Ikenna Iroegbu will not be confused with the 34th American president, Dwight Eisenhower, but this Ike started to develop his basketball floor skills in 1st grade at the Salvation Army in downtown Sacramento. After that, Iroegbu played for the AAU team, Sacramento Believers, from 4th to 6th grade while also playing for his Sutter Middle School team. After the Sacramento Believers, he went to play for another AAU team, Beyond Basketball, which included Sheldon High's D'erryl Williams and Dakaria Allen. After Beyond Basketball, he went to Play Hard Play Smart, which included Chris Carvin and Charles Sandifer.
After his 8th grade year, Iroegbu attended the Pangos Frosh/Soph camp where he played well enough that he was touted as a top point guard to watch on the on the West Coast. At the beginning of his 9th grade, he attended the Super 100 camp. His performance there caught the eye of the Drew Gooden Soldiers, which extended him an invite to the 16U team. Due to his performance at the Pangos Frosh/Soph and Super 100 camps, he attended the Nike Hoop Jamboree in St. Louis this past June where he got to compete with the nation's best freshmen and sophomores.
His Oakland Soldiers 16U team is coached by Raymond Thomas. At the end of the summer, he was promoted to the 17U team for next summer. When asked about playing with the Soldiers, Iroegbu says, "Playing for the Solders this year was a great experience because I loved the level of play and it exposed me to the top talent in the nation. At practices, the 16's would go up against 17's. After the Fab 48 tournament Las Vegas tournament, I was moved up to Soldiers 17's for the Best of The Summer tournament in LA."
As a freshman on the Franklin High Wildcats of the Delta Valley League last year, Iroegbu was on varsity as the team's sixth man. At 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds with a 29 inch vertical, Iroegbu considers himself to be a finesse player. This Wildcat says, "I am the Court General, because I handle the ball very well. When in the open court, I find my teammates and make the excellent 'dime' passes. When my team needs it, I can also be the power player." His best basketball move is the in-and-out crossover that allows him to create space to take the open mid-range or 3-point shot. He also is accurate with his open court and lob passing. As a result, Iroegbu compares his game to Chicago Bull Derrick Rose, because he is a fast point guard who has great court vision, has a high basketball IQ, and plays solid defense.
For his sophomore season, Iroegbu will be the starting point guard on a Franklin High team that includes older brother Chukwuemeka Iroegbu (6-foot-5), Theo Johnson (6-foot-6), and Anthony King. Iroegbu would like to earn All-State player honors and to win a state championship with both of his brothers, Chukwuemeka and Uchenna (5-foot-10 incoming freshman). This Wildcat believes that he will top out at 6-foot-4.
Franklin High Coach Jesse Formaker says, "The sky is the limit for Ike. By his senior year, I can only imagine how he will have developed. Ike is extremely quick and possesses a natural competitive streak that drives him to succeed. He can handle the ball very well for his age, can get to the rim and past defenders at will, and has a strong outside shot. If he continues to work as he has, manages to keep a level head, and maintains his academics, he will be a very impressive person and player by the end of his high school career."
Iroegbu has shown solid leaderships skills on the basketball to court to attract the interest of some major college programs. Arizona, Kansas, Texas, Washington, and Washington State have inquired his coaches about him. This Wildcat has not made any visits nor has he gotten any offers yet. Coach Formaker says, "In terms of the next level of play, we expect Ike to have numerous opportunities to play and be successful. We are just working to be sure that has the best opportunities possible and that he is poised to take advantage of those opportunities when the time comes."
Iroegbu wants to play for a program that plays a fast pace and that provides opportunities for their players to play at the next level. This Wildcat does not have any geographic restrictions and can survive all weather seasons. He has a 3.50 GPA and has not yet taken his SATs. His best subject is English and is undecided on his major. He wants the program to have a high student athlete graduation rate with high academic standards.
Iroegbu, whose name means "God's Power" in the Igbo Nigerian dialect, also plans to run Track and Field for the Wildcats. He played soccer in the past and now swims for recreational purposes. He has always been grateful for the support that his family has provided him in his basketball growth and more importantly in his life growth.
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