Chamberlain "Champ" Nnaemeka Oguchi (born April 28, 1986) is a former Nigerian-American former professional basketball player. His name "Emeka" is an abbreviation of the Igbo name "Chukwuemeka" (meaning "God has done so much").

College career

Oguchi played

college basketball College basketball is basketball that is played by teams of Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. In the Higher education in the United States, United States, colleges and universities are governed by collegiate athle ...

for the

Oregon Ducks The Oregon Ducks are the College sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Oregon, located in Eugene, Oregon, Eugene. The Ducks compete at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) NCA ...

from 2004 to 2007. Despite seeing limited minutes as a true freshman, he finished the season scoring double digits in 5 of the last 10 games and received the Jesse Lee Nash Most Improved Player Award for the 2004–2005 season. As a sophomore, Oguchi connected on 40 of 68 three-point attempts during the last month of the season and broke the Pac-10 Tournament record for most 3-point field goals made (14). For his efforts, he received Pac-10 All-Tournament Team honors as well as the Jesse Lee Nash Most Improved Player Award for the second consecutive season. Although an early season injury reduced Oguchi's role as a junior, he was an integral part of the 2006–2007

team that advanced to the NCAA Elite 8. After the season, Oguchi opted to transfer to

Illinois State University Illinois State University (ISU) is a public research university in Normal, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1857 as Illinois State Normal University and is the oldest public university in Illinois. The university emphasizes teachin ...

to play for the

Illinois State Redbirds The Illinois State Redbirds are the athletic teams that represent Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois. Teams play at the NCAA Division I level ( FCS in football). Most teams compete in the Missouri Valley Conference except football (M ...

. Due to NCAA transfer rules, he redshirted during the 2007–2008 season. As a senior, Oguchi averaged 15.2 points per game and 5.4 rebounds per game, leading the Redbirds to the 2nd round of the NCAA

National Invitational Tournament The National Invitation Tournament (NIT) is an annual men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). Since 2023, all rounds of the tournament are played at various sites across the country whi ...

. He was named the 2007–2008

Missouri Valley Conference The Missouri Valley Conference (also called MVC or simply "The Valley") is the fourth-oldest collegiate List of NCAA conferences, athletic conference in the United States. The conference's members are primarily located in the Midwestern Unite ...

Newcomer of the Year in addition to receiving MVC All-Conference and MVC Tournament honors. He made a team best 90 3-pointers on the season, which ranks 3rd all-time in Illinois State Men's Basketball history for most 3-point field goals made in a single season while also connecting on 39.5 percent of his 3-point attempts.

Professional career

After going undrafted in 2009, Oguchi began his professional career with

STB Le Havre Saint Thomas Basket Le Havre or simply STB Le Havre is a basketball club based in city of Le Havre, France that plays in the Pro B division of the Ligue Nationale de Basket (LNB). Their home arena is Dock Océane.Allen Mack Jr. JPMorgan * R ...

of the French Pro-A League. He was 1 of 4 players selected to compete in the

LNB All-Star Game The LNB All-Star Game is the annual All-Star Game that is organised by France's professional club basketball governing body, the LNB. The LNB organizes both of the top two French men's pro club competitions, the top-level LNB Pro A, and the se ...

3-point Contest. In 2010, Oguchi played in the

NBA D-League The NBA G League, or simply the G League, is a professional basketball league in North America that serves as the developmental league of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The league comprises 31 teams; as of the 2024–25 season, ...

after being selected in the 2nd round (30th pick) by the

Maine Red Claws The Maine Celtics are an American professional basketball team in the NBA G League based in Portland, Maine, and are affiliated with the Boston Celtics. The Maine Celtics play their home games at the Portland Expo Building. The Boston Celtics pu ...

. In 2011, Oguchi was acquired by the

Meralco Bolts The Meralco Bolts is a professional basketball team in the Philippine Basketball Association. The team began in 2010 after the Manila Electric Company (MERALCO) acquired the PBA franchise of the Sta. Lucia Realtors. The team is one of thre ...

of the

Philippine Basketball Association The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is a men's professional basketball league in the Philippines, composed of twelve company-branded Franchising, franchise teams. Founded in 1975, it is the first professional basketball league in Asia ...

