Get To Know #HailStateHoops - Chinwe Okorie
September 22, 2015 | Women's Basketball
HailState.com is speaking with the members of the Mississippi State women's basketball team leading up to the 2015-16 season. Today's Bulldog Q&A is junior center Chinwe Okorie:
Dawg Bites About Chinwe:
Favorite Color: “Orange, because its bright. Actually I love really bright colors, but orange just stands out.”
Favorite Song: “Collabo. It is a Nigerian song by Don Jazzy.”
Favorite Movie: “The Perfect Guy.”
Plans after MSU: “I would love to play professionally, but if I don't get that chance I want to go into something involving fashion. I always have trouble finding shoes my size, so I'd love to produce and manufacture shoes for women with a large foot like mine.”
Being from Nigeria, you speak several languages. Which ones do you speak?
“Six or seven including English. I speak Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa, Tiv, Benin, and French. French is more like a pickup language.
So different parts of Nigeria speak different languages?
“Yes. Actually, we have over 450 languages.”
What do you enjoy about being at Mississippi State?
“My favorite thing about being here is the people. I really enjoy the people here. It's strange because I talk with most of my friends from New York and Connecticut and they don't have as many fun stories as I have. I can write a whole book about my experiences here. It would be emotional and positive, but I have had so many great experiences here. Before I came here, I heard a lot of stories like 'You don't want to go to Mississippi,' but it's been the opposite of that. I love it.”
How did having to sit out your first year help you?
“Well, actually, it helped me understand the game more. I gained more knowledge about the game of basketball was able to understand what my coaches want because I really did not play. My high school was not really a basketball school, so by sitting out I was able to understand what my coaches were looking for. Understanding the game, being able to adjust to the level and system at which they play was all new to me, so that was really a great opportunity for me to learn.”
How much do you think your basketball knowledge has grown?
“I would say on a scale of one to 10, it has grown to an eight. Yes, like eight being high.”
What do you feel you've made the most improvement?
“My biggest improvement has probably been catching the ball and having soft finishes off the glass. I spoke about that last year. It was terrible, but now I am able to finish softly on the glass and catch the ball without fumbling it. I also feel that I'm getting more rebounds, which is really what I am aiming for. My rebounding and defense have really improved.”
Some of your teammates say you're one of the most improved players from last season. How does that make you feel?
“It makes me feel like I owe them more. It doesn't make me feel relaxed at all, in a sense that I am not comfortable or satisfied. It makes me feel like I owe them more. I don't want to let them down.”
How has the new strength and conditioning program under Coach (David) Deets been?
“Fabulous. Coach Deets and his program are wonderful. I am still strong, but I feel really agile. This year I feel really flexible. It's been great. He has us doing so many things I have never done in my life, which is really good because it has really helped my side of the game and being able to run with my size.”
Yoga is something new you are doing with Coach Deets. How has that been for someone who is 6-5?
“Oh yoga is fun. I actually did yoga in Boston, but I haven't seen I've been here. It was just a great relief to start doing that here, even though sometimes you don't want to stretch the parts that are sore. But after stretching those parts you feel really relieved. It is a great addition to our program.”
How great was it to have your first season playing be the best season in school history?
“It was wonderful. I feel like if I hadn't of played last year, I would have been letting my teammates down. I would have been disappointed if I could not help them. I feel so happy. I feel sort of, kind of like, not satisfied, but I feel a sense of belonging right now. We were part of a great season in which we are going to be greater this year. I feel real excited about that.
How do you think newcomers Zion Campbell and Teaira McCowan will help the team?
“Zion has long arms and is athletic. She is everywhere and her hands are everywhere, so she will really help us in terms of a post that can run and finish soft. She has patience around the basket, which is really great for a player of her position. Teaira is like the biggest girl in the conference, maybe the whole NCAA right now. She is just going to be that presence we want under the basket. People aren't going to be able to come in there because they know that their shots might end up in the stands. She will really help us alter a lot of shots and help us with finishing around the basket. I am so glad she is here. “
Coach Schaefer views the program as a family. How important has that been for you since your family is back in Nigeria?
“It has helped me so much. Otherwise, I would be crying every day and wanting to go back home. Yeah, it really has. It is not just about me being mature, but they have helped me mature because I have been accepted. I did not struggle to be accepted. I didn't work my way to being accepted. I was just accepted here from day one. Of course I miss my family back home, but this is also a great family group for me.”
