(Photo Credit: @BonniesMBB Twitter)
By Michael Rodriguez @mike_rod5
It’s not hard to spot Chinonso Obokoh: the 6-foot-9 center is one of a few newcomers to the Bonnies team this season. Obokoh, a graduate transfer from Syracuse University, is expected to be the day-one starter at center, and even though he’s one of the new guys, he’s already one of the more popular players on the team.
Regardless of his size and natural defensive skill, Obokoh’s playing time at Syracuse was rather limited, playing in only a total of 24 games during his run with the Orange. Although his numbers aren’t anything eye-opening, he hopes to make an immediate impact with the Bonnies.
“I’m going to do my best and help the guys in any way I can,” said Obokoh. “The guys are great, the coaches are great, and everything’s been good so far.”
Despite not seeing the court a whole lot while playing for coach Jim Boeheim, Obokoh does bring an experience to this team that no other player has been a part of: being on a Final Four team last season.
“The experience was great,” Obokoh said. “We lost a lot of games in the beginning, but we all believed and kept working, and it was an amazing thing.”
Obokoh’s work ethic and consistency in practice not only here so far at Bonaventure, but also at Syracuse, are things Bonnies coach Mark Schmidt touched upon when talking about one of his few new players.
“He practiced every day against those guys (at Syracuse) … we need him to be able to defend, rebound, play that physical style inside, and I think he can do that,” Schmidt said. “He’s done a good job of coming in and dedicating himself and committing himself to learning our system.”
Having the presence of an experienced big man inside was something that the Bonnies lacked last season, which some would consider as their only major flaw. With the addition of Obokoh alongside players like junior point guard Jaylen Adams and junior transfer guard Matt Mobley, Bonnie fans can expect to see a new team that’s ready for action.
“I’ve been hearing a lot of stories about the fans, how great they are,” Obokoh said. “I can’t wait to experience that.”
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