Butler basketball freshman was 'putting on a show' before he got to campus, shows glimpse of what's next
Forward Onyx Nnani missed a 3-pointer from the left baseline and a crowd of players formed under the basket in anticipation of the rebound. From the far-right wing, Oliogu-Elabor flies into the paint, elevates over a German defender and palms the ball with his right hand, double clutches the ball and slams home the putback dunk with force over two defenders.
The 6-foot-6 Oliogu-Elabor shined, scoring a team-high 21 points on 8-for-10 shooting, including 1 for 2 on 3s and adding 4 for 4 from the free throw line. He averaged 12.9 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game for the seven-game tournament.
"I didn't really expect myself to do that, but the adrenaline and all of that played into that," Oliogu-Elabor said of the highlight-reel dunk. "People have seen me dunk all the time, but in the moment, no one really expected it. I was the most calm person about it, but everyone was screaming and yelling."
High-level athleticism has always been a part of Oliogu-Elabor's game. He has a physical frame and shouldn't need much time to adjust to the speed and physicality of the Big East. In Oliogu-Elabor, Gonzaga transfer Michael Ajayi and freshman Jackson Keith, the Bulldogs have a trio of physical perimeter players who can play multiple positions.
Oliogu-Elabor shot well from the free throw line going 28 for 33 (84.8%), but he struggled from deep, shooting just 13.3% from 3 on 15 attempts. He will be surrounded by capable shooters, allowing him to play to his strengths, attacking in transition and getting into the paint.
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"I wanted to show my playmaking ability, to show that I'm not just a downhill player who likes to get to the rim," Oliogu-Elabor said. "Being able to facilitate and show my shooting ability as well."
Most explosive athletes aren't plus playmakers, but Oliogu-Elabor's passing is an underrated skill. He had at least one assist in all seven games and multiple assists in five of seven. Canada went 2-1 in the group phase and defeated Mali in the round of 16 before falling to USA basketball 108-102 in the quarterfinals. Canada placed fifth, and the U.S. won gold with a 109-76 win over Germany.
Team USA won its seven games by an average margin of 34.5 points. Playing the U.S. to a two-possession game shows how far Canadian basketball has come. With fellow countrymen like Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander winning MVP and Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard going toe-to-toe with him in the NBA Finals, Oliogu-Elabor said Canadian basketball is up and coming.
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