Allen Community College’s Igor Ibaka officially signed his letter of intent to play basketball at Oklahoma State next season. Igor is the brother of Oklahoma City Thunder forward Serge Ibaka and has been at Allen to get his grades up.
Ibaka, 22, hasn’t been able to play for the Red Devils this season, but is allowed to practice with the team.
“It’s actually been great,” coach Andy Shaw said. “It makes you mad in practice every day because you can’t have him in games. But, he makes us better in practice. Our forwards get to go against him every day in practice, so they get to see what it’s like playing against a high-major Division I player.”
Ibaka said he chose the Cowboys for two reasons.
“I’m going to Oklahoma State because I like this university,” Ibaka said. “It’s also close to my family and my brother.”
Stillwater, home to OSU, is only an hour away from Oklahoma City.
Ibaka said he has been playing basketball since he was around 11 years old. He grew up in the Republic of Congo in Africa.
“I played because my father and mom played basketball, too. Also, my brother,” Ibaka said.
Living in Iola has been a much different experience.
“I like it here, it’s good,” Ibaka said. “It’s a new experience for me because it expands America. Everything is different, everything is a new experience.”
This has been his second year living in the country. Last year, he attended Northeastern Oklahoma A&M, a junior college in Miami, Okla. He was able to play basketball there and almost averaged a double-double. He scored 13.7 points and grabbed 9.6 rebounds per game.
His main purpose for attending Allen has been to get his grades up for eligibility at Oklahoma State. But, he’s enjoyed practicing with the team as well.
“He’s going to have three years of eligibility, which is very appealing to the Oklahoma State coaches,” Shaw said. “He’s already got great strength and he’s a very skilled player with good hands and footwork. Obviously, having a brother who’s a good player, they see he’s got it in his genes, the potential to be a very effective player.”
Having a brother in the NBA has benefited Ibaka.
“In the summer we play and practice,” Ibaka said. “He’s different than before. In Africa, when I played Serge he was different. Now, he’s strong and plays very good basketball. For me, he’s helped my conditioning.”
While at Allen, Shaw said that Ibaka has been nothing short — he stands 6-9 — of great.
“He’s very responsible and is always on time. He takes it upon himself to be accountable,” Shaw said. “I haven’t had any issues with him at all, he’s a really good kid.”
Ibaka will be able to play with Oklahoma State next season as a Division I player. But, he’s been playing for the last 10 years for one simple reason.
“I just love to play,” Ibaka said.
Ibaka signs with Cowboys
