Louisville basketball adds big man Emmanuel Okorafor from NBA Africa to its current roster

Louisville men's basketball's 2022-23 season appears beyond saving with the Cardinals 2-17 and winless in Atlantic Coast Conference play.

Help is on the way regardless.

U of L on Thursday added Emmanuel Okorafor, a 6-foot-9 forward/center, to its roster, and the Lagos, Nigeria, native can begin practicing with the team immediately. He will be eligible to participate in the Cardinals' next game at 9 p.m. Wednesday against Boston College in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts.

Okorafor, 18, joins Louisville from NBA Academy Africa, a training center in Senegal where the country's top male and female prospects hone their skills. Last year, he was one of 12 players chosen to compete as an amateur in the Basketball Africa League against professionals such as former Cardinals Edgar Sosa and Anas Mahmoud.

Emmanuel Okorafor poses for a picture in a Louisville men's basketball jersey. Okorafor, a 6-foot-9 forward/center from Lagos, Nigeria, joined the Cardinals from NBA Africa and will suit up for his first game Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, at Boston College.
Emmanuel Okorafor poses for a picture in a Louisville men's basketball jersey. Okorafor, a 6-foot-9 forward/center from Lagos, Nigeria, joined the Cardinals from NBA Africa and will suit up for his first game Wednesday, Jan. 25, 2023, at Boston College.

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"We're fortunate to have one of the premier players coming out of NBA Africa be a part of what we're doing here at the University of Louisville," first-year head coach Kenny Payne said in a statement. "Emmanuel is one of the bright stars coming out of NBA Africa. He's versatile, strong, a great rebounder and excellent running the floor. We're blessed to have him.

"The global impact of what NBA Africa is doing — to go out and target the young, bright stars of the continent of Africa and bring them into their facility — is vital not only to the continent, but to the world. It's great for our program to be connected to the work they're doing."

According to stats posted on RealGM.com, Okorafor averaged 9.2 points on 52.9% shooting and grabbed 10.4 rebounds per game playing in the BAL for BC Espoir Fukash, a team based in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He clocked more minutes (24.2 per contest) than any other BAL rookie during the 2021-22 season and was the first NBA Academy Africa prospect to post three double-doubles during the five-game campaign, the league's website reported in July.

Okorafor's arrival coincides with one of Louisville's starters, sophomore forward Brandon Huntley-Hatfield, dealing with a foot injury that sidelined him from Saturday's 21-point loss to North Carolina and Wednesday's 21-point loss to Pittsburgh. After the loss to the Panthers, Payne said Huntley-Hatfield remained "day to day" and hoped to have an update on his status soon.

Even if Huntley-Hatfield is able to return from his injury sooner rather than later, Okorafor could see significant playing time depending on how his acclimation to the college ranks goes. None of the Cardinals' other mainstays in the frontcourt, Sydney Curry, Kamari Lands, JJ Traynor and Jae’Lyn Withers, average more than nine points and six rebounds per game.

Reach recruiting and trending sports reporter Brooks Holton at bholton@gannett.com and follow him on Twitter at @brooksHolton.

This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville basketball adds NBA Africa big man Emmanuel Okorafor