Ifeanyi Onyekaba capped off a stellar junior season in style, scoring 29 points, pulling down 15 rebounds and totaling five blocks as Virginia Episcopal School (Lynchburg, VA) captured the Virginia Independent Schools Division III state championship with a win over Williamsburg Christian. VES first-year head coach Curtis Staples, a former star guard at the University of Virginia, has high praise for the 6-8, 220-pound power forward.

“He’s just a very fierce competitor,” said Staples. “He’s strong and athletic. He’s 6-8, but he plays so much above the rim. He averaged 21 points and 16 rebounds per game this season. That’s tough to do.”

A native of Abuja, Nigeria, Onyekaba has played organized basketball for only two years. He attended Roanoke Catholic his sophomore year, helping the Celtics to a VIS Division II state semifinal appearance. In last year’s one-point state semifinal loss to Cape Henry Collegiate, Onyekaba had 11 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks.

Staples, who saw Onyekaba play at Roanoke Catholic and again on the AAU circuit last year, has witnessed the promising big man’s development.

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