ANON12
Years ago
Aussie 12 yo gets full scholarship in US
FROM THE FOX SPORT WEBSITE:
Tomi, 12, a hit in US
February 01, 2008 TOMILAYO "Tomi" Akinpetide, a 12-year-old Sydney basketballer playing in the US on a school scholarship, has been recruited by a university.
Tomi was surprised to be offered a full scholarship along with her big sister, Tolu, 15, to play at prestigious Monteverde Academy in Orlando, Florida.
But the sisters, born in Australia of Nigerian parents, were shocked to be offered full scholarships so soon to Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The Daily Telegraph revealed last September Tomi had won her boarding school scholarship after sending a video of herself playing basketball.
This week she explained that basketball staff at Duquesne had read the Telegraph story on the web and sought further information about the sisters from their coach in Florida.
"I was surprised we got an offer from a university," said Tomi, who is 175cm tall and still growing.
"Coach (Jennifer) Leachman at our school told us about it. She told us on the way to one of our games and gave us a magazine from the university and told us the uni wants us to come to a (training) camp during the summer break."
Tomi said she has enjoyed boarding school life at Monteverde Academy and has found the basketball challenging. "It's fun. I'm playing against seniors (18-year-olds) but I score a few points every game," she said.
Edward Smith, an accomplished American coach in Sydney who introduced the Aussie duo to the game, predicted Duquesne is the first among many universities in the US to try and sign up Tomi and Tolu.
"The attitude is to get in early with these talented kids," Smith said of the US scouting system.
"Tomi will be recruited immediately by the University of Connecticut, ranked No.1 in the US. They wouldn't be aware of her yet, but when the summer comes I'll put her into certain age group camps and AAU events where she'll get noticed by everyone.
"That's not saying Duquesne won't get her. It's great they've got the first look and saw the talent."
