After fleeing his Sudanese home and moving across the world, Big East play can’t seem too intimidating to Ater Majok.

Majok, a 6-foot-11, 233-pound freshman on the Connecticut basketball team, has had many stops along the way to landing in Storrs to play for legendary coach Jim Calhoun. And the path he took to get to the Big East is anything but conventional.

As a young boy, Majok served time in a detention camp in Egypt. By the age of 13, Majok fled the camp through a United Nations refugee program and migrated to Australia, where he eventually gained citizenship.

At 15, Majok was introduced to the game of basketball by Edward Smith, who runs a basketball development program in Sydney. While attending the American International School, Majok began to practice feverishly with Smith as he focused on learning the fundamentals and honing his skills.

The Sudanese native fell in love with the game instantly and formed a rigorous workout schedule in hopes of becoming the best that he could be. While training under Smith, Majok would wake up and practice at 5:45 a.m. for an hour and a half before attending school later that day.

As Majok began to grow into a dominant player, Smith reached out to his old friend Jason Niblett, who is the head basketball coach at the Heat Basketball Academy in Martinsville, Va. Niblett invited Majok to come practice with the team and instantly saw the kind of player that Majok had the potential to be. Not to mention his inherent competitive drive to succeed.

‘Ater is a hard worker; he’s a leader; he’s always willing to go the extra mile, and he’s definitely a team player,’ Niblett said.

In his lone season playing under Niblett at the Heat Basketball Academy Majok excelled on the court, leading his team to an overall mark of 33-5. Majok was not nationally ranked by basketball experts coming into the academy, but by the conclusion of the season, he was named the 13th best player in the 2008 recruiting class by Rivals.com.

Sammy Schnickel, Majok’s teammate and now a member of the New Jersey Institute of Technology basketball team, recalls just how explosive Majok was from the second he stepped onto the floor.

‘He was clearly very talented, and it was obvious that he would be a big time college basketball player,’ Schnickel said. ‘He’s really long and has good skills and good size.’

Following his strong season at the Heat Basketball Academy, it was time to choose a college. The decision was not easy for Majok, as he received offers from California, Connecticut, West Virginia, UCLA, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, Kansas, Baylor and Maryland. Majok initially entered his name for last year’s NBA Draft but then ended up pulling it out after not hiring an agent.

Majok remained in limbo for some time, entertaining offers from professional teams in Spain, Italy and Greece. Ultimately, the forward spurned those requests and at last opted to play for coach Calhoun, partially because of his accomplished track record of getting big men into the NBA.

‘His dream is to play college ball,’ Niblett said. ‘A time will come when he can turn pro and enjoy those times, but I think he just wanted to enjoy the college life right now.’

Aside from playing in a Greater Hartford Pro-Am this past summer, Majok hasn’t played in a competitive game in well over a year. He sat out last year and won’t be eligible to play until Dec. 20 for the No. 14 Huskies (6-1) when they take on Central Florida.

Though Majok will play his first collegiate game in 11 days, he is familiar with the UConn style of play. The big man actually arrived on campus last January and practiced with the team for the duration of the season, but was ineligible to play in any games.

Now that Majok is set to see some action, he is expected to contribute immediately. After losing co-Big East Player of the Year Hasheem Thabeet to the NBA in June, UConn is looking to Majok to provide some much needed help in the post. With a reported 7-foot-7 reach, the Australian is expected to drastically improve the Huskies’ defensive and rebounding capabilities.

Though it may seem unrealistic to ask someone in his position to have an instant effect in such a power conference as the Big East, Majok is up to the challenge.

‘He’ll have an immediate impact,’ Niblett said. ‘He’s a great ball player, a fine young man, and he works hard. I think he’ll be ready to play when his time comes.’

Player to Watch

Scottie Reynolds

Villanova’s Reynolds had an outstanding week, as the No. 3 Wildcats (8-0) swept the BB&T Classic. The preseason All-Big East First Team selection was named the Most Outstanding Player at the tournament as he delivered two well-rounded efforts. In the opener against Drexel, Reynolds did it all, scoring 14 points, grabbing eight rebounds and providing six assists. In the championship win against Maryland, Reynolds led all Wildcat scorers with 25 points and added eight assists.

Game to Watch

Connecticut vs. Kentucky

Today, 9:30 p.m., ESPN

Two legendary coaches will face off tonight, as newcomer John Calipari and No. 4 Kentucky (8-0) meet Jim Calhoun and No. 14 Connecticut (6-1). Following a down year, UK is off to a blazing start behind freshman guard John Wall, who is averaging 18.1 points and 7.7 assists. The Wildcats’ signature win thus far came against No. 11 North Carolina on Dec. 5. Aside from a defeat to No. 8 Duke, the Huskies have won six games behind guard Jerome Dyson, who is averaging 20.1 points. These two coaches haven’t met since Nov. 16, 2007, when Calipari’s Memphis squad defeated Connecticut, 81-70.

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Published on December 7, 2009 at 12:00 pm