Stanford's Okorie: ACC Scoring King, Freshman Force

0:00On March 10th, freshman point guard Kobe Okary from New Hampshire shocked his family by choosing Stanford over Harvard during a recruiting visit. Nearly a year and a half later, the 6 foot 2 guard leads the Atlantic Coast Conference and scoring at 23.1 points per game, ranking 5th nationally and second among freshmen. Stanford enters the ACC tournament on Tuesday against Pittsburgh with a 20 win, 11 loss record, and 9 wins, 9 losses in conference play. Okory earned all ACC first team and all rookie honors on Monday while also averaging 3.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 1.6 steals per game. He is the first cardinal to lead the conference and scoring since Landry feels average 22 points per game in 2009 to 2010. Coach Kyle Smith initially planned for Okary to play 20 to 25 minutes per game, but now calls him a two-way star he cannot binge. Teammates like senior guard Benny Gieler, praise his talent and quick adaptation, saying

1:02the team rallies to help him reach his full potential. Okory credits the welcoming coaches and players for his smooth transition, noting how much fun he has earned his spot on the court. His energy shines and practices, firing up teammates with fist pumps and loud encouragement during drills. As Stanford eyes a strong tournament run, Okory's hot street positions him ahead of even duke's top players, making him the league's regular season, scoring King and a freshman force to watch.