Transfer Mekowulu provides lift for Aggies
COLLEGE STATION — Christian Mekowulu had never heard of Texas A&M until a couple of years ago. But there’s one familiar name from this region that prompts a big smile from the Aggies power forward.
“Everybody knows of Hakeem Olajuwon,” said Mekowulu, who grew up in Lagos, Nigeria. “I’ve never met him, but it’s a dream to meet him some day. He’s a legend back home.”
Perhaps Mekowulu will one day meet the Rockets Hall of Famer nicknamed “The Dream,” who also grew up in Lagos, but right now Mekowulu and the Aggies have another big man on their mind: South Carolina senior forward Chris Silva.
“He’s been a factor in every game for them, on both ends of the floor,” A&M coach Billy Kennedy said of Silva, who leads the Gamecocks in both scoring (13.9 points per game) and rebounding (7.3 per game).
The Aggies (10-13, 3-8 Southeastern Conference) are trying to win their third consecutive league game and were buoyed Tuesday by Mekowulu’s 15 points and career-high 15 rebounds, his second straight double-double after not having one in his previous 21 games for the Aggies.
“I’ve had to step up,” Mekowulu said. “We have to have rebounds from somewhere.”
His amplified output has come at a good time: A&M forward Josh Nebo, a former Cypress Lakes standout, has missed the last two games with a knee injury, but he might be back Saturday against the Gamecocks.
“Today was the first day he did just about everything,” Kennedy said following Friday’s practice in Reed Arena before the team climbed on a plane bound for Columbia, S.C. “We’re hoping to use him some (Saturday).”
Like Olajuwon, Mekowulu grew up playing soccer in Lagos.
“Until I was 13, then I switched to basketball,” recalled Mekowulu, a senior transfer from Tennessee State.
Olajuwon, 56, starred at the University of Houston from 198184 after arriving from Nigeria and was the top overall selection of the 1984 NBA draft to the Rockets. He led the Rockets to consecutive NBA titles in 1994-95 and retired from the league in 2002.
Olajuwon, one of Houston’s alltime sports icons, is the NBA’s alltime blocks leader with 3,830.
“Hakeem is ‘basketball’ back home,” Mekowulu said. “When you talk about (Lagos) legends, his name is mentioned every time. When you were training in basketball, you wanted to be Hakeem Olajuwon.”
Mekowulu (6-8, 245) played for Covenant Christian Ministries Academy in Marietta, Ga., after moving from Nigeria, and he signed with Tennessee State as a rough-around-the-edges big man. Mekowulu spent his first three seasons in Nashville, Tenn., and caught Kennedy’s eye when he scored 15 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in a one-point loss at Texas last year.
Mekowulu made sure and point out his success occurred against then-Texas freshman Mo Bamba, last year’s No. 6 selection in the NBA draft to the Orlando Magic. Kennedy considered it a blessing when Mekowulu chose to play his senior season elsewhere.
“The fact that he plays on both ends of the floor was the biggest factor,” Kennedy said of why he chose to pursue Mekowulu as a transfer. “We lost (center) Tyler Davis after last season, and we needed to find a big man. Christian was the best available, and fortunately we got him.”
Mekowulu readily admits he doesn’t keep up with the NCAA Tournament if he’s not playing in it, so despite the Aggies’ success in the postseason a year ago (advancing to the Sweet 16 before losing to Michigan), he had to turn to Google to find out a bit more about Kennedy & Co.
“I looked them up when they were recruiting me,” Mekowulu said. “Found out where (A&M) was and what conference it was in, stuff like that.”
He liked what he found, and now will try and keep the Aggies’ recent good fortune rolling at South Carolina (12-12, 7-4), which lost at top-ranked Tennessee 8573 on Wednesday but had its own 12-point victory at home against Arkansas a week ago.
“They’re very physical and pressure you all over the floor,” Kennedy said of the Gamecocks. “We’re going to have to have a really good effort for 40 minutes.”