-back games ... performed very well versus the top centers in the ACC and the nation ... may have been at his best as he limited Todd Fuller, NC State's unanimous first team All-ACC selection, to eight points (14 below his season average) on Ian. 20, 1996 ... his 20 blocked shots is the sixth best single season effort by a Maryland freshman ... averaged 14 points, nine rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots during the two-game stretch ... grabbed a career high 1 1 rebounds versus No. 18 Clemson on Jan. 24 ... his three-game total of 29 rebounds — Delaware State (Jan. 17) , NC State (Jan. 20) and Clemson (Jan. 24) — gave him a per-game average of 9.7, the highest three-game average during his inaugural season ... grabbed seven or more rebounds in eight different games ... gained his first collegiate start in only his sixth career game, versus UCLA in the Wooden Classic ... played well versus 1996 NCAA national champion Kentucky in the Terps' season opener, scoring six points with four rebounds and two blocked shots in 20 minutes of play ... blocked a season-high four shots versus NC State on Jan. 20 ... blocked three or more shots three times, three versus American, three versus Delaware State and four versus NC State ... had multiple blocked shots in four outings ... a season-high five field goals came versus Delaware State ... field goal perfection came versus seven teams with three-for-three each versus George Washington and Howard ... made a season-high six free throws versus Delaware State and four versus NC State and Duke.
At Worcester Academy: Considered by recruiting experts to be among the top three post players in the Eastern part of the United States his senior season ... caught the eyes of Division I recruiters with his size, strength and rebounding skills ... made his Cole Field House debut in the 1995 Capital Classic as a member of the U.S. All-Star Team ... scored four points and grabbed six rebounds in only 12 minutes of play ... was among the game leaders in rebounds per minute ... showed his soft shooting touch during the game as he hit his only field goal attempt and was a perfect two-of-two from the free-throw line ... averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds as a junior for Worcester Academy which dominated a schedule peppered with junior-varsity Ivy League foes ... worked during his senior season on perfecting his low-post moves and developing a hook shot ... played on the championship team at the 1995 Boston Shootout, one of the top AAU tournaments in the country ... averaged 7.7 points and four rebounds including 1 1 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots in the championship game.
Personal: Born Aug. 22, 1975 ... full name is Obinna Ralph Ekezie ... is the third oldest in a family of six children ... two older sisters, Chika and Sylvia, attend Maryland ... major is mechanical engineering.
As a Junior: Honorable mention All-ACC selection ... averaged a career-high 12.8 points (third on the team) and a career-high 1.2 blocked shots (first on the team) per game ... credited with 51 assists — nearly double his freshman and sophomore seasons combined total of 32 ... blocked a single-season career-high 37 shots and earned his single-season career high of six against Wake Forest in Cole Field House ... his 134 free throws was a career-high and tied him for the 13th most ever made in a single season by a Maryland player ... his 200 free-throw attempts was also a career-high and marked the second highest total by a Maryland junior and the tenth highest single-season total by a Maryland player ... jumped to the forefront of the national spotlight against Illinois in the second round of the NCAA Tournament as he was perfect on six free throws in the final two minutes of the Terps' victory ... first pair of free throws came with 1:58 remaining and gave the Terps a 59-56 lead ... in the ensuing 1:23 Illinois outscored Maryland, 5-2, to tie the game at 61 ... Ekezie returned to the line with 0:35 remaining and, after an Illinois timeout, swished two consecutive attempts to score the game-winning points and put the Terps up, 63-61 ... was sent back to the free throw line with 15.2 seconds remaining and was again perfect to close out the Illini, 65-61 ... said Ekezie: "I told myself: 'vou aren't here. Obinna. You're back at practice, you're in the gym, no one is around, just make these free throws' "... "The thing you have to know about Obinna is that he loves being in that position," said head coach Gary Williams after the game ... hit a foul-line jumper with 3:15 remaining to return the Terps to the lead, 61-60 and after a Carolina basket, put Maryland back on top with a low post fadeaway jumper on which he was fouled ... he hit the bonus free throw with 2:35 remaining to put the Terps ahead 66-62 ... was a key performer as the Terps recovered from an eight point second half deficit to win at Florida State on Feb. 7 ... re-entered the game with 7:34 remaining in the second half and the Seminoles ahead, 55-49 ... played the remainder of the way with four fouls as the Terps recovered to win, 68-62 ... scored his career high of 23 points against Duke in Cole Field House ... the 23 points was the game high scoring total and came on five of nine shooting from the field and a career-high 13 free throws made in 15 attempts ... was all important as Maryland defeated Clemson at home with his vital contribution of 12 points and seven rebounds ... scored four points (all on free throws) in the final four minutes as the Terps rallied for the victory against the 23rd ranked Tigers ... scored the game-winning point as Maryland defeated then No. 2 Kansas in the first round of the Franklin National Bank Classic at MCI Center ... was fouled by Jayhawk guard Ryan Robertson with 19.2 seconds remaining ... after missing the first of two free throws, he swished home the second to give Maryland an 84-81 lead.
