MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — One month after Darian DeVries became head coach of West Virginia’s men’s basketball program, he secured a verbal commitment from Toby Okani while continuing to add to a roster that at the time was nowhere near finalized.
There was a past connection between the two, with Okani having spent the previous two seasons at University of Illinois Chicago, a Missouri Valley Conference member like the previous program DeVries guided at Drake. The two programs met three times over the previous two seasons, and on each occasion, Okani competed against DeVries on the sideline as well as his son, Tucker DeVries, on the hardwood.
“I was always a fan of how Drake played. They’re a well-coached team and we had battles over the years,” Okani said. “During my process of choosing a school, when coach reached out to me, it was kind of a no-brainer just because I had mutual respect for him and his son through the relationship I’ve built with Tucker. It made sense for me to come here and make something happen with them.”
While the Bulldogs got the better of the Flames in all three meetings, Okani, a 6-foot-8 swingman, had several notable performances. In last year’s meeting, which Drake won in triple overtime, Okani finished with 31 points and made 5-of-8 three-pointers. DeVries had an even more memorable showing with 39 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and four steals.
“That game was fun. It was my senior day. They’re No. 1 in the conference, and we just felt that unfortunately my last school’s record didn’t reflect how good of talent we had,” Okani said. “But we went into that game thinking, ‘why not knock off the No. 1 team on this day?’ It was a good game.
“I had 31, but Tucker had a good game as well. I have nothing but respect for Tucker, even since I came into that league. It’s always been a mutual respect. Not a crazy rivalry, but someone I know that’s in the gym just as much as I am and wants it just as bad as I do.”
The previous season, Okani scored 32 points and totaled 17 rebounds over two matchups with Drake, while making all three of his attempts from long range.
Each time he competed against the Bulldogs, Okani noticed several of Drake’s traits that helped lead to consecutive MVC Tournament Championships and an automatic NCAA Tournament berth.
“A well-organized team that was never flustered about the moment and being down,” Okani said. “As a coach, I’ve seen him multiple times. He gets animated, but he’s very much cool and relaxed after he has his moment. As a player and opponent, seeing that, it’s like, ‘they won.’ He understands that his players are going to respond and that they’re built for the moment.”
While Okani has 64 triples over 113 career contests in college, eight came in the three games against DeVries’ teams. After spending his first two seasons at Duquesne, Okani’s playing time and production significantly increased at UIC. He averaged 11 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.2 blocks in his first season with the Flames, before following it up by contributing an average of 11.1 points, 6.8 boards, two blocks and 1.5 steals.
“My first two years were kind of a growing pain coming out of just being a defender and a long, athletic wing,” Okani said. “I took my two years at UIC where I got to expand my game and I like to grade my two years there as my first two years of complete college basketball. I’ve developed the three-point game a little bit more. My handle and play-making is very much underrated, but at the same time, whatever the numbers say doesn’t define me as a player. I understand that my path isn’t someone else’s path and that this year is the year for me to put it all together and help the team do as much as possible.”
Okani is eager to continue showcasing what he hopes is a more extensive offensive skill set in DeVries’ system, one the Orange, New Jersey native believes allows players to maximize their potential.
“The hardest thing to adjust to is how easy the game comes to you when you do the small things,” Okani said. “Coach preaches the small things and it’s very a NBA-like offense, because when it comes to the NBA, it’s very much the simple things that kill you. Drilling every day the little habits of how you screen or cut with pace really just opens up an open shot and that’s not really a dribble you need to do. Maybe you just need to pass it. That’s how simple the adjustment has been from my last schools to here.”
Yet with his length and versatility through being able to defend multiple positions, Okani is also well aware his biggest impact may come defensively for a team without an abundance of size.
WVU’s official roster lists Okani as a guard, and while he will often find himself matched up with a player of that position, Okani has the size and versatility to defend opposing front court players as well.
“I definitely think I am a versatile defender. That meaning for me is knowing when to switch on to smaller guards or bigger guards, maybe having to bang with the bigger, post guys,” Okani said. “I’m just here to help and use my athleticism, versatility and long arms to distract and for us to get an extra possession on the other end.”
As one of 14 new additions to West Virginia’s roster in DeVries’ first season in Morgantown, Okani, like the majority of his teammates, continues adjusting to a new home, new coaching staff and different teammates.
While there are plenty of challenges, Okani isn’t selling the Mountaineers short.
“The expectations for this team are to keep an open mind regardless of what the media says right now,” he said. “We have a whole lot of basketball to play ahead of us. Don’t be closed off just because of the past. We’re here to win and we’re not here to win later. This team is built with a lot of seniors and fifth-year players with a mix of freshmen ready to win now.”