What Could Have Been: Nowitzki for the Wildcats
At the time, German basketball star Dirk Nowitzki’s decision to enter the National Basketball Association rather than enroll at UK and play hoops at Rupp made little noise in Wildcat country because foreign players did not make big impacts in major American basketball.
Foreign players were known for their finesse play and lack of physicality, which Americans felt had no place in their game.
Now, Kentucky fans cringe at the thought of what might have been had the athletic, seven-foot Nowitzki suited up for the Cats. Instead of making the transition to Lexington and helping defend the national title, Nowitzki set up residence in Dallas and began his all-star career with the Mavericks.
In the five years since Nowitzki’s decision, American basketball has been bombarded with talented players from overseas as UK tries to maintain its place as a premier college program, they have also started bringing in foreign players.
This season’s team will field three of the NCAA’s 291 foreign basketball players, giving UK one of the most diverse teams in the nation.
Lukasz Obrzut comes to UK from Poland by way of Bridgton Academy in Maine. Obrzut originally committed to Fordham after his senior year, when he averaged 12 points and 8 rebounds a game, but changed his commitment to UK.
While those numbers might not be jaw-dropping, Obrzut, who Tubby Smith has described as an “athletic big man who can move”, is still considered a top talent.
In fact, some fans feel that in the seven-foot Obrzut, UK might have finally gotten their Nowitzki.
“He definitely showed that he could shoot from the outside and was comfortable on the all over the court,” added journalism junior Ryan Commings, “he reminded me a lot of Dirk.”
Off the court, Obrzut has had little trouble adjusting with his teammates.
“He is a really funny guy,” sophomore guard Kelenna Azubuike said, “Altogether he is feeling really comfortable.”
Senior Gerald Fitch echoed the sentiment that Obrzut is finding his place with his new American teammates.
“Sometimes he is a little hard to understand,” Fitch said, “but he is fitting in really well with everyone and we haven’t had to make too many adjustments for him.”
The freshman class also brings in Canadian Sheray Thomas, who spent his final two years of high school at Riverdale Baptist in Maryland.
Thomas is an inside-out player who averaged 30 points per game his sophomore year in Montreal before moving on to the U.S. where he averaged 20 points and 12.5 rebounds per game.
Bernard Cote, who also hails from Quebec, became UK’s second-ever Canadian player last year when he appeared in 25 games for the Cats. The 6’9″ Cote’s game is much like Obrzut’s and fans should expect to see more of it this year.
“When Cote got into a few games last year,” business junior Justin Klensch, “he hit some three’s and looked pretty solid.”
As the game of basketball evolves into a more international sport, the University of Kentucky is evolving with it, maintaining its place as one of the premier programs in the nation.