. With the

, he became a well known import because of his efficiency in mid-range shots coupled with his 3-point shooting accuracy from very far distances. In his first stint with the Bolts, Oguchi was the top scorer in the 2011

PBA Commissioner's Cup The PBA Commissioner's Cup is one of three active conferences in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). It is also one of two conferences, the other being the PBA Governors' Cup, Governors' Cup which allows teams to hire a single foreign ...

behind his 30.7 points per game. He averaged 28.3 points per game for his 11-game PBA career and made 40.3 percent of his 3-point attempts. In September 2011, Oguchi signed to play in the Lebanese League for

Hoops Club Hoops Club () is a Lebanese sports club. It is based in Beirut, Lebanon, with branches in Antelias, Tyre, and southern suburbs of Beirut ( Dahieh). The basketball team is part of the Lebanese Basketball League The Lebanese Basketball League ...

of Beirut. Following his stint in Lebanon, he would go on to play in the West Asian League (with the Iraqi club

Duhok Duhok (; ; , ) is a city in Kurdistan Region, Iraq. It is the capital city of Duhok Governorate. Name The city of Duhok received its name from the Kurdish words ’du’ (two) and ’hok’ (lump) as a tax payment of two lumps from the baske ...

). Oguchi finished the 2011–2012 season in the Venezuelan League for Las Panteras de Miranda. On March 1, 2012, he broke the LPB national record for most points scored in a single quarter (28 points). He finished the game with 43 points. He was later named to the LPB All-Star Team. In May 2012, Oguchi re-signed with the

, however during the

2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics, officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012, were an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, the ...

he drew interest from a number of

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...

teams including the 2012 NBA Champion

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Southeast Division (NBA), Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern C ...

. On November 1, 2012, Oguchi re-signed with the

team

. In January 2013, Oguchi was acquired by Russian club

Spartak Primorye BC Spartak Primorye () is a Russian professional basketball club that is based in Vladivostok, Russia. It currently plays in the Russian Super League 1. Notable players * Victor Keyru: (2006–07) * Nikolay Padius: (2008–09, 2012–13) * ...

of the Russian Professional Basketball League. On May 13, 2013, he signed with the Spanish League club

Gran Canaria Gran Canaria (, ; ), also Grand Canary Island, is the third-largest and second-most-populous island of the Canary Islands, a Spain, Spanish archipelago off the Atlantic coast of Northwest Africa. the island had a population of that constitut ...

of the Liga Endesa where his team would advance to the semi-finals of the

Liga ACB The Liga ACB, known as Liga Endesa for sponsorship reasons, is the top professional basketball division of the Spanish basketball league system. Administered by the Asociación de Clubs de Baloncesto (ACB), Liga ACB is contested by 18 teams, w ...

playoff championship before losing the series to

FC Barcelona Futbol Club Barcelona (), commonly known as FC Barcelona and colloquially as Barça (), is a professional Football club (association football), football club based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, that competes in La Liga, the top flight of ...

. In July 2013, Oguchi joined the

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...

for the 2013 NBA Summer League in

Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...

. In August 2015, he signed with Polish club

Anwil Włocławek Anwil is a Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district of Sissach (district), Sissach in the Cantons of Switzerland, canton of Basel-Country in Switzerland. History Anwil is first mentioned in 1276. Geography Anwil has an are ...

. of the Polish Basketball League. Since then, Oguchi has played in the LNBP of Mexico with

Soles de Mexicali The Soles de Mexicali (English: ''Mexicali Suns'') is a Mexican professional basketball team based in Mexicali, Baja California, Mexico, playing in the Northern Division of the Liga Nacional de Baloncesto Profesional (LNBP). The team was founded ...

, the French Pro-B League with

Boulazac Basket Dordogne Boulazac Basket Dordogne, also known as BBD or simply Boulazac, is a French professional basketball club, based in Boulazac. The team currently plays in the LNB Pro B, the second level of basketball in France. The club plays its games in its home ...

, and the Liga Nacional de Básket of Argentina with

Quimsa Asociación Atlética Quimsa, usually called simply Quimsa, is an Argentine sports club located in the city of Santiago del Estero in the homonymous province. The club's professional basketball team plays in the Liga Nacional de Básquet (LNB), t ...

Nigerian National Team

Oguchi has also been a member of the senior men's

Nigerian national basketball team The Nigeria men's national basketball team represents Nigeria in international basketball, and it is governed by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF). In March 2021, the global governing body FIBA ranked Nigeria as Africa's top men's baske ...

