Transfer Okani gives West Virginia versatility on both ends
West Virginia is craving versatility, length and a willingness to defend when it comes to adding pieces to the roster and University of Illinois-Chicago wing transfer Toby Okani checks all of those boxes.
Okani, 6-foot-8, 210-pounds, selected the Mountaineers over a list of finalists that also included LSU, Virginia, St. Bonaventure and Pepperdine. He also received interest from Gonzaga, Oklahoma State, Xavier, Clemson, Florida State, Arizona State, BYU, California, Arkansas and UCLA, among others.
West Virginia made Okani a priority as soon as new head coach Darian DeVries took the job with the Mountaineers and there was some crossover there as the two squared off in the Missouri Valley Conference.
Last season, Okani scored 31 points, while going 8-16 from the floor and 10-11 from the free throw line against Drake showcasing his ability to score the basketball.
A versatile piece on the offensive end, Okani has excellent length and can play multiple positions on the floor. He is comfortable scoring off the bounce and getting the ball to the rim where he can use his athleticism to finish. This past season, Okani took 52-percent of his field goals at the rim.
Okani also possesses the size to score the ball off the elbow and put his back the basket or connects on shots both off the catch or the bounce. The senior also is equipped with good floor vision and has proven himself to be a plus passer during his time with the Flames.
The New Jersey native 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. He was especially effective on the defensive glass which fits what DeVries wants out of his players to get in transition.
But while he brings versatility on offense, it’s what Okani can do on the defensive end that’s perhaps even more exciting.
He is athletic enough to defend on the perimeter and has the length to create issues for opponents. He gives the Mountaineers options with what they can do on that end given his ability to affect shots and create problems in passing lanes.
The block percentage of 6.5 perched him at 90th nationally, while the steal percentage was at 2.6 and had him at 408th in the country.
Okani was named to the all-Missouri Valley Conference Defensive team last season after averaging 2.0 blocks and 1.5 steals per contest. The addition of Okani is another strong piece on the defensive end of the floor with previous commitment Sencire Harris to give the Mountaineers some real energy and athleticism there.
The roster build continues to add key pieces and Okani certainly is one of those.
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