The bright lights and big stage aren’t new to Uyi Ologhola, UFV Cascades’ new basketball signing. Ologhola is a multisport athlete who had one of the most prolific high school careers in recent history. Ologhola was a beast on the football field and a matchup nightmare on the basketball court while playing for the Holy Cross Crusaders. In addition to playing on his high school basketball team, he also played at Athelite, a Surrey basketball club, and was coached and mentored by former UFV players. Ologhola quickly made a name for himself in the Surrey basketball scene as videos of his monstrous dunks, and timely chased down blocks, surfaced all over the internet.
In the 10th grade, Ologhola found himself on the football field. Early in his football career, Ologhola proved to be a nightmare for opposing teams’ quarterbacks and showed promise that he could play football at the next level. Ologhola played football for the UBC Thunderbirds before signing with the Cascades to play basketball again. Ologhola sat down with The Cascade to talk about his offseason training and his experiences on the football field.
Why did you decide to sign with the UFV Cascades?
I already had a good relationship with Coach Joe [Enevoldson]. I played at Basketball BC with him back in 11th grade and he was a phenomenal coach — a stand-up dude [who will] tell you what’s going on. So it was a no brainer out of all the universities I could have decided; UFV was the one.
What are some things that you’ve been working on to help get you better at basketball?
Well I’ve been playing football the past year, so I had to add some extra [body] weight. I’ve been trying to lose that the past couple of months [with] jumping, drills, [and] running a lot. That’s something that, in prior years, I wasn’t too fond of, but I’ve learned to love it because it’s a grind and you really see results quickly. I’ve also been working on shooting… I have been shooting, like, 1,000 shots every day.
What are some things that you learned on the football field that have helped you translate to the basketball court?
I’ve learned the mental aspect. The mental stamina. In football, at the beginning of the season you’re worried and scared when you have guys that may be bigger than you, stronger than you, faster [than you], running at you repeatedly over the course of a game. But over an accumulative period of time, you start to build that mental fortitude for when those moments come. So, mentally, I’m prepared to take whoever I need to take on the basketball court, and that was really emphasized on the football field.
What are some things that you’ve learned from former Surrey or UFV basketball players?
Manny Dulay played at UFV and he used to coach me at Athelite. He taught me a whole lot. Those days Sukhjot Bains was also playing at Athelite, and the coaches really tried to emphasize the parts of the game that he was good at and try to instill that to us they are phenomenal players. I’ve learned quite a bit from them and watching their tapes.
What was the mindset of deciding to play football in university rather than basketball?
I was coming off a pretty disappointing [high school] basketball provincials, and in my football season, I was probably one of the top defensive ends in Canada. I saw my success in football, and it only took me two years to rise to that prominence. I was more [in] the mindset of seeing where football could take me. I thought, “Let me just dabble my feet in this for a year or two and see how it is. If I don’t like it or it’s not working out, there’s always basketball.”
Why did you decide to ultimately come back to basketball?
To be honest, it was really the physical toll you take everyday in football. You’re practicing up to five hours every day of the week. I feel basketball is more secure, and it was always lingering in the back of my brain like, “Oh, basketball, basketball, basketball.” That’s really what made my decision to go back to play.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity
Esher is a second year law & communications student who is invested in sports. When he isn't filming and writing about basketball, he can often be found washing cars or cutting the grass. Esher hopes to one day enter the field of law enforcement and start his own media group.