SAGU signs Nigerian hoopster

Emmanuel Adoyi commits to Lions

6'5 forward was Ark. state tourney MVP

WAXAHACHIE, Texas -- Seeking to add inside scoring punch, the Southwestern Assemblies of God University men’s basketball team signed Emmanuel Adoyi out of Little Rock, Arkansas.

Adoyi played for Coach Al Flanigan at Parkview (Arts Science Magnet) High School. The “Patriots” won both the 2011 and 2012 Arkansas State High School champions in Class 6A.

The team also won the 2012 North Texas What-a-Burger Championship, the first team outside of the Lone Star State to take the crown since 1992.

SAGU Head Coach Donnie Bostwick hopes to have the 6-foot-5 Adoyi man the power forward position for the Lions.

"Few players have had the success in high school that Emmanuel has enjoyed,” Bostwick pointed out.

“He’s a game changer who plays with tremendous energy and passion around the basket. I believe he will be an impact player as a freshman."

A four-year Honor Roll student, Adoyi carried a 3.5 GPA at Parkview, exhibiting the same diligence and hard-working style on the hard-court.

The Patriots got off to a 5-5 start before rolling to a 25-5 season that saw them take the state title in double overtime, 69-65, over Jonesboro.

Adoyi, known as "E-Man" to fans, was named the Most Valuable Player in the state tournament. In the state final he poured in 26 points and ripped down 13 boards to power the Patriots to the pinnacle of the Arkansas prep mountain. 

The description of Flanigan’s squad was the same one used by opposing coaches about Bostwick’s Lions this past season: “small but tenacious.”

The team ranked nationally in the USA Today’s Top 25 and drew comparisons to the 1992 Parkview team, led by current NBA star Derek Fisher, who went 29-1.

Led by the senior co-captain, Adoyi, and a pair of underclassmen, I.J Ready and Anton Beard - expected to receive D-1 scholarships, the team from one of the state’s most prestigious programs crested at the right time.

Statistically, excluding the playoffs, Adoyi averaged 9.2 points per game on 49% shooting. He connected on 69% of his free throw attempts.

He also led the team with 8.8 rebounds per outing as the Pats’ center. He averaged 1.1 blocked shots and 2.1 steals.

His long arms and large hands are just part of what enables the 190-pounder to perform so well. Speed and mad hops are evident as the slasher attacks the basket from below or above the rim.

The Nigerian-born Adoyi was adopted four years ago by Don Williams, a medical supply technician.

His American Christian family includes two sisters (one is pictured as he signed when he inked his binding National Letter of Intent).

After a transcontinental flight from West Africa to Little Rock, he played as a freshman for Word of Outreach Christian Academy. There he averaged 30 points and nearly 20 rebounds a game for the Warriors.

Adoyi hasn’t seen his natural parents and seven siblings in almost four years. Battling homesickness, basketball and his studies help fill the void. He longs to return and to financially support them after college.

About SAGU basketball

Southwestern went 27-11 last season on the strength of a deep bench and defensive tenacity combined with an offense predicated on speed, the three-point shot and an all-out assault on the offensive boards.

The Lions broadcast their home games from the Sheaffer Center over the internet at no expense to fans. The SAGU Sports Network air the games in High Definition, the best in the NAIA.

Contact: Mark “Link” Warde, SAGU Sports Information Director, at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or at 469-658-2847.

RRAC 2012 Final Standings