Ben Uzoh on Point for Tulsa

Originally Published: Mar 5, 2010 6:2 PM CDT

Kyle Dierking
Oklahoma Sports Mobile Journalist

TULSA, Oklahoma - You could call it instinctive, but the basketball program sat in the pit of the point guard's stomach.

"A lot of schools were tugging at me but Tulsa, they were always in my gut," said Ben Uzoh, the TU senior.

The speech was delivered by Doug Wojcik to the high school recruit. The moment and the message stuck.

"He's like, 'for your future career and for where we want you to go, I think you're going to have to play some point guard,” Uzoh said. “He was straightforward with me and for me, that really hit home with me."

Uzoh decided to sign with TU and was a slashing shooting guard for two seasons. Then before his junior year, the speech became prophetic. Wojcik wanted Uzoh to be his point guard.

"I'm kind of reserved, kind of quiet, but I can open up,” Uzoh said. “For the most part, I'm just really low key and mellow. That's probably been the toughest part."

The silent scorer became the vocal distributor. It was all a part of growing up that everybody goes through when they're at college.

"It's been a process, been a long journey - hard times, good times,” Uzoh said. “There's been a lot of things and a lot of experiences that really helped my maturation process to this point and I wouldn't change it for the world."

Uzoh will leave TU ranked in the top 10 in six different school records, but his biggest legacy might be building the Golden Hurricane back into a winner.

"Now it's their turn and I just wanted to put my personality on it and just pass it on to them," Uzoh said.

It just shows what a gut feeling can produce.