Emmanuel Izunabor is a basketball player at High Point University from Lagos, Nigeria. He has not yet declared a major, but he is interested in studying business management.

Izunabor came to the United States when he was 15 because his parents wanted him to have better opportunities and education than what was available to him in Nigeria.

Schools in Nigeria have the same educational structure as the United States, but their facilities have poor conditions.

“I was very happy to come to America because I always wanted to study in another country,” said Izunabor.

When he is not living on campus, Izunabor lives with a host family in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

When deciding on a university, HPU was Izunabor’s top choice. He was influenced by his host father, who was coached by Tubby Smith in high school.

“I have had a great experience playing at HPU,” said Izunabor. “It is like a dream come true.”

Izunabor originally played soccer, one of the most popular sports in Africa. With the influence of his friends, however, basketball became a part of his life in 2015.

He also began to grow taller, with his height being nearly 7 feet tall. This has remained an essential part of his basketball career. Izunabor’s first game was at Northwood Temple, and he went on to play for Fayetteville Academy.

Izunabor feels he represents his family when playing basketball because they taught him how to be kind and to always be his true self.

Izunabor loves Nigerian culture because of its diverse food and music. Adjusting to college or American culture was not difficult for Izunabor.

What he loves most about American culture are the holidays and how any time spent with friends and family is seen as valuable. Izunabor enjoys cooking, often making plantains, which are fried bananas and eggs, and Egusi Soup, which includes plant seeds, meat and other vegetables.

Izunabor can speak four languages: Igbo, Yoruba, Hausa and English. He has not been back to Nigeria since coming to the U.S. in 2015, but his mother visited for an entire month last summer.

She returned last fall to help Izunabor move into his dorm, as he entered his first year at HPU. After graduation, Izunabor plans to continue playing basketball overseas and work within his field of interest.