Catching up with Florida Gators basketball commit Okauru

    Coach Mike White and the Florida Gators coaching staff did a great job putting together the 2017 recruiting class. A key member of the class is Raleigh, North Carolina native Michael Okauru. The 6’3 185lb point guard decided to attend Brewster Academy in New Hampshire for his senior season to help elevate his game

    A staple in Okauru’s game is pushing the ball in transition and looking to make things happen for his teammates.

    “I am an up-tempo guard who likes to push the ball in transition and get my teammates involved,” Okauru said. “I just try to do everything that it takes to win. I feel that I am an athletic guard that can get to the rim.”

    The mid-range game is an area that Okauru believes that he excels in. He realizes that the college game will be a big jump from the high school game, and has identified some areas he wants to work on before arriving to Gainesville.

    “My mid-range game is something that I really pride myself on,” he said. “It is something that I really work on constantly. Something that I really need to work on is the 3pt shot. I need to work on shooting it better consistently. I also am working on getting better with handling pick and roll situations.”

    Family means the world to Okauru. Each time he takes the floor he knows that he isn’t just playing for himself, he is playing for his family.

    “I want to take care of my family, which really just motivates me to keep pushing,” Okauru said. ” Whenever things get hard, I just keep reminding myself in the back of my mind that I’m doing this for a bigger goal.”

    The move to Brewster Academy before his senior season was a huge move in his recruiting process.

    “I transferred to Brewster Academy for my senior year, and that’s when my recruiting really started to pick up,” he said. ” I was hearing from a bunch of schools. Florida got into the picture around November and December. I was down to 3 schools, which were Florida, Georgia Tech, and Kansas. I took an official visit to Georgia Tech, and then Florida was my 2nd official visit. I was going to take an official to Kansas, but after my visit at Florida I just felt that it was the right place for me.”

    The future Florida floor general has a great relationship with the coaching staff and is enjoying getting to build on that relationship moving forward.

    “I’m real close with Coach [Darris] Nichols, he is my main recruiter,” Okauru said. “Coach White came to a game in December, and ever since then, we have been talking. He sends me some quotes each day, and I feel like we are building a great relationship.”

    Okauru has been impressed by the tournament run by the Gators and can tell that things are clicking.

    “I feel that everything is coming full circle,” he said. ” I think we are playing great team basketball and you can tell that everyone is playing for a bigger goal, and that’s winning a championship. “

    When looking at the Florida vs Wisconsin matchup, Okauru views the matchup with Nigel Hayes as a key.

    “Defense is the key. I know that Nigel Hayes from Wisconsin is a very tough interior player, so I think stopping him will be important. I think if we stop Nigel Hayes and keep playing together, I think we will get the win.”