What I want to know is, has anyone actually talked directly

[Lawman]

What I want to know is, has anyone actually talked directly to Orupke himself, or is the communication only through channels and third party sources? It would be nice to hear words come from the mouth of Mr. Orupke himself. Can we get someone who has capabilities to communicate with someone in a foreign country? Am I being too nieve here? :roll:

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

Yeah let me call him up

BRB TTYL!

[RoyalShock]

We received an LOI last May.

I think I read where there is at least direct e-mail contact.

The problems right now lie with the Nigerian gov't and them not releasing test results, so that is probably who most of the significant contact is occurring with.

This is mostly speculation on my part.

[Snapshot9]

That's fine, but the original test was taken in June or July, declared invalid, and taken a second time at the start of September, 2007.

That was 7 months ago with no further update about the test results, and that, in my American mind, is just unacceptable on any terms. They have computers in Nigeria, and most test given today are where a computer can grade the tests, or can be hand graded very quickly with an overlay.

This is not a matter of Life and Death, it's more important than that, It's Basketball!!!

Who do I need to send the round 'Tuit' to???

[WSUwatcher]

Huh?

Hey, Lawman -- I hope you're not related to lawmaker.

Anyway, however interested or impatient we may be, don't you think the coaching staff is about ten times more so? After all, they have a professional and financial incentive to succeed, and they obviously believe that Orukpe can contribute to their success on the court. So it's inconceivable we could accomplish anything they can't.

[rjl]

I think it's a matter of the right palms being greased, and whether or not WSU is willing to grease them.

I said this in a thread in the recruiting forum, but someone told me that if WSU were North Carolina, Orupke would of been here at the start of last season.

[Snapshot9]

I don't think the NCAA would hold with any greasing of any palms, whether it was North Carolina or Wichita State doing it. To even entertain that thought is almost a violation.

Our coaching staff may be treading new waters with recruiting out of an African nation, and that should be where Okon comes in. Something is being lost in communication or in the translation, and I am beginning to wonder if part of the problem isn't on our end.

I would hate to have to research just how many players came out of African nations last year to American Universities, but I will, to support my point.

[rjl]

I don't think the NCAA would hold with any greasing of any palms, whether it was North Carolina or Wichita State doing it. To even entertain that thought is almost a violation.

Just how innocent-minded are you?

[benishock]

Snapshot, I wonder too, how many players came out of Africa (primarily Nigeria) and played for American Universities over the last year.

[rjl]

Snapshot, I wonder too, how many players came out of Africa (primarily Nigeria) and played for American Universities over the last year.

It would take more than that. For it to be apples to apples, we'd need to know how many played at American universities last year, how long the process took to get them here, which ones were expedited and for what reason, and what American universities the expedited ones attended.

[Snapshot9]

This article is 2 years old, but very relevant to our situation with Orukpe, and is very interesting:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2006/01/27/DI2006012701297.html

[Awesome Sauce Malone]

E. Chike Anyanwu

I know this name from somewhere I cannot figure where from.

Anyways Everybody's situation is different.
For instance Orupke and his family might be very poor so they cant afford to "sway" the goverment

Frank Ben-Eze's parents might have been more well to do and could "sway" the goverment to letting him leave.

Charles Okwandu according to the report was supposed to be a pretty nice recruit. However he has changed his "commitment" 3-4 times and is supposedly in the country now playing ball at some low lever junior college.

If Orupke can get here fine. But until then I say we need not worry about it as some seem to on here do.

[60Shock]

Holy crap! With GM's incoming class and high prospects for his future ability to recruit, that's all we need to do is to get caught greasing some slippery palms in Nigeria.

That would more than likely be the end of any meaningful Shocker basketball for the next 15 to 20 years, if not longer.

And once you allow your coaching staff to break the rules just once, how do you control it from then on out?

Doesn't matter whether any other schools are doing it or not. From all indications our AD and HC run a clean program and would never consider such an action. They will play it straight or not play it at all.

[Ricky Del Rio]

Holy crap! With GM's incoming class and high prospects for his future ability to recruit, that's all we need to do is to get caught greasing some slippery palms in Nigeria.

That would more than likely be the end of any meaningful Shocker basketball for the next 15 to 20 years, if not longer.

And once you allow your coaching staff to break the rules just once, how do you control it from then on out?

Doesn't matter whether any other schools are doing it or not. From all indications our AD and HC run a clean program and would never consider such an action. They will play it straight or not play it at all.

So, you are saying an expedite fee is a violation of NCAA rules?

rdr

[RoyalShock]

It makes me wonder if the powers that be over there know Orukpe's situation and are purposefully holding back his test scores, expecting a hefty expedite fee.