Abable? Agunada? Arogunblabla? Actually, it’s Arogundade, and this past season, Ore led the Saint Viator boys’ varsity basketball team to a winning season with a school record breaking 25-4 record. But really, who is this guy? What makes him so special? What makes a sophomore guard averaging 14.4 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2 steals, and 2.5 assists per game plus an average of 23 points during the playoffs so special? “Ore is a great player and a great guy. He produces on the court and is always a great weapon,” says senior teammate Danny Forde, “Ore can do it all. He's a competitor and always wants to win.”
“I want to be the best. To be the best, you have to put in the work,” says Arogundade on why he is so devoted to the game. “The time you put in to what you do is what you get out of it, and I just want to be the best. That’s what I strive for.”
As a strong, 6’3, 16 year old whose dream is to play in the NBA, Arogundade models his game after Miami Heat forward Lebron James. Ore wears number 23, James’s previous number, as a replacement for number 6 due to the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) rule of no digit of a jersey surpassing 5. Arogundade looks upon James as a motivator. “The way he came from nothing and how he got to where he is now is inspiring,” says Arogundade of the superstar.
Born in Nigeria, Arogundade moved to the United States when he was just three years old. “I started playing basketball when I was six. It was just a small park district league. I wasn’t that good,” says Arogundade of his early playing career.
Ore credits his family with being the most supportive and encouraging throughout his life. “They are really a big impact. They help me and encourage me and are proud of me and my achievements and what I’ve done. When I got all conference and all area they were really supportive of me. My family is a big part of why I play basketball because I want to make it easy for them and go to the NBA so they don’t have to struggle anymore.”
“It’s great to have Ore on the same team as me because we connect well on the court,” says Mayo Arogundade, Ore’s brother and teammate. “We have played on the same teams in the past, and we have always known how to play with each other and read what we’re going to do.” Ore’s views on having his brother as a teammate, “[Mayo] used to be better than me. I used to always be in his shadow, but this year I just wanted to break out of that and make a name for myself.”
This offseason you will catch Ore working out in the gym as much as possible. “I’m working more on my ball handling this spring and summer to get it to where it needs to be. [It’s] more of my weakness right now.” Ore adds of his efforts, “We make it look easy in the games, but you don’t know how much hard work we put into it outside.”
