RANDOMNESS with Richmond's Genevieve Okoro

We know it's been a while between RANDOMNESS posts. But the wait was well worth it. We invite you to get to know Richmond sophomore forward Genevieve Okoro, who avearges 11.8 and 7.4 rebounds and shoots 46 percent from the field. We bet you'll find her as delightful as we did.


Being a Jersey girl,what do you miss about Gibbsville?

I miss the people I know, the high school people I knew and even people I knew before them. It's also nice to be around my mom's cooking.

What do you like from her kitchen?

There's a certain kind of seasoned rice and chicken she makes that's always so good. As great as our dining hall is, it's not my mom's cooking.

Your hobby?

I love reading. Reading is literally my favorite thing to do. It sounds really nerdy, but I hate that during the regular school year, I can't read books for fun. I have to do all this scientific reading. Other than that I love sleeping and I love eating.

Favorite kind of book?

I like science fiction a whole lot. I love books where people have super powers -- Harry Potter, the Twilight series.I love the last (books) for both. I'm all about happy endings. ... (As a kid), I was into the Nancy Drew series and before that, the Box Car Children.

Do you like the movies that go with those books?

At first when the Twilight movies came out, I didn't want to watch them. I started with "Eclipse"; I don't like going backward. But after I went to see "Eclipse," I had to see the next one. And I love the Harry Potter movies.

So tell me about Spider basketball.

It's the best thing ever. We love playing with each other. No one is selfish. It's fun to just go out and play together. We're all having a great time.

Part of your game you're working on?

I need to stay out of foul trouble. I play more now and I seem to get into foul trouble that keeps me off the floor.

Did you always think you'd play college ball?

Not at first. Not when I was in elementary school. ... It wasn't until I started playing AAU.

Who else was in the running besides Richmond?

Davidson and Villanova. I made my decision when I visited this campus. It's such nice weather. I hate the cold. This campus is beautiful. I love it. It's gorgeous. ... I love the personality of my coaches. All of the coaches are so fun. I talk to my coaches a lot for a long time. I could talk to them forever.

Other sports?

When I was in high school, I didn't even consider anything else. Then in one of my biology classes, someone mentioned volleyball. I wasn't bad at that. I wanted to do track, but there was a conflict with AAU. Then my junior year, they let me do it and I did OK. Triple jump was my thing. My senior year I won state (with a leap of 39 feet, 3 inches).

Your major?

Biology. I want to go into orthopedic surgery. I know I have a long road ahead of me. That's what I wanted to be ever since I was in elementary school. My favorite place I ever volunteered was a hospital. A lot of people don't like being around sick people, but for me, it didn't feel like I was volunteering. During the summer I was there, I helped out in the ER. The doctors there knew I wanted to be a doctor, so they let me see as much as I could. If there was a procedure going on, sometimes I'd shadow the ortho.

Could you stomach all of it?

It didn't gross me out. It was really cool.

Like?

One guys in his 40s playing baseball crashed into a chain link fence. His nose was split  with a wire from the fence. His nose was wide open. I've seen bad cuts before, but what a place to get that kind of cut.

If you could have dinner with three people, who would they be?

Obama. Obviously since he's the president, it would be a great opportunity. He also seems like a fun person, someone you can talk to. Even when he came to speak to us (on campus), he seemed like a fun guy. Harry Potter. Just because I've read so many of the books. Pat Summitt. She's just done so much for women's basketball. It would be amazing to sit down and talk with her.

What would you four eat?

Anything with chicken.

Dessert?

Lots of dessert. Chocolate cake, apple pie, cookies and cream ice cream. ...

You're musical tastes?

I listen to everything -- rap, country, Christian rap. As long as it has a nice harmony....

Your song?

I listen to "Ballin" by Lil Wayne.