The Texas Tech Lady Raiders have defeated every rival team in the Big 12 Conference this season, but an important question related to the team's frontcourt lineup remains unanswered.

The Lady Raiders signed the 7-foot-1 center Stephanie Okechukwu back in October. Despite all the anticipation regarding her, she is yet to take to the court in a Lady Raiders jersey.

While Okechukwu has already started conditioning herself with the team, a couple of factors are keeping her away from the court. Firstly, she is still waiting for the NCAA to rule her eligible to represent the Lady Raiders.

The side's head coach, Krista Gerlich, criticized the NCAA's lethargy regarding Okechukwu's case, saying that the organisation was "not dragging their feet."

However, regardless of the NCAA factor, Gerlich also wants to proceed with caution regarding including Okechukwu in the Lady Raiders lineup.

Following her side's 71-59 victory over the Houston Cougars on January 13, Gerlich said, "We just don't want to make any mistakes because for her to play with this team this year, if we make any mistakes, it affects this team, so we want to just make sure that everything's in line."

The Texas Tech head coach also stated, "She definitely will be playing at Texas Tech. I can tell you that. We just don't know the timeline."

Coach Gerlich is also hoping for better things once she finally joins the team.

The Texas Tech head coach wants to utilize Stephanie Okechukwu's 'instant impact'

Okechukwu, a Nigerian-born individual from Umunneochi, attended high school in Kyoto, Japan. Despite having yet to take to the court, she has already started breaking records.

Okechukwu's towering 7-foot-1 height made her the tallest player to join the NCAA, shattering the previous record held by Abbie Boutilier and Nicole Dominguez, both 6-foot-10.

While the Nigerian-born lacks experience in collegiate basketball, she has played in circuits across Japan and the Philippines. As a result, Texas Tech head coach Gerlich is hoping for an even better Lady Raiders team after her addition.

Talking about Okechukwu's signing in the Texas Tech team, Gerlich said, "Stephanie has finally arrived in Lubbock, and she was worth the time, effort, and teamwork that went into getting her here. She brings an element to our team that is an instant impact. She is a great fit for our program and culture."

Hence, it remains to be seen if Okechukwu can live up to the expectations of her coach after being cleared to compete.

Written by

Ishika Ghosh

Edited by

Souvik Roy