Chukwuka Ezeigbo, a
senior center from Trenton, New Jersey, arrived in Huntington in 2011. Once she
got here, she found herself in a cultural shock.
"I am used to being
in the (big) city, which is fast paced and busy," Ezeigbo said. "Here
in West Virginia, everything is calm, so it was definitely something I had to
get accustomed to."
Ezeigbo said that it
wasn't too bad adjusting to the West Virginia way of living. As a matter of fact,
she has grown to like it.
After 11 seasons at
Marshall, Royce Chadwick resigned as head coach of the Herd women's basketball
team. Once Matt Daniel took over in 2012, Ezeigbo, who was recruited by
Chadwick, was faced with another challenge of adjustment.
"I came here my
freshman year under Chadwick, so I had to get adjusted to Daniel's style of
play," Ezeigbo said. "It was challenging at first, but I got used to
it and became accustomed to how we play."
Last season, Ezeigbo’s father,
Ambrose Ezeigbo, died from stomach and colon cancer at the age of 56.
"It was hard
adjusting to the differences, especially being away from home where my family
needed me," Ezeigbo said. "I just had to remember to stay strong
mentally.”
Ezeigbo flew to Nigeria and
stayed for 18 days in 2013. She was forced to miss four games in the middle of
the season after her father's death. Once Ezeigbo returned to Marshall, she
took the court by storm. Last season, she contributed to 40 blocks, and was the
team's leading offensive rebounder with 3.5 boards per game. Ezeigbo's efforts
also led her to become the number five all-time leading blocker in a season at
Marshall.
The star center also
takes care of business in the classroom. Ezeigbo is majoring in biology with a
concentration in pre-med. She has made the Conference USA Honor Roll twice.
"In 5 to 10 years,
I see myself in medical school," Ezeigbo said. "I want to be a
general medicine pediatrician, so that is what I am working towards right
now."
Ezeigbo is the only
senior this year who has been at Marshall all for years. Head coach Daniel said
that her ambitious attitude will allow her to do great after college.
"I did not recruit
Chukwuka, but I am glad she is here," Daniel said. "She is a strong,
ambitious young woman, and I think she will do great things in her community
wherever she decides to go."
Daniel also said that he
is not looking forward to Ezeigbo's departure, and that he will miss her.
Ezeigbo's main focus
going into her last season at Marshall is allowing her teammates to view her as
a go-to person throughout games.
"I would love for
my teammates to see me as a leader on the court," Ezeigbo said. "I
want to be someone that can be dependable when the team needs a lift."
