Inside the 'hell of a 48 hours' when Stephanie Okechukwu joined Texas Tech

6 days ago 2

Even with the 7-foot-1 Stephanie Okechukwu standing in front of her, Krista Gerlich couldn't believe her newest player was finally in Lubbock.

Gerlich and the Texas Tech women's basketball staff, spearheaded by associate coach Erik DeRoo, had pursued Okechukwu for quite some time. It was a process Gerlich said other programs abandoned because of the complexities involved with bringing in the Nigerian center.

The logistical ordeal made Okechukwu's New Year's Day arrival almost inconceivable.

"It's been a hell of a 48 hours," Gerlich said after Saturday's 80-49 win over Arizona. "It's very surreal, because we've been working on this for a while. She signed with us actually back in October, but we didn't want to draw a lot of attention to it because there were so many things that still had to be done for her to make it to Lubbock, Texas."

Texas Tech's Stephanie Okechukwu, left, and Mariam Sanogo cheer after a score against Arizona in a Big 12 women's basketball game Saturday, Jan. 3, 2026, at United Supermarkets Arena.

The attention is here. Tech announced the mid-season acquisition Friday, marking the tallest player to ever join a college women's basketball program. Okechukwu fever spread to United Supermarkets Arena the following day, first when the home crowd erupted at her showing on the videoboard during the men's afternoon game against Oklahoma State.

Okechukwu joined her teammates on the bench that night, but only with approval from the roster. Gerlich wanted to make sure there were no distractions as the undefeated Lady Raiders attempted to extend the best start in program history.

Gerlich didn't even bring up Okechukwu to the team until a week-and-a-half ago.

"When we felt like it was truly going to happen, we brought it to them," Gerlich said. "Basically, I made sure they understood that we would never disrupt what they have going on if we didn't think it could elevate what they're doing."

Gerlich commended her players for avoiding distraction to move to 16-0 for the first time. It's appeared to be a seamless transition since Okechukwu landed. The team greeted her at the airport, where they got a first glimpse of Okechukwu's "contagious joy."

Okechukwu provided support from the bench Saturday, even sharing insight with players at halftime. Gerlich hopes the center's impact will soon be on the court.

Tech is awaiting word from the NCAA on Okechukwu's initial eligibility. Gerlich said the program has filed the necessary paperwork, "so we think that (a decision) could be very quick, but it really is up to (the NCAA)."

Once initial eligibility is granted, Tech will file more paperwork to determine how many years Okechukwu can play, Gerlich said. The 21-year-old Okechukwu has never played college basketball, so Gerlich assumes she will have four years of eligibility.

Okechukwu hasn't played professionally, either. She gained basketball experience while attending high school in Japan and working out with trainers in Nigeria, Gerlich said. The Tech coach said the ability is there for a two-way standout.

Gerlich said Okechukwu has "great touch" and feel around the rim and uses the glass well on offense.

"And then obviously the defensive end of it, just being able to protect the rim, alter shots," Gerlich said, "probably will allow us to pressure even more out on the perimeter. Whenever you can do that and you know you've got a big behind you that can protect the rim, it gives your guards a little bit more freedom to take a few more chances."

For the time being, the No. 21 Lady Raiders will look to keep rolling Wednesday at West Virginia. Whenever Okechukwu gets the green light, she'll be another piece to the turnaround.

"Those (nine) seniors, this is their last chance; they're playing like it," Gerlich said. "It's fantastic. And they want every opportunity to continue to climb and have the best season they can possibly have. And when you bring somebody in like Stephanie, that's something that we don't have. … She brings an element to the game and to our team that we don't have.

"They didn't bat an eye. They trust us as a staff. They want to be great, and they're just really good kids. … I don't want it to be a distraction. They just weren't even concerned about it. They were like, 'This is gonna be great.'"