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Posted: Thu Aug 11, 2011 3:51 am
Then: Diogu is considered one of the better players in ASU history. In 2002-03 he was Pac-10 Freshman of the Year. Two seasons later, he was the conference’s Player of the Year.
Today: Diogu, a 6-foot-9 forward, just finished his fifth NBA season. He missed the 2009-10 season with a knee injury. Last year, he played 36 games for the Los Angeles Clippers, averaging 5.8 points and 3.2 rebounds, and is now a free agent. He has career averages of six points and 3.1 rebounds. Diogu recently was named spokesperson for the International Foundation for Education and Self-Help’s “Books for Africa” campaign. IFESH wants to ship 200,000 donated books to Africa this year.
Question: Let’s start with Books for Africa. Why’d you get involved?
Answer: My family’s from Nigeria, and one of the areas that’s badly in need of supplies is the Imo state, which is where my family is from. I don’t ever like to forget my roots. Really, most of my family is still in Nigeria, aside from my parents and brothers, so I just want to help in any way I can. (For more information, visit ifesh.org.)Q: You’ve been in the league for a while now, and you’ve had your share of injuries. How are you holding up?
A: I’m feeling really well. I’ve had a few setbacks. Unfortunately, I missed the whole 2009-10 year with microfracture knee surgery. But for me, it’s all about being in the right situation. I had some good games last year when I got that opportunity, just like I have throughout my career. So I think things are on the up and up. I’m just really looking forward to this year to keep making that jump.
Doug Haller, Tucson Citizen
