149. Stanley Umude: Long Journey

Stanley Umude has had a long journey to Arkansas. Literally. The son of Nigerian immigrants, he’s the only member of his family—which includes two older siblings—who was born in America. And that led to a unique upbringing. That life would take Umude from Oregon to San Antonio, where he discovered basketball. But an injury in high school left him underrecruited, and he ended up enrolling at South Dakota. A long way from home and struggling to find playing time early, Umude thought about transferring. But he stuck around and become one of the best players in the league. His play caught the eye of Eric Musselman, who brought Umude to Fayetteville as a grad transfer, and he’s come up big when the lights are brightest for the Razorbacks. Umude is driven by incredible self-belief that fueled him at times when his life could’ve gone in other directions. And he knows the best is yet to come.