2010 recruit Oladipo makes official IU visit

Ever since he was five years old, class of 2010 basketball recruit Victor Oladipo has practiced basketball religiously.

But there is another side to Oladipo. As his coach at DeMatha Catholic High School in Hyattsville, Md., Mike Jones, said, he “practices his faith – ‘religiously.’”

“A lot of people can say they go to church every weekend or every Sunday, but it’s definitely something that he doesn’t just do for show,” said Jones, who speaks with Oladipo every day. “He really believes in it.”
  
All of his years of hard work and prayer have paid off, it seems. Oladipo is now a top-rated recruit in the nation at shooting guard and has scholarship offers from several major universities, including IU.

He came to Bloomington for an official visit Sept. 3, where he attended the IU football game against Eastern Kentucky and met with the coaching staff of the program.

Oladipo has fought for everything he’s wanted since before he can remember.

“As a kid, I was never given anything,” he said. “I had to go get it. I have to give 110 percent. I’m the only person in my family who’s gotten an athletic scholarship.”

Oladipo’s impact stretches much further than the hardwood, Jones said. As a student at DeMatha, he is strong academically and does more than the school’s required community service hours.

“He’s one of the guys that if I’m going out to do a clinic ... he’ll volunteer to go,” Jones said. “He’s one of the guys that, if he’s hurt, he doesn’t just sit on the side as the superstar that’s not playing. He’ll help clean the gym, he’ll help keep stats, he’ll keep score, he’ll do something to contribute. He’s a very selfless person.”

Oladipo said he does all the little things right on the court, as well.

“I think I do that well,” Oladipo, No. 133 in his class according to Rivals.com, said. “Taking charges, going for loose balls, rebounding.”

Along those lines, Oladipo’s best on-the-court moment came last year in his team’s championship game when they played Gonzaga, where he made an impact as a role-player, not a superstar.

“I had a quiet 14 points and seven rebounds, but I was doing all the little things – getting offensive rebounds, playing defense,” Oladipo said.

Those little things, such as guarding the toughest players on the team, are the things Oladipo enjoys doing and wants to have on his shoulders.

“I would probably blame myself for not getting on my teammates or not doing this or not doing that,” he said of taking responsibility for his team. “I’d feel like it was my fault.

“My teammates expect nothing less than my full effort.”

That is not to say that Oladipo is purely a quiet force on the court. He can also make plays and is an athlete who said his favorite part of the game is playing above the rim.

“If you dunk, a lot of energy is brought to the game,” he said. “It gets people interested, and it gets your team pumped up.”

It is important that he does those little things and also makes those big plays, Jones said.

“He is our leader,” he said. “I don’t think there’s any question about that. He’s one of our most vocal players and a guy that brings a lot of energy to our team. He’s a lead-by-example type of guy, but he also has kind of grown into the role of our vocal leader.”

Oladipo said he has IU in his top three – along with Notre Dame and North Carolina State – because of IU basketball coach Tom Crean. Jones said Crean and his staff were some of the first to scout out the three-star recruit.

“I remember bumping into Coach Crean and Coach Bennie Seltzer last year at one of our first games during the season,” Jones said. “Coach Crean spoke at one of our clinics last year and definitely mentioned to me about his affection for Victor. So, they definitely have been in this a long time with him, even before a lot of people recognized how good of a player he was.”

Crean also coached Oladipo’s favorite player, Dwayne Wade, at Marquette.

“There are three great players in the world – LeBron (James), Kobe (Bryant) and Dwayne Wade,” Oladipo said. “Ever since I first saw Dwayne Wade play, I molded myself like him ... (Crean) can mold me into a player like him.”

Oladipo said he believes he, like Wade, has unlimited potential when it comes to his game.

“If I keep my work ethic, I could play on any level,” he said. “I really do feel blessed that God gave me this talent.”

Jones called Oladipo “a special kid” and said he will create an impact at whatever school he goes to as much more than a player.

“If he chooses to go to Indiana, then that campus will know he was there once he graduates,” Jones said.