Obinna Anochili-Killen’s name is etched atop the Marshall career record books in blocked shots and at the pace he is going, it is unlikely his mark will be matched anytime soon. On December 7, the Chapmanville High School alumnus broke the previous program record for blocks that was held by Jannson Williams (196).
Anochili-Killen now stands with 228 and he will have at least a dozen more games to create more distance atop the chart. Anochili-Killen’s 6-foot-8, 220-pound frame creates an imposing presence in the paint but he says many of his blocks are strategic.
“I don’t want to give the secret sauce. Most of the time, what I try to do is bait the player to thinking that I am not going to be there. And then all of a sudden, I am there. That’s usually what I do,” Anochili-Killen said.
“Most of the blocks, it looks like I come out of nowhere.”
Anochili-Killen immediately broke into the lineup as a freshman in the 2020-2021 season. He averaged 5.8 points per game in 22 games in his debut year but he was able to earn minutes primarily for his work as a defender.
“You just have to go in there and show the coaches what you can provide to the team. Most of the time as a freshman, it is not going to be points.
“I had to find something I was good at and find something the team needed and show the coaches I could do it consistently. That’s how I got on the court. I didn’t get on the court scoring 20 or 30 points. I got on the court playing hard and playing defense, listening to the seniors and coaches and getting better every day.”
Increased minutes and increased opportunities followed for Anochili-Killen in his sophomore season. His scoring averaged doubled to 11.6 points per game while playing over ten minutes more per contest.
“They didn’t give me any promises that I was going to come here and start.
“My sophomore year, junior year and then to senior year, my role got bigger. Now the offense is running through me. Sometimes, you’ve just got to be patient and wait for your turn.”
As the transfer portal has taken an increased presence in college basketball, Anochili-Killen’s path is becoming quite rare by playing five seasons at the same school.
“Sometimes it feels like I have been there for a while and sometimes it feels like I just got here. It depends on the day. You can be sitting on the couch watching TV and say, ‘Man, I have been doing this for a long time’. I have enjoyed good moments. I am grateful for the opportunity. Not a lot of players had the opportunity I had.”
With the free year of eligibility afforded to NCAA student-athletes from the COVID season of 2020-2021, Anochili-Killen has played in an astonishing 136 games for the Thundering Herd, making 123 starts. He credits physical and mental preparation for staying healthy throughout the seasons.
“I’ve got to make sure I get my body right with stretching and yoga and even meditation sometimes to get your mind right. I am definitely going to keep up doing that, going past college and playing pro.
“You’ve got to clear your mind and don’t worry about anything else. I just use five-to-ten minutes of meditation to kind of grind you down and make you focus for the game.”
Now a graduate student, Anochili-Killen went through his first head coaching change this past offseason when Corny Jackson succeeded Dan D’Antoni. Jackson’s promotion to head coach was a major reason why Anochili-Killen returned for a fifth season.
“I don’t think I would be here if it was a different coach, because it would be a different playing style. With Corny Jackson, it is basically the same style as Coach Dan [D’Antoni]. It is just more intense and more physical.
“Coach Dan was an awesome coach. I wouldn’t want any other coach but him. He was the kind of coach that would see something in you before you knew it. He knew what you could do before you would do it.”
Anochili-Killen led Chapmanville to a pair of Class AA state championships in 2018 and 2019 and the Logan County town holds a special place in his heart after moving in from Nigeria prior to his high school days.
“Me and Coach Brad [Napier], we still keep in touch. People in Chapmanville are basically my family.
“The whole community embraced me and accepted me. Without them and their support, I wouldn’t be in the situation I am in.”
Anochili-Killen is averaging 13 points and 5.9 rebounds per game this season, totals that are second-best in his years in Huntington. He welcomes professional basketball opportunities that await.
“I am super-excited. I can’t wait to see where basketball takes me. I’d love to visit some places and see some new things and meet new people.
“I can’t wait for the journey. But I am definitely going to miss college.”