The Old Gold Purdue Sports Network: | SEARCH | PRIVACY | MOBILE | COPYRIGHT | DISCLAIMER | CONTACT | LINK EXCHANGE | DONATE | ADVERTISE
THIS SITE MADE POSSIBLE BY THE GENEROUS SPONSORSHIP OF:
Covering Boiler
maker Athletics since 1995!
 Current Site Visitors Online:
83 visitors
OldGoldFreePress.com
HOME
BASKETBALL
MENS HOOPS MAIN
RECRUITING (M)
WOMEN HOOPS MAIN
RECRUITING (W)
FORUMS
FOOTBALL
FOOTBALL MAIN
RECRUITING
FORUMS
OLYMPIC SPORTS
VOLLEYBALL
SPORTS NEWS
DAILY SPORTS NEWS
NEW
SPORTS CALENDAR
COLUMNISTS
SPORTS NEWS ARCHIVE
PURDUE LINKS
PURDUE FORUMS
MENS HOOPS
WOMENS HOOPS
FOOTBALL
FOOTBALL RECRUITING
TICKET BOARD
OLYMPIC SPORTS
COMMENTS, IDEAS,
and/or SUGGESTIONS
BIG TEN LINKS
BIG TEN SPORTS FORUMS
BIG TEN MEDIA
BIG TEN NEWSPAPERS
SPECIAL FEATURES
OLD GOLD WEB
OLD GOLD TRAVEL
OLD GOLD TICKETS
PURDUE PREDICTIONS
OLD GOLD CHAT
OLD GOLD SPORTSBAAR
OLD GOLD PURDUE MALL
OLD GOLD STORE
JOHN PURDUE CLUB

 
OLD GOLD FREE PRESS
Purdue Men's Basketball Recruiting

Chance encounter makes a lasting impression
Ije Nwankwo recalls his first contact with Purdue


July 8, 2002
By: Bob Richards
© Old Gold Free Press

    It didn't seem to take long for Ije Nwankwo to decide Purdue was the place to be, ultimately committing days after offered a scholarship during an unofficial visit in May.

    "Purdue was the best fit for me," Nwankwo said on Sunday at the Nike All-American Camp in Indianapolis. "I just went over there, liked the coaches, experienced the campus, and thought it would be the best fit."

    Purdue's courtship of Nwankwo actually began in the ninth grade, with a chance meeting with Cuonzo Martin. Martin was at Detroit Country Day looking at older players, when the then-freshman Nwankwo first met the Boilermaker recruiting assistant.

    "I just remembered that," recalled Nwankwo, while thinking back to the first time he could remember Purdue showing interest. "He said 'How you doing'."

    Even though Nwankwo wasn't a target on the Purdue radar at the time, the simple greeting was the extent of permissible contact Martin could have had with the young player. The brief encounter was enough.

    "I later heard through somebody that he was really interested in me after that."

    The verification came by mail toward the end of his freshman year, becoming heavier at the beginning of his sophomore year. Those letters, as a consistent reminder of Purdue's interest, kept Purdue as an option until Nwankwo finally visited campus at the end of his junior year.

    Even though Nwankwo grew up within walking distance of the University of Michigan as a fan of the Michigan program.

    The 6'6 forward added the coaching staff recruited him as a power forward, possibly going out to the small forward position if needed.


OldGoldFreePress
NewsTicker
11/18/2008 - PURDUE MENS BASKETBALL: (11) Purdue 78 - Loyola (Chicago) 46 [OldGold: MDC]

11/18/2008 - PURDUE MENS BASKETBALL: (11) Purdue 87 - Eastern Michigan 58 [OldGold: MDC]

11/18/2008 - PURDUE WOMENS BASKETBALL: Purdue 80, IUPUI 44 [OldGold: Capri_Small]

11/16/2008 - PURDUE WOMENS BASKETBALL: Womens' Basketball Season Preview [OldGold: Capri_Small]

11/16/2008 - PURDUE WOMENS BASKETBALL RECRUITING: Women's Recruiting Update: Signing updates [OldGold: Bob_Richards]

11/15/2008 - PURDUE MENS BASKETBALL: (11) Purdue 82 - Detroit (Mercy) 50 [OldGold: MDC]

11/13/2008 - PURDUE WOMENS BASKETBALL RECRUITING: Women's Recruiting Update: Versyp inks three [OldGold: Bob_Richards]

11/02/2008 - PURDUE MENS BASKETBALL: Exhibition: Purdue 94 - Florida Southern 52 [OldGold: MDC]

9/25/2008 - PURDUE WOMENS BASKETBALL RECRUITING: Women's Recruiting Update: Houser a steal [OldGold: Bob_Richards]

