LOUISVILLE, Ky. — With only a dozen regular season games left, the University of Louisville men’s basketball team announced it is adding forward/center Emmanuel Okorafor to the roster for the season.

The 6-foot-9 prospect is from Lagos, Nigeria and is eligible to play immediately for the Cards.

“We’re fortunate to have one of the premier players coming out of NBA Africa be a part of what we’re doing here at the University of Louisville,” UofL head coach Kenny Payne said in a news release. “Emmanuel is one of the bright stars coming out of NBA Africa. He’s versatile, strong, a great rebounder and excellent running the floor. We’re blessed to have him. The global impact of what NBA Africa is doing—to go out and target the young, bright stars of the continent of Africa and bring them into their facility—is vital not only to the continent, but to the world. It’s great for our program to be connected to the work they’re doing.”

 NBA Academy Africa is one of four NBA academies around the world. It’s a basketball training center for high school prospects across Africa. As part of the program, athletes compete throughout the year and have the chance to be selected for travel teams that play in international tournaments and exhibition games.

In 2022, Okorafor was one of 12 NBA Academy athletes chosen to take part in the Basketball Africa League’s (BAL) Elevate program. BAL is a professional league launched by the International Basketball Federation and the NBA, that helps to provide opportunities for the next generation of African basketball players and allows them to showcase their talents.

Okorafor averaged a double-double for BC Espoir Fukash out of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. According to a news release from UofL, his statistics were the highest of any BAL Elevate program player in the league.

Okorafor’s first official game with Louisville will be Wednesday, Jan. 25 at Boston College.