As a Sophomore: Averaged 10.1 points and 6.6 rebounds as Maryland's starting center ... a starter in all 32 games ...his 10.1 points-per game average ranked fourth on the team, his 6.6 rebounds per game average ranked second on the team and ninth in the ACC and his 1.0 blocked shots per game average led the Terps and ranked tenth in the conference ... his 33 blocked shots was the sixth best ever total by a Maryland sophomore ... his 23 steals was the 13th best single-season total by a Terp sophomore ... Maryland was 1-3 in games that he fouled out and 11-4 in games when he committed three fouls or less ... a career-high four double/doubles with back-to-back efforts coming against Florida State (Feb. 13) and Massachusetts (Feb. 15) ... averaged 13.0 points and 10.5 rebounds as the Terps defeated the Seminoles in Cole Field House and traveled to play the Minutemen in Worcester, Mass. ... played maybe his best game of his sophomore season and possibly of his collegiate career as the Terps defeated Clemson in the first round of the ACC Tournament ... he led four Maryland players with 20 points (one below his career-best) and dominated the paint with 10 rebounds ... Ekezie's inside dominance set an early tone for the Terps to recover from an early 1 1 -2 deficit and take a first half lead that it did not relinquish ... played a non-overtime game season high of 38 total minutes and shot six-of-ten from the field versus the Tigers ... opened the season with a flourish as he scored a then career-high of 19 points versus Howard on Nov. 26 with 10 points in the second half ... tied that career high with a team-best 19 versus American on Dec. 21 ... tied a school record as he shot 100 percent (eight-for-eight) versus American ... he tied, among others, Terp head coach Gary Williams ... grabbed 10 rebounds versus Chicago State in Cole Field House on Dec. 2 ... played well in helping the Terps to the championship of the Franklin National Bank/Children's Charities Classic with averages of 10.0 points and 6.5 rebounds per game ... a career-high 12 rebounds came versus Georgia in the championship game of the Rainbow Classic ... a career-high tying five offensive rebounds in a career-high 40 minutes of playing time versus the Bulldogs ... a career-high 21 points in the Terps' amazing comeback victory, 85-75, at North Carolina on Jan. 8 ... the Terps' 22-point comeback was the largest in school history and second-largest in the annals of the ACC ... Maryland trailed 6644 with just over 14 minutes to play in regulation but outscored the Tar Heels, 41-9, over the remainder of the contest ... shot six-of eight from the field and sank nine free throws to lead all scorers ... 1 1 points and four rebounds in the first half and 10 points and four rebounds in the second half versus North Carolina ... scored nine points in the comeback while committing only two fouls and played all but 11 seconds of the final 14:24 of the game ... enjoyed a career-best four game stretch in Feb. as he scored in double figures in four consecutive games — Florida State (15 points, 11 rebounds), at Massachusetts ( 1 1 points, 10 rebounds), at Georgia Tech (10 points, five rebounds) and the home finale versus North Carolina (14 points and seven rebounds) ... averaged 12.5 points and 8.3 rebounds during the span to help keep Maryland in the upper echelon of the ACC race.
As a freshman: An honorable mention All ACC Freshman Team selection as he played in all 30 Terp games while starting 18 ... scored in double figures twice — 16 versus Delaware State and 12 versus NC Obinna Ekezie with Director of Athletics Deborah A. Yow.
State, in back-to-back games ... performed very well versus the top centers in the ACC and the nation ... may have been at his best as he limited Todd Fuller, NC State's unanimous first team All-ACC selection, to eight points (14 below his season average) on Ian. 20, 1996 ... his 20 blocked shots is the sixth best single season effort by a Maryland freshman ... averaged 14 points, nine rebounds and 3.5 blocked shots during the two-game stretch ... grabbed a career high 1 1 rebounds versus No. 18 Clemson on Jan. 24 ... his three-game total of 29 rebounds — Delaware State (Jan. 17) , NC State (Jan. 20) and Clemson (Jan. 24) — gave him a per-game average of 9.7, the highest three-game average during his inaugural season ... grabbed seven or more rebounds in eight different games ... gained his first collegiate start in only his sixth career game, versus UCLA in the Wooden Classic ... played well versus 1996 NCAA national champion Kentucky in the Terps' season opener, scoring six points with four rebounds and two blocked shots in 20 minutes of play ... blocked a season-high four shots versus NC State on Jan. 20 ... blocked three or more shots three times, three versus American, three versus Delaware State and four versus NC State ... had multiple blocked shots in four outings ... a season-high five field goals came versus Delaware State ... field goal perfection came versus seven teams with three-for-three each versus George Washington and Howard ... made a season-high six free throws versus Delaware State and four versus NC State and Duke.
At Worcester Academy: Considered by recruiting experts to be among the top three post players in the Eastern part of the United States his senior season ... caught the eyes of Division I recruiters with his size, strength and rebounding skills ... made his Cole Field House debut in the 1995 Capital Classic as a member of the U.S. All-Star Team ... scored four points and grabbed six rebounds in only 12 minutes of play ... was among the game leaders in rebounds per minute ... showed his soft shooting touch during the game as he hit his only field goal attempt and was a perfect two-of-two from the free-throw line ... averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds as a junior for Worcester Academy which dominated a schedule peppered with junior-varsity Ivy League foes ... worked during his senior season on perfecting his low-post moves and developing a hook shot ... played on the championship team at the 1995 Boston Shootout, one of the top AAU tournaments in the country ... averaged 7.7 points and four rebounds including 1 1 points, five rebounds and two blocked shots in the championship game.
Personal: Born Aug. 22, 1975 ... full name is Obinna Ralph Ekezie ... is the third oldest in a family of six children ... two older sisters, Chika and Sylvia, attend Maryland ... major is mechanical engineering.
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