The Next Dream
Olajuwon's sons to play basketball at The Village School in Houston
Oct 1, 2019, 10:18 pm
VYPE
Not putting too much pressure on themselves is something Hakeem encourages.
Originally Appeared on VYPE
HOUSTON – In the West Midlands Region of the United Kingdom, the game of basketball is not the most popular sport. Not by a long-shot.
For NBA Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon though, it was always a sport he wanted to see his sons pursue. In fact, the member of the historic Phi Slamma Jama-era at the University of Houston made a deal with his sons Abdullah and Abdul.
"Every time I'd leave them with a basketball, I'd come back in it would turn into a soccer ball," Hakeem, who spoke to VYPE in an exclusive interview, said. "Then we made a deal, once they tasted basketball they'd forget about soccer. So, I put them in a basketball club and a soccer club. After three months they forgot about soccer. I saw the passion, they started playing some games."
Originally when they moved to the UK, Abdullah admitted they had a passion for soccer. They had played it before, so they didn't mind.
With basketball becoming a viable option, Abdul admitted that once he played it, things changed.
"When we used to play soccer, I was more passionate than everybody," Abdul, who's favorite NBA players are Golden State's Steph Curry and Sacramento Kings' De'Aaron Fox, said. "But when my dad told me to forget about soccer, I really didn't believe it. But after I tasted [playing basketball], I didn't want to play anything else, I knew that was my passion."
With their love of basketball growing, Hakeem had to make a decision and knew moving back to the United States would be best for their basketball future.
"[Abdullah] is 15, if he doesn't come now, he won't really get a chance to catch up," Hakeem said. "So, that's why I moved them back here."
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Houston will face the No.4 seed Purdue, who made it to the championship game last year.
The Boilermakers will be one of the toughest opponents the Cougars have faced thus far and will essentially have the home-court advantage with the game taking place in Indianapolis.
Despite the daunting matchup on paper, Houston is currently an -8.5 favorite to win this game. The Cougars should be able to handle Purdue so long as their offense stays hot and they continue to play defense at an elite level.
Keep the offense flowing
Houston guard LJ Cryer matched a career-high with 30 points against Gonzaga and has been the offensive focal point of this team.
This season, the Baylor transfer has averaged 15.6 points per game and has stepped up to be one of the unquestioned leaders of this team.
In addition to Cryer, the Cougars have Milos Uzan and Emanuel Sharp, who can carry the offensive load as they did during the Big 12 Tournament and against SIUE on Thursday.
J’Wan Roberts is another key factor for Houston’s success. The senior forward seems to have recovered from his ankle injury and has been a productive player since returning to the lineup.
Roberts leads the team in rebounds and is one of the most efficient scorers for the Cougars, averaging more than 50% from the field over his last five seasons.
Houston’s dynamic offense and elite defense makes this team one of the toughest to beat during the tournament.
Containing Purdue’s stars
The Boilermakers have two proficient scorers on their team, Trey Kaufman-Renn and Braden Smith, who each average over 15 points per game.
Kaufman-Renn scored 22 points in his previous game against McNeese State and has been one of Purdue’s best players for most of this year.
Roberts and Joseph Tuggler will likely be assigned to the junior forward to slow down his offense, forcing his teammates to step up.
Smith is Purdue’s second-leading scorer, averaging 16 points per game, and has the most assists and steals for the Boilermakers this season.
Both Uzan and Cyrer, who have been elite parameter defenders, will cover the Purdue guard and limit his production.
Containing both Kaufman-Renn and Smith will be Houston’s top priority and the key to come away victorious.
Play Cougar basketball
Head coach Kelvin Sampson has now made it to at least the Sweet 16 six consecutive times and has his team well-positioned to make another deep tournament run.
Since arriving in Houston, the 69-year-old coach has turned this program from an afterthought to one of the best basketball teams in the country year after year.
Sampson’s key to his success is instilling a defensive-first mentality into his team and getting the best effort out of his players.
This season is no different, as Houston has the number-one ranked defense in the nation and is holding their opponents to 58.4 points per game on average.
If the Cougars can create consistent offense and continue playing defense at an elite level, they should win this game with ease and advance to the Elite 8 for the first time in three years.
The Houston-Purdue game will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium on Friday at 9 pm. The winner will play either Kentucky or Tennessee in the next round.