Francis Nnoruka is aware of the huge standards he is following in State U.
By the time Francis Nnoruka arrived at the University of the Philippines, two foreign student-athletes had already set the bar high for their eventual successors.
The first was Nigerian big man Bright Akhuetie, who led State U to its first UAAP finals appearance in 32 years back in Season 81. Akhuetie, a one-time UAAP Most Valuable Player, was part of a Fighting Maroons core that featured Paul Desiderio, Jun Manzo, and a young Juan Gomez de Liaño en route to the finals.
In the post-pandemic era, there was the towering Malick Diouf, the eventual Finals MVP in UP’s epic Season 84 title run three years ago. Diouf went on to leave UP as a one-time champion and two-time silver medalist as they ushered in a competitive new era under head coach Goldwin Monteverde.
Now, it’s Nnoruka’s time to continue the winning foundations that Akhuetie and Diouf established in Diliman. Taking over from Dikachi Ududo, Nnoruka is State U’s FSA for their title defense in UAAP Season 88.
“I’m trying to follow in the footsteps as much as I can,” Nnoruka told The GAME in an exclusive interview after UP’s 83-69 win over the Ateneo Blue Eagles on Wednesday, October 8.
Akhuetie has been a guiding light for Nnoruka since their younger days back in Nigeria, while Diouf was one of the first players who welcomed him with open arms when he arrived in Diliman two years ago.
“Malick has been my kuya and a very good friend, like a brother to me; he was the first person that made me feel really welcome on the team when I got here in my first year. So I’m really looking forward to live up to his standards, to what he left on the team, and to follow in his footsteps,” said Nnoruka, who has been in the Philippines since November 2023, or back in UAAP Season 86.
“[Bright is also] my kuya! I stayed in his house back in Nigeria for a while, like when I go to play basketball in his city…he takes me out for lunch and dinner and all that. I’m really close with his family too, so he’s really like a big brother.”
After a quiet start to UAAP Season 88, Nnoruka has since found his footing for State U, which is headlined by his monster statline of 28 points, nine rebounds, four steals, and a block in their Battle of Katipunan win against the Blue Eagles.
Early into his first UAAP season, Nnoruka admits that the transition can get “overwhelming”, but he isn’t surprised one bit by the level of play and atmosphere he is experiencing right now.
“You really got to play like a champion, you gotta live up to the expectations that their past imports left. So I really have big shoes to fill, and that’s why I am trying to work as hard as I can to you know? Fill it up and do my best,” said Nnoruka, who was elevated from UP’s Team B ahead of the new season.
Now that he’s in the process of filling big shoes, Nnoruka promises to leave it all on the floor in the Fighting Maroons’ title defense.
“Everything that I can, I’ll leave it all on the floor every time that I play, so you can expect that I’ll give everything that I have.”
Images courtesy of the UAAP Media Bureau.