. He played at the

2005 FIBA Africa Championship The 2005 FIBA Africa Championship was the 23rd FIBA Africa Championship, played under the rules of FIBA, the world governing body for basketball, and the FIBA Africa thereof. The tournament was hosted by Algeria from August 15 to 24 2005 and took ...

, the

2006 FIBA World Championship The 2006 FIBA World Championship was the 15th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship for men's national teams. The tournament was hosted by Japan and held from 19 August to 3 September 2006. It was co-organised b ...

, the 2009 FIBA Afrobasket Championship, the

, the FIBA Afrobasket 2015 Championship, and the

2016 Summer Olympics The 2016 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXXI Olympiad () and officially branded as Rio 2016, were an international multi-sport event held from 5 to 21 August 2016 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with preliminary events i ...

. In Nigeria's

Group A Group A is a set of motorsport regulations administered by the FIA covering production derived touring cars for competition, usually in touring car racing and rallying. In contrast to the short-lived Group B and Group C, Group A vehicles wer ...

Olympic preliminary match on August 6, 2012, Oguchi set the

Nigerian National Basketball Team The Nigeria men's national basketball team represents Nigeria in international basketball, and it is governed by the Nigeria Basketball Federation (NBBF). In March 2021, the global governing body FIBA ranked Nigeria as Africa's top men's baske ...

record for most points scored in a major international competition, scoring 35 points in a 79–73 loss to

France France, officially the French Republic, is a country located primarily in Western Europe. Overseas France, Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the Atlantic Ocean#North Atlan ...

. During the 2015 FIBA Africa Championship, Oguchi led

Nigeria Nigeria, officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a country in West Africa. It is situated between the Sahel to the north and the Gulf of Guinea in the Atlantic Ocean to the south. It covers an area of . With Demographics of Nigeria, ...

to their first ever

AfroBasket The AfroBasket (alternatively known as the FIBA Africa Championship, FIBA African Championship, or FIBA AfroBasket) is the men's basketball continental championship contested by the senior national teams of Africa Africa is the world's s ...

title, defeating

Angola Angola, officially the Republic of Angola, is a country on the west-Central Africa, central coast of Southern Africa. It is the second-largest Portuguese-speaking world, Portuguese-speaking (Lusophone) country in both total area and List of c ...

74–65. Oguchi led the team in scoring, averaging 16.6 points per game while shooting 44.1% from 3pt distance. For his impressive performance throughout the tournament, he was named

Most Valuable Player In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...

and Best 3-Point Shooter. Oguchi was also named, with Al-Farouq Aminu, into the All Star Five of the 2015 Afrobasket in Tunisia. On August 1, 2016, during an exhibition match vs.

USA Basketball USA Basketball (USAB) is a non-profit organization and the governing body for basketball in the United States. The organization represents the United States in FIBA, and the men's and women's national basketball teams in the United States ...

at the Houston Toyota Center, Oguchi scored a game-high 21 points. He averaged 16 points in 2 career matchups against

teams that featured

Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant ( ; August 23, 1978 – January 26, 2020) was an American professional basketball player. A shooting guard, he List of NBA players who have spent their entire career with one franchise, spent his entire 20-year career with t ...

LeBron James LeBron Raymone James Sr. ( ; born December 30, 1984) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "King James", he is the NBA's all-time leading scorer and ...

Carmelo Anthony Carmelo Kyam Anthony ( ; born May 29, 1984) is an American former professional basketball player. Anthony played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and is a ten-time NBA All-Star Game, NBA All-Star and six-time All-NBA T ...

, and

Kevin Durant Kevin Wayne Durant (born September 29, 1988), also known by his initials KD, is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Suns of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Durant has won two List of NBA champions, NBA champ ...

. In Nigeria's

Group B Group B was a set of regulations for Grand tourer, grand touring (GT) cars used in sports car racing and rallying introduced in 1982 by the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA). Although permitted to enter a GT class of the World S ...

Olympic preliminary match on August 11, 2016, Oguchi scored a game-high 24 points, netting 7 of 12 3-point attempts in a 87–96 loss to

Spain Spain, or the Kingdom of Spain, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe with territories in North Africa. Featuring the Punta de Tarifa, southernmost point of continental Europe, it is the largest country in Southern Eur ...

References

External links