From an outside view, Christian Ubochi is simply a post-graduate basketball player known for his prominent talent on the court. Despite his impressive skills, he’s only been playing the game for four years.
Christian, 19, has made an immediate impact on the Williston community in his first few months here. His dominant performance on the court, combined with his infectious positivity in the classroom, have contributed to his success athletically and academically.
Christian’s life completely changed in 2017, when he first came to the United States. Christian began his basketball career at Victory Christian Academy, a high school in San Diego. It wasn’t until his junior year, when he transferred to Mater Dei, a high school known for its highly-competitive and successful athletics, in Santa Ana, California, that Christian began to blossom on the court.
Christian described his transition to the United States as challenging, and becoming easier with time.
“I can recall vividly my first couple weeks away from my family, it was hard,” he said. “But I developed relationships and friendships that helped fill the void.”
Christian credits these friendships to his involvement in school, sports, and a supporting host family.
“I started playing sports, became busy with school, and had a great family that made here feel like home,” he said.
Prior to coming to the United States, Christian hardly played basketball; rather, soccer was his main focus.
“Basketball wasn’t really huge in Nigeria until lately,” he said. “Every little kid played soccer, as it is always available to be played regardless of the resources; all you need is a soccer ball and you can play it in the streets, your backyard, or even your living room.”
Christian discovered this true love for basketball through his journey to the United States and developed both as a student and a player over the last four years. He attributes his connection with Coach Ben Farmer to his guardian, who discovered Williston through a friend of Farmer’s.
Despite receiving heavy interest from other schools and coaches, Christian knew immediately from his tour that Williston was the next step in his basketball development, and would help push him towards his eventual goal of playing NCAA Division I basketball.
Christian is thankful for the memories he has created so far, and the true friendships he has fostered since arriving on campus.
“My experience here at Williston has been great so far, I’ve met amazing people with great energy,” he said. “I’ve made new friends that I can call my bros without thinking twice and I have also learned a lot about myself.”
Perry Gaudreau, Christian’s roommate, a 17-year-old junior from Cranston, R.I., admires Christian’s relentless work ethic, and the special connection they have fostered during their first year at Williston.
“He’s a great guy. He loves to play basketball, it’s simply all he talks about,” he said. “He’s always waking up early to go workout and practice with his other teammates, he’s never missed one. Christian and I have gotten really close because of us being roommates and we actually are much more alike than I would’ve ever imagined.”