Victor Oladipo- Indiana University

         As a former star guard for the Indiana University Hoosiers and a projected lottery pick in the upcoming 2013 NBA draft, Victor Oladipo has been predicted to have similar NBA qualities to that of Dwayne Wade and Tony Allen. Some draft websites are even predicting him to be the next Michael Jordan. However, Oladipo sees things differently.

“I just go out there and try to be the best Victor Oladipo possible,” he says, “I don’t have any extra pressure to be like anybody else. I just go out there and be me. I have more pressure on myself than anybody has pressure on me.”

Before becoming a Hoosier, Oladipo attended DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Maryland. Nationally known for its consistently competitive basketball teams, the DeMatha High School athletic program was recognized as the #2 high school athletic program in the United States in both 2005 and 2007.

“I think it just shows how great of a program [DeMatha] is overall as a school and as an athletic program. They have worked hard in order to get to where they are in history. They’ve had a lot of great players come through there, and I think that’s why it is so competitive and that’s why it’s such a great program,” says Oladipo.

During his time at DeMatha Oladipo played an active role in leading the Stags to two Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) championship titles.

“My role was just to be an energy type of guy and lock up the other team’s best player and just impact by what I do out there on the defensive end and rebound. Winning the WCAC championship my junior and senior years were my greatest basketball memories from high school. Those were my first two, and it was something that I had really dreamed about doing and being a part of DeMatha history.”

Like any high school basketball player would be, Oladipo says he was thrilled to receive his first scholarship offer to play basketball in college.

“I was very happy. I was excited. I know my parents were, too. The first thing I did was call my mom and she was really proud of me. When that happened it made me want to work even harder—just like when I found out I was going to the NBA. It just makes me want to work harder and harder to be the best possible.”

While playing at Indiana, Oladipo received recognition for his production on the court by being named the 2013 Sporting News Men’s College Basketball Player of the Year, 2013 National Co-Defensive Player of the Year, a 2013 First Team All-American, and First All Big Ten Team among others.

“It’s nice,” Oladipo says of the recognition, “but at the end of the day I know where I came from, and I know 10 or 12 months ago people weren’t even talking about me. I know it all has had to do with hard work, so if I stop working hard it will all go away in the blink of an eye. I just have to continue to work hard. I enjoy the recognition. It’s pretty cool.”

Oladipo describes himself as “a high energy player and a player that’s capable of impacting the ball on both ends of the floor. [He] can change the game just through energy and what [he] brings to the table.”

Although much of his success has come from his own hard work and effort, Oladipo credits his coaches and family for much of his success.

“I appreciate all of my coaches. I think they have helped me develop my game and made me the player I am today, but I still have room to grow. The Indiana coaching staff has helped me with just becoming an overall basketball player. I think when I first came to Indiana, I was an athletic player who could run and jump, but now I’m a basketball player who’s athletic. I think I’ve come a long way.”

Throughout his basketball career and life, Oladipo credits his mother as his greatest source of support.

“There’s no question. Without her, I definitely wouldn’t be here. She has supported me throughout the whole process since day one. I’m glad she pushed me because I’m here today.”

            Although he may have wanted to play other sports as well as basketball throughout his life, Oladipo is thankful today that his mother pushed him to focus on the sport that he will be making a living out of in the near future.

“I only played basketball. I wanted to play more than one sport growing up, but my parents wouldn’t let me. My mom always used to say ‘why would you want to be a jack of all trades and a master of none?’ She just wanted me to play one sport and try to perfect it.”

In just a few days, Oladipo will head out to Brooklyn for the 2013 NBA Draft to fulfill a lifelong goal.

“I’ve always wanted to play basketball professionally. Ever since I was little, it has always been a dream of mine. Now, I’m at the point where I’m a couple of [days] away from my dream coming true. It’s an amazing feeling.”