Josh Okogie embraces chance to play for United States team

Josh Okogie said it was an unbelievable feeling when he received the invitation to try out for the USA Basketball Men’s U19 team. He referred to it as a “wow” moment.

But it definitely got better, particularly when the Georgia Tech star made the team and got a chance to slip that No. 9 jersey over his head. Seeing the “USA”on the front of his uniform was definitely an emotional moment for the Snellville native and Shiloh product.

“When I put on that jersey, I just embraced the moment,” Okogie said. “It was God-blessed, and I felt like I deserved it. I took that moment with pride. I loved that I got to represent my country.”

Okogie, who will be a sophomore this fall for the Yellow Jackets, might have originally been considered a long shot to make the team. Okogie, a member of the ACC’s All-Freshman team last season, was one of 27 players invited to tryout for the national team, which would represent the United States in the international tournament Egypt.

But the longer the tryouts lasted, the more the coaching staff realized what Georgia Tech followers have understood since last fall: Okogie is a player who will do anything it takes to win for his team. He did it for the Yellow Jackets last season, when he led the team in scoring and became one of the best-rebounding guards in the ACC. The same sort of tenacity was evident during tryouts for the national team.

“I wanted to make plays and play defense,” Okogie said. “Whatever I need to do to win, I’m down for it. I wasn’t angry how they played me. At the end of the day, if we’re winning, what can you complain about? It’s an all-star team, and I had to be ready whenever my number was called.”

The team was coached by Kentucky’s John Calipari and assisted by other top collegiate coaches. There were NBA coaches and scouts at each practice session. But Okogie remained unaffected by it all.

“I wasn’t nervous at all,” Okogie said. “It was a win-win situation whether you make the team or don’t make the team. Just being there, you’ve won. I felt that since I was already here, I might as well show everybody why I was invited.”

Okogie survived the first cut from 27 to 18 players. From that point, he dug in and doubled his effort to make the final 12-man roster. He focused on doing the little things that others weren’t as willing to do and continued to go all-out at all times.

“I just had to play with confidence and play my game and do what I do,” Okogie said. “If I don’t make it, I don’t make it. If I go home, it was because I had nothing else to give.”

The only unsettling moment was when a team official went to Okogie’s room to deliver the final decision on who made the club. But it was his roommate who didn’t make the cut. Okogie had earned his spot.

The American team went 6-1 in the tournament, losing to Canada 99-87 in the semifinals. The Americans bounced back to beat Spain 96-72 in the consolation game.

Okogie played in all seven games and averaged 13.4 minutes. He averaged 4.6 points on 9-for-31 shooting, was 13-for-26 from the line, averaged 4.6 rebounds and added 11 assists, two blocks and four steals.

He had to adjust to the international style of play, which adheres to strict rules when it comes to traveling and hand checking. He received feedback from the coaches, who encouraged him to be aggressive.

“When I first started, I was driving with the brakes on,” he said. “They told me to be aggressive, there was no need to hold back. I wasn’t aware I was doing it until they said something.”

The worst part of the trip was not winning the gold medal, Okogie said.

“Losing is something I hated. My stomach hurt inside, especially when all the celebrations were going on,” he said. “I’m not glad we lost, but it’s definitely something I can take from it, learn from it, make losing not an option for us. I’ll be relaying that to our team … taking that feeling, and I sure don’t want to feel it again.”

While the trip was mostly about basketball, the players got to see much of Cairo and had the opportunity to visit Giza and see the pyramids and the Great Sphinx. He got to observe a foreign culture, taste the food and watch the natives drive — something that makes rush-hour traffic in Atlanta seem tame.

He was gone a month — most of that time was spent at the training camp in Colorado Springs — and has been trying to catch up on his schoolwork, particularly calculus. He hasn’t been back home but did visit the church where his father is the pastor.

That uniform? It was still in his dorm room, but not for long. Okogie plans to have it framed and displayed in his home.

This story was originally published July 24, 2017 at 11:25 AM with the headline "Josh Okogie embraces chance to play for United States team."