Joseph Uchebo: The Coach’s Perspective
November 25, 2009 by Lou Pascucci
Last week, NC State head coach Sidney Lowe received a commitment from 7'0" center Joseph Uchebo in the 2012 class. NC State assistant coach Monty Towe was the primary recruiter of Uchebo, and spotted him early on as a freshman last season at Mt. Zion Christian Academy in Durham, NC. Coach Lowe and Coach Towe must have seen something very special in Uchebo to offer him a scholarship at such a young age. We had the chance this week to talk with Uchebo's current head coach at Oak Ridge Military Academy, Stan Kowalewski, and get his perspective on Uchebo's talent and ability, and his commitment to NC State.
PI: Since Joseph is only a sophomore, a lot of NC State fans aren't very familiar with Joseph's game. Talk to us about what type of player this young man is.
Coach Kowalewski: He’s a great kid. He is two different people on and off the court. I joke with him that he is like Jekyll and Hyde. Off the court he is a quiet kid, but on the court he’s a warrior. He goes after the ball with great intensity. At 7'0" most people expect him to be soley a back to basket player, but he isn't. He can shoot from 18-feet and can handle the ball well for someone his size. He is also an excellent passer, from the post and out on the wing. He played soccer until he was 15 years old, and he has excellent hands and feet. Joseph plays extremely hard, doesn’t take a play off and doesn’t take a breath.”
PI: Coach Lowe would not have offered Joseph a scholarship at his age, if he did not see something very special in him. Why do you think Coach Lowe and Joseph were able to come a decision this early in the process?
Coach Kowalewski: It was a combo of things. To begin with, there was interest on the kids part because all of his family (Aunt, Uncle and Cousin) lives in Raleigh. It was important for his parents in Nigeria that he go to school close to family. Also, the NC State coaching staff expressed interest in him when he was at Mt. Zion last season, as a freshman. He might be young, but he’s already bigger than most at the next level. Last week Joseph was in the coaches office at NC State and they offered him a scholarship, and he went ahead and took it while he was there.”
PI: Joseph hasn't played the game very long. In what areas of the game does he need the most improvement?
Coach Kowalewski: He hasn’t played the game very long and there is still a steep learning curve for him. He’s still learning things like rotations on defense. He is still learning what moves he can make on offense. He’s never lifted weights, and we just got him started. Building his core and then toneing his body is going to be very important for him at the next level. With that being said, Joseph is a quick learner and a hard worker.
PI: Since many of the fans haven't seen Joseph play, give them a picture of his game, by comparing him to a player(s) they might recognize.
Coach Kowalewski: Joseph is a combination of a couple different guys. there really is no real player I can compare him to. Some college coaches have said that he shows skills like Kevin Garnett, who will shoot a fadeaway from 17-feet, and then on another play make a strong move and try to break the back board. He has graceful skills combined with brute strength. I coached James Mays in AAU, who played at Clemson a couple of years back, and Joseph reminds me of him, because he is relentless in his rebounding. Even though there are still areas of his game that need polishing, he already possesses very fundamental skills in boxing out and getting position in rebounding.
Thanks Coach Kowalewski!