9/17/2008 - PURDUE FOOTBALL: Purdue 26- Oregon 32 [OldGold: Brad_Jewell]

9/07/2008 - PURDUE FOOTBALL: Purdue 42 - Northern Colorado 10 [OldGold: Brad_Jewell]

5/18/2008 - PURDUE WOMENS BASKETBALL RECRUITING: Women's Recruiting Update: No Hill, no Hackney [OldGold: Bob_Richards]

5/05/2008 - PURDUE WOMENS BASKETBALL RECRUITING: Women's Recruiting Update: Indiana All-Star changes [OldGold: Bob_Richards]

5/01/2008 - PURDUE WOMENS BASKETBALL RECRUITING: Women's Recruiting Update: 2009 point updates [OldGold: Bob_Richards]

4/25/2008 - PURDUE FOOTBALL: Purdue Spring Game: The second half [OldGold: TW Hague]

4/24/2008 - PURDUE WOMENS BASKETBALL RECRUITING: Women's Recruiting Update: Bentley to visit Duke [OldGold: Bob_Richards]

4/24/2008 - PURDUE FOOTBALL: Purdue Spring Game: The first half [OldGold: TW Hague]

4/21/2008 - PURDUE WOMENS BASKETBALL RECRUITING: Women's Recruiting Update: Honors and updates [OldGold: Bob_Richards]

4/14/2008 - PURDUE WOMENS BASKETBALL RECRUITING: Chantel Poston: Season Summary [OldGold: Bob_Richards]

3/25/2008 - PURDUE MENS BASKETBALL: Weekend ramblings [OldGold: MDC]

3/23/2008 - PURDUE WOMENS BASKETBALL RECRUITING: Women's Recruiting Update: Rayburn, Guyton chosen as All-Stars [OldGold: Bob_Richards]

3/22/2008 - PURDUE MENS BASKETBALL: NCAA: (6) Purdue 90, (11) Baylor 79 [OldGold: MDC]

3/22/2008 - PURDUE MENS BASKETBALL: (17) Purdue 67, Illinois 74 [OldGold: MDC]

3/06/2008 - PURDUE MENS BASKETBALL: (15) Purdue 77, Ohio State 80 [OldGold: MDC]

3/02/2008 - PURDUE MENS BASKETBALL: Northwestern 43, (16) Purdue 68 [OldGold: MDC]

2/29/2008 - PURDUE MENS BASKETBALL: Minnesota 53, (16) Purdue 65 [OldGold: MDC]

2/27/2008 - PURDUE WOMENS BASKETBALL RECRUITING: Women's Recruiting Update: Visits [OldGold: Bob_Richards]

2/21/2008 - PURDUE MENS BASKETBALL: (14) Purdue 68, (15) Indiana 77 [OldGold: MDC]
As news organizations move their stories to an archive, some of the links listed above may become inactive

OldGoldFreePress COLUMNISTS
OGFP_Staff -Career Blocked Shots Rankings
Bob_Richards -Women's Recruiting Update: Signing updates
Steve -Opponent #11: University of Wisconsin
MDC -(11) Purdue 78 - Loyola (Chicago) 46
Capri_Small -Purdue 80, IUPUI 44
Brad_Jewell -Purdue 26- Oregon 32
Bob_Sienicki -Nike Camp: Elena Delle Donne Interview
Bob_Sternvogel -Nike Camp Report #1 (Sparks and Monarchs)
Guest_Columnist -Purdue Spring Game: The second half
Others -Purdue Sports Info
 
Current Site Visitors Online:
83 visitors
OldGoldFreePress.com is organized & maintained by a group of college sports reporters with the help of Purdue sports fans everywhere. OldGoldFreePress.com is an independent and unofficial Purdue (+ Big Ten Conference/NCAA) sports news site that is not affiliated with Purdue University, the Big Ten Conference, the NCAA and/or any university athletic program.

 Current Site Visitors Online:
83 visitors


 

Auxiliary Sites
Sites lending a hand helping the OGFP site become a reality or sites offering valuable benefits to Purdue Sports fans everywhere.

OldGoldWeb is the
OFFICIAL
web hosting / domain
provider for
OldGoldFreePress.com.
OldGoldPhone is the
OFFICIAL
telephone / cellphone
provider for
OldGoldFreePress.com.
OldGoldPC is the
OFFICIAL
computer / electronics
provider for
OldGoldFreePress.com.
OldGoldSports is the
OFFICIAL
sports & concert ticket
provider for
OldGoldFreePress.com.
OldGoldTravel is the
OFFICIAL
travel / vacation
provider for
OldGoldFreePress.com.
 


 

© OldGoldFreePress.com 1995-2008