hsf09
11-17-2009, 09:05 PM
HOUSTON - Seven-foot-three center Marial Dahl will follow in the footsteps of Hakeem Olajuwon, the greatest basketball player to ever come from the continent of Africa.
Dahl signed a National Letter of Intent Tuesday to play at Houston which is where Olajuwon initially made his name as a charter member of Phi Slama Jama.
Dahl, who is a sophomore at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida, is one of the leading shot blockers in the nation. He is averaging eight blocks and eight rebounds a game.
"I chose Houston because I think it is the best place for me," Dahl said Tuesday in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. Houston has a great history.
"Hakeem played there and that means a lot to me."
Dahl is from The Sudan. He played high school basketball in New York.
"Now I know where I am going," Dahl said. "I don't have to worry about other schools. I can just focus on school and my season before I go down to Houston.
Along with Olajuwon's track record at UH, Dahl said he chose Houston because Cougars coach Tom Penders "has a lot of history with African players."
Penders coached the first two African basketball players to play in the United States when he was the head coach at Fordam in the late 70's.
"I like Coach P (UH coach Tom Penders)," Dahl said. "I like his whole staff. Houston is going to be a great place for me to be at."
The signing of Dahl could bring Houston its most important big man since the days of Olajuwon.
"He's a great prospect and a delightful kid considering all he's been through," Penders said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. "He is a refugee from Sudan.
"He's a legitimate 7'3 and an excellent shot blocker much like Hasheem Thabeet was at UCONN."
Thabeet is now with the NBA Memphis Grizzlies after being drafted in the first round.
Penders said landing Dahl will have impact on his program beyond what he does on the floor.
"This will help us in recruiting," Penders said. "Other players will see this and want to play with him and I believe the fact I have coached African players gave me an edge."
Dahl said he chose Houston over LSU, Florida, South Florida and Nevada.
http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/sports/091117_marial_dahl
Dahl signed a National Letter of Intent Tuesday to play at Houston which is where Olajuwon initially made his name as a charter member of Phi Slama Jama.
Dahl, who is a sophomore at Hillsborough Community College in Tampa, Florida, is one of the leading shot blockers in the nation. He is averaging eight blocks and eight rebounds a game.
"I chose Houston because I think it is the best place for me," Dahl said Tuesday in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. Houston has a great history.
"Hakeem played there and that means a lot to me."
Dahl is from The Sudan. He played high school basketball in New York.
"Now I know where I am going," Dahl said. "I don't have to worry about other schools. I can just focus on school and my season before I go down to Houston.
Along with Olajuwon's track record at UH, Dahl said he chose Houston because Cougars coach Tom Penders "has a lot of history with African players."
Penders coached the first two African basketball players to play in the United States when he was the head coach at Fordam in the late 70's.
"I like Coach P (UH coach Tom Penders)," Dahl said. "I like his whole staff. Houston is going to be a great place for me to be at."
The signing of Dahl could bring Houston its most important big man since the days of Olajuwon.
"He's a great prospect and a delightful kid considering all he's been through," Penders said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. "He is a refugee from Sudan.
"He's a legitimate 7'3 and an excellent shot blocker much like Hasheem Thabeet was at UCONN."
Thabeet is now with the NBA Memphis Grizzlies after being drafted in the first round.
Penders said landing Dahl will have impact on his program beyond what he does on the floor.
"This will help us in recruiting," Penders said. "Other players will see this and want to play with him and I believe the fact I have coached African players gave me an edge."
Dahl said he chose Houston over LSU, Florida, South Florida and Nevada.
http://www.myfoxhouston.com/dpp/sports/091117_marial_dahl