Darian DeVries was plenty familiar with what University of Illinois Chicago transfer wing Toby Okani brought to the table. That’s because the head coach got a front-row seat last season when he was atop of Drake.
In that game, Okani scored 31 points, while going 8-16 from the floor and 10-11 from the free throw line in a narrow three-overtime defeat to the Bulldogs.
“That was wild. He had a great game that game,” Tucker DeVries said.
But the elder DeVries was already aware of what he brought to the table even before that, especially on the defensive end. That’s why he became a priority once he elected to enter the portal.
“You can feel good about his ability to shut somebody down. That’s his length and his versatility and his athleticism. He can guard multiple positions,” DeVries said.
The senior is coming off a season where he averaged 11.1 points, 6.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game for the Flames while shooting 39-percent from the floor and 32-percent from three. The talented wing also averaged 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals earning all-Missouri Valley Conference Defensive team honors.
In his first year with UIC, Okani started all 32 games and averaged 11.0 points and 7.1 rebounds. He started his career at Duquesne where he made 25 starts across his two seasons with the Dukes.
Okani’s ability to guard anywhere from the one to the five gives the Mountaineers some much-needed versatility on that end of the floor because he can switch and not have any issues. He has put that on display in practice and caught the attention of not only the elder DeVries but others on the team. And given his ability to move on the wing and the physicality to bang in the post, he is going to be asked to do quite a bit.
“I like what that could look like because he’s certainly got the tools to be that,” DeVries said.
But while the Mountaineers already knew what they were getting on the defensive end, Okani also is equipped with a developing offensive profile. At 6-foot-8, he has displayed the ability to shoot the ball and make plays, while he also is standing out in one area, especially on the floor.
“He’s a great screener offensively. Probably one of the more underrated parts of his game that I’ve noticed since playing with him is he really knows how to screen,” DeVries said.
West Virginia wanted to find versatile pieces to fill out the roster from the transfer portal and there is no question that Okani certainly checks those boxes as he adjusts.
“We guard a lot differently than he’s used to at UIC. Every game plan’s different but you certainly have to adjust for his size and speed and try to out-IQ him when you’re trying to go up against those really good wing defenders like him,” Tucker DeVries said.
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