Photo by: Andrew Fielding
Chris Udofia stands on the free throw line after practices, bends his knees and swishes the ball through the net with ease.
“Good, Chris,” head coach Joe Scott says. “Now nine more to go.”
Before Udofia can step off the court, he has to go 10 for 10, something the other players don’t necessarily stay after to do.
The extra practice has paid off for Udofia though, as the team’s lone freshman has became a key component to the Pioneers’ success this season.
Udofia, a native of Irving, Texas, has come off the bench this season for Denver, playing more than 24 minutes per contest, while leading the team in blocked shots and is tied for the team lead in rebounds with 4.2 per game.
“People notice his athleticism,” Scott said. “They notice the way he blocks shots, dives after loose balls and deflects passes. But what people don’t see he is the fact he has a really good sense of the game, which means he doesn’t turn the ball over when he comes in, and he is rarely frazzled by being on the court.”
Scott says Udofia’s development stems directly from his ability to mentally deal with the game, noting that the physical tools are already in place.
“We know he has physical tools, but what really sets him apart is that he has his head on his shoulders,” said Scott. “He has this quiet confidence, but he doesn’t think he is better than anybody, which allows him to work hard.”
When recruiting Udofia, Scott says the 6-foot-6-inch forward impressed him with his physical abilities, but it was the way Udofia’s tried on the court, diving after loose balls constantly and deflecting passes, that sold the coach.
In addition, Scott felt that it was a “no brainer” for him to bring Udofia to the program, because of the way he mentally understood the game and the concept of the playing “team” basketball. For Udofia, it was a perfect fit as well.
“What sold me was coach Scott’s honesty,” said Udofia. “And I really think this style of offense fits into the abilities I have, because I am not the greatest one-on-one player, but playing with fives guys as a unit really helps me out.”
Before coming to the school, Udofia knew teammates Travis and Chase Hallam from competing with them in high school, which made the transition to the collegiate level easier.
As a senior at Jesuit Prep in Dallas, Udofia led his team to a District 8-5A championship, where he earned First Team All-Region honors.
In those days, Udofia was in the starting lineup, which differs from his role at DU where he ignites the team as a bench player.
“It’s really helpful to be on the bench at first,” Udofia says. “It allows me to feel the tempo of the game and see what’s going on, so when I come in, I have the energy and knowledge that is needed to help the team.”
When he first got to campus, Udofia claims he was nervous and just wanted to work his way up the food chain, as his expectations weren’t too high.
“I didn’t want to rush into anything; my goal was just to help everybody else out,” Udofia said. “Overtime, I just kept working hard at everything and the success kind of just found its way on the court.”
Although the Pioneers have suffered injuries to forwards Rob Lewis and Andrew Hooper, Scott has kept Udofia on the bench despite a lack of depth at the forward position.
“Hooper is out now, but I don’t want anything to change for Chris,” said Scott. “He gives us a lift when he comes in and that is because he knows his role and that keeps him pretty focused.”
When talking about Udofia with Scott, the coach mentions the inevitable “freshman wall” that first-year players tend to hit in the crucial months of January through March.
However, Scott feels keeping his freshman on the bench right now will help him overcome the wall as the games get harder.
“In February games get bigger because the stakes increase,” said Scott. “Chris realizes the games are getting hard and he’s figured out quickly that he needs to respond to the increasing challenge.”
While the toughest part of the schedule looms, Scott is confident that his soft-spoken freshman will make it through thanks to the fact he has bought into the concept of “team” basketball with such ease.
“It’s all about the team and how he can help his teammates and how they can help him, and he is good understanding that,” said Scott. “He immerses himself with the other four guys when on the court, and usually a guy who acts that way is going to get better.”
