clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

Mountain West Basketball Countdown: #7 - Emmanuel Omogbo

CSU's Omogbo is #7 in the MW countdown.

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports
The seventh overall player in the MW countdown is Colorado State's Emmanuel Omogbo.

Omogbo, the lone fourth-year senior on this season's CSU squad, is hoping that he can guide the Rams to their first tournament bid since 2013. He and Clavell form a dynamic duo that should help Colorado State be more competitive this season in the Mountain West.

Omogbo, a native Nigerian, is the heart and soul of the Colorado State Rams and has endured struggles of his own to get to this point. In February, Omogbo received the news that both of his parents had passed away in a house fire in his hometown in Maryland. Colorado State started a GoFundMe crowd fund soon after and within 24 hours it had recorded over $75,000 in donations. He received support from a number of opposing coaches and players, including basketball legend Kobe Bryant. Omogbo didn't miss a beat after the tragedy, grabbing 19 rebounds in his first full game back.

Omogbo now prepares for his final season on the Colorado State campus. He had a strong year in 2015-16, averaging 10.9 points and 8.0 rebounds in 24.9 minutes per game. He is notably one of the top rebounders in the MWC, especially on the defensive end, where he averaged a 23.0% defensive rebounding percentage last season. The return of Gian Clavell should help keep the defensive attention off of Omogbo, opening the floor up for the Ram offense.

Omogbo figures to be a double-double machine his senior season, further showing why he is one of the top talents in the Mountain West.