Ike Obiagu Named BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year
3/10/2021 10:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Academic Support Services
NEW YORK - Seton Hall men's basketball junior Ike Obiagu (Abuja, Nigeria) has been named the 2021 BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year for his excellence in the classroom, the conference office announced Wednesday as part of its annual top awards reveal. He was nominated by Seton Hall University personnel and then selected the winner from a pool of candidates across the conference by the BIG EAST Academic Awards Committee. Obiagu will receive a $2,000 scholarship, which may be applied to graduate or professional studies.
This is the sixth time in Seton Hall history that a Pirates student-athlete has been named BIG EAST Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Most recently, Michael Nzei received the honor in 2019. Prior to that, Adrian Griffin won the award in 1996, Arturas Karnisovas was a two-time recipient in 1993 and 1994, and Ramon Ramos was the 1989 honoree. Seton Hall's six Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete Award wins are the most among the BIG EAST schools with no other institution having more than four recipients.
Obiagu, who is now also eligible for the overall BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, is an Accounting major at Seton Hall and will earn his bachelor's degree this May with a grade-point average above 3.7. He will then enroll in graduate school at Seton Hall this fall to pursue a Master of Science in Professional Accounting. He is a two-time member of the BIG EAST All-Academic team and a 2020 member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court.
On the court, Obiagu is one of the best rim protectors in the country. His block percentage rate of 13.4 (blocks divided by two-point attempts) ranks third in the nation, according to KenPom, and his 69 total blocks ranks sixth-most in the country. He won the BIG EAST blocks title this season with a 2.8 blocks per game average in 19 conference games. He blocked at least three shots in nine league games, and his nine blocks against Georgetown on Dec. 23 are tied for the most single-game rejections in NCAA Div. I this season.
Obiagu is a part of a Seton Hall program that emphasizes classroom success alongside basketball success and skill development. The Pirates have had a team cumulative GPA over 3.0 at the end of each of the last six academic years and has had 66 BIG EAST All-Academic team selections in head coach Kevin Willard's tenure.Â
Obiagu and the Pirates secured their sixth straight top-four BIG EAST finish and sixth straight .500 or better league record with a 10-9 mark. They will take on St. John's in the BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinals Thursday at 3 p.m., live on FS1.
This is the sixth time in Seton Hall history that a Pirates student-athlete has been named BIG EAST Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete of the Year. Most recently, Michael Nzei received the honor in 2019. Prior to that, Adrian Griffin won the award in 1996, Arturas Karnisovas was a two-time recipient in 1993 and 1994, and Ramon Ramos was the 1989 honoree. Seton Hall's six Men's Basketball Scholar-Athlete Award wins are the most among the BIG EAST schools with no other institution having more than four recipients.
Obiagu, who is now also eligible for the overall BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award, is an Accounting major at Seton Hall and will earn his bachelor's degree this May with a grade-point average above 3.7. He will then enroll in graduate school at Seton Hall this fall to pursue a Master of Science in Professional Accounting. He is a two-time member of the BIG EAST All-Academic team and a 2020 member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches Honors Court.
On the court, Obiagu is one of the best rim protectors in the country. His block percentage rate of 13.4 (blocks divided by two-point attempts) ranks third in the nation, according to KenPom, and his 69 total blocks ranks sixth-most in the country. He won the BIG EAST blocks title this season with a 2.8 blocks per game average in 19 conference games. He blocked at least three shots in nine league games, and his nine blocks against Georgetown on Dec. 23 are tied for the most single-game rejections in NCAA Div. I this season.
Obiagu is a part of a Seton Hall program that emphasizes classroom success alongside basketball success and skill development. The Pirates have had a team cumulative GPA over 3.0 at the end of each of the last six academic years and has had 66 BIG EAST All-Academic team selections in head coach Kevin Willard's tenure.Â
Obiagu and the Pirates secured their sixth straight top-four BIG EAST finish and sixth straight .500 or better league record with a 10-9 mark. They will take on St. John's in the BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinals Thursday at 3 p.m., live on FS1.
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