Serge Ibaka is a post player for the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder, known for his ability to keep the ball out of the basket. He averaged 2.7 blocks a game last season.
His younger brother, Igor, 22, will call Allen Community College home next year — but not on the basketball court.
Igor Ibaka played basketball at Northeastern Oklahoma A&M for junior college in 2013-14. He averaged 13.7 points and 9.6 rebounds a game, while shooting 64 percent from the floor.
“He’ll be taking courses at Allen until he is eligible to play at Oklahoma State the next year,” ACC basketball coach Andy Shaw said. “He played at NEO last year in Oklahoma, his first year of junior college. He’s a couple of days too old to play another year of junior college basketball, so he’s going to take courses until he’s eligible to play at a four-year.”
Igor Ibaka’s birthday is in July, so he barely missed the deadline. He is strictly at the school to earn his associate’s degree to gain eligibility to play for Oklahoma State for the 2015-16 season.
“He’s just working out with us,” Shaw said. “He committed to Oklahoma State and he’ll go play there after this upcoming year. The plan is that he’ll be with us all year, won’t be able to play for us but he will practice with us and work out with us.”
The younger Ibaka received interest from Wichita State and Old Dominion University, Norfolk, Va. Stillwater, home to OSU, is only an hour away from Oklahoma City. Proximity to his sibling was a deciding factor.
Ibaka made his way to Allen through Shaw, who is an Oklahoma State alum and knows several OSU coaches. The coaches called Shaw asking if he’d be able to take him here, to which he replied, “absolutely.”
Igor is listed at 6-9 and 220 pounds, a shade lighter than Serge, who is 6-10 and 240 pounds.
NBA player’s brother a student at Allen CC
