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2023-24 Men's Basketball Roster
Okonkwo, James
Jersey Number 32
James Okonkwo
- Height:
- 6-8
- Weight:
- 240
- Class:
- Junior
- Hometown:
- Maidenhead, England
- High School:
- Furze Platt Senior School
Bio
Is the third Tar Heel men’s basketball player from England, joining London’s Steve Bucknall, who played for Carolina from 1985-89, and Durham’s Neil Fingleton, a Tar Heel in 2001-02 • Transferred to UNC after two seasons at West Virginia.
At West Virginia
Played in 34 games over the past two seasons for the Mountaineers • Led West Virginia in blocked shot (22) and was second in field goal percentage (57.4%) in 11 minutes per game last season • Had career highs with 10 points and 10 rebounds vs. Oklahoma and also grabbed 10 rebounds against Texas Tech • Grabbed five or more rebounds 10 times and blocked multiple shots five times with a high of three against Iowa State • Also grabbed nine rebounds in that game against Iowa State • Played double-digit minutes 19 times and averaged 2.3 points and 3.0 rebounds as a sophomore • Had five points and six points vs. Kansas in the Big 12 Championship • Was a member of the Big 12 Honor Roll and was on the Big 12’s Academic Rookie team in 2022.
Personal
James Uchenna Okonkwo is the son of Cyril and Sharon Okonkwo • Born October 1, 2003 in the United Kingdom • Majoring in communication studies • Played for Great Britain’s U20 team in the 2023 Division B European Championships in Macedonia • Led Great Britain in scoring (12.1 ppg), rebounding (9.9 rpg) and blocked shots (2.1 bpg) in seven games • Graduated from Furze Platt Senior School in Maidenhead, England • Played for Coach Justin Dempsey • Came to the U.S. in the summer of 2020 • Attended Beckley Prep IJN in Beckley, W.Va. • Outstanding tennis player as a youth • Played eight years of competitive tennis and three years of soccer • His older brother, Oliver, plays tennis at Illinois • His younger brother, Alexander, plays tennis at Tulsa.
At West Virginia
Played in 34 games over the past two seasons for the Mountaineers • Led West Virginia in blocked shot (22) and was second in field goal percentage (57.4%) in 11 minutes per game last season • Had career highs with 10 points and 10 rebounds vs. Oklahoma and also grabbed 10 rebounds against Texas Tech • Grabbed five or more rebounds 10 times and blocked multiple shots five times with a high of three against Iowa State • Also grabbed nine rebounds in that game against Iowa State • Played double-digit minutes 19 times and averaged 2.3 points and 3.0 rebounds as a sophomore • Had five points and six points vs. Kansas in the Big 12 Championship • Was a member of the Big 12 Honor Roll and was on the Big 12’s Academic Rookie team in 2022.
Personal
James Uchenna Okonkwo is the son of Cyril and Sharon Okonkwo • Born October 1, 2003 in the United Kingdom • Majoring in communication studies • Played for Great Britain’s U20 team in the 2023 Division B European Championships in Macedonia • Led Great Britain in scoring (12.1 ppg), rebounding (9.9 rpg) and blocked shots (2.1 bpg) in seven games • Graduated from Furze Platt Senior School in Maidenhead, England • Played for Coach Justin Dempsey • Came to the U.S. in the summer of 2020 • Attended Beckley Prep IJN in Beckley, W.Va. • Outstanding tennis player as a youth • Played eight years of competitive tennis and three years of soccer • His older brother, Oliver, plays tennis at Illinois • His younger brother, Alexander, plays tennis at Tulsa.
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