Be like Ike
By Greg Lazaroff
As many students remain wrapped up in UW’s unexpected rise to the top of the Big Ten ranks, it is important to recognize just how the team accomplished such a feat.
Sure, Kirk Penney and Devin Harris led the team on the floor, in addition to Bo Ryan’s effectiveness as a head coach, but you must not forget that, in sports, much can be gained from other members of the team who may not spend as much time on the floor in games. This of course refers to people like UW’s Ike Ukawuba.
Ike who, you say?
You may see him on television during Badger games. He usually sits two seats down from the coaching staff. He’s dressed in a uniform like everyone else. Heck, he’s been on the team for three straight seasons. But chances are you’ve never heard of him.
He’s endured two coaching changes, two Big Ten titles, and been fortunate enough to take two trips to the NCAA tournament.
For Ukawuba, however, collegiate basketball hasn’t been an easy ride. Late in his freshman year, he began to experience pain in his back. Ukawuba continued to play through the pain until it reached the point where he needed surgery to repair a herniated disk. On top of that, he wasn’t receiving much playing time, something he says he’s learned to accept.
“Helping my teammates and trying to get better is what’s important to me,” Ukawuba said.
He had thoughts of leaving Wisconsin to possibly play for another team after his freshman year, but Coach Ryan offered him a spot on the team.
“He gave me an opportunity, so I stayed,” Ukawuba said.
In addition, Ukawuba, a Chicago native, enjoys the proximity to home and the overall atmosphere of the Wisconsin basketball program.
“It has made me more disciplined. I’ve become a master of my schedule and learned a lot of things in the process,” Ukawuba said.
Part of his schedule is, like any other student, his schoolwork. He has remained dedicated to succeeding in the classroom, as he was selected to the Academic All-Big Ten Team in 2002. And, unlike most college basketball players around the country, he is majoring in mechanical engineering.
“I like math and problem solving. I’d rather do a lot of math problems any day than write a paper. It’s just what I like to do,” Ukawuba said.
He has ambitions to design exercise equipment in the future, particularly machines that would benefit victims of back injuries like him.
While Ukawuba contends that he’s learned a lot from both academics and athletics, he maintains that nothing could ever match what he’s gained from his mother. Stella Ekeocha raised him and his four sisters all by herself. Her dedication to her children is something that Ukawuba has looked up to his entire life. When asked who his role model was, he didn’t hesitate to say, “my mother, without a doubt.”
He looks up to his mother because of her dedication to become a registered nurse and to provide her children with the opportunity to receive a college education.
Consequently, Ukawuba has been able to put many things into perspective. He looks forward to any chance he may get to play in a game, even if it’s only for a short period. “When you get an opportunity to play on the floor, even if not for that long, that’s when I have a lot of fun.”
As Ukawuba and the rest of the Badgers prepare for the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments, many fans will focus on the star players, the guys who make the big shots, or the one who gets that important rebound, as they rightfully should.
But, next time you watch a game and they show the Badger bench, take the time to remember that every member of the team has a role and must fulfill his role to the best of his best ability.