City of Basketball Love

Josh Verlin (@jmverlin)
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Early in the spring semester last year, La Salle’s Olajuwon “O.J.” Lewis walked into his morning study hall to meet with the school’s Director of Academic Support for Student-Athletes, Christine Cahill.

Instead, Explorers head coach John Giannini came up to the then-junior from Bowie, Md., to tell him the news every walk-on wants to hear.

“Coach G comes in and goes ‘I just want to let you know, you’re on scholarship now,’” Lewis recalled. “I didn’t catch it immediately, I was like ‘are you serious?’”

Giannini was indeed.

Lewis immediately called his mother with the news, and she began to cry over the phone. After coming out of Riverdale Baptist (Md.) without a scholarship offer at any level, he was going to have his final three semesters of school all paid for.

“It just showed me that my hard work paid off,” he said. “I know I wasn’t as fortunate as everybody else to get a scholarship for my freshman year, that’s fine. But (Giannini) didn’t treat me any different, and then he rewarded me for everything I’ve done.”

Lewis’ status change was kept under wraps all the way up until Wednesday night, when he was introduced before the Explorers’ Senior Night game against Saint Louis.

He was one of two scholarship players honored, along with forward Rohan Brown.

“I don’t want to get bombarded with walk-on requests now,” Giannini joked. “But if it’s someone that is just so stellar like O.J. and if it’s possible for us, we like to reward them, we think they’re that important and that valuable.”

The 6-foot-tall, 180-pound guard got his first career start in the 76-68 win, scoring three points in five minutes of action. He played the opening four minutes and 24 seconds, missing a running layup nearly two minutes into the game before coming off a screen to knock down a 3-pointer for La Salle’s first bucket of the game on the next possession.

That was just the seventh made field goal of his college career, his fourth 3-pointer--and his first made shot of any kind since last Feb. 18.

“Everybody just kept telling me don’t think about it, Juice, just shoot it, and I did,” he said. “As I came around the screen I said pull it, you’ve got to, it’s your last time. I’ve got to get one.”

Giannini wasn’t surprised that Lewis stepped up, having seen walk-ons make similar contributions when their names were called before.

“It’s a testament to their guts and their ability and that they’re ready for that moment, there’s a lot of pressure on that, when you don’t normally get to start and all of a sudden you’re out there in the starting lineup,” the 12th-year head coach said. “It shows someone’s mental toughness and abilities, so I’m not surprised but I’m really pleased.”

This season hasn’t gone the way most seniors like to end on, as the win only increased La Salle’s record to 8-20 overall (3-14 in Atlantic 10 play). But there have been plenty of good times in the last four years, including wins over ranked teams and plenty of games in front of friendly sold-out crowds at Tom Gola and the Palestra, as well as on the road.

Lewis’ career highlight is an obvious one.

As a freshman, he provided help in practice and support on the bench as La Salle found its way to the NCAA Tournament’s Sweet 16, the most successful year the program’s had in like 50 seasons.

“The year before that, I was watching it on my TV, and then next year we’re actually in it,” he said. “It was hard for me to let it marinate, I was like ‘wow, we’re really here’...I can always tell my kids I went to the NCAA Tournament.”

Lewis will graduate in just a few months with a degree in accounting, but he’s not planning on going into that for a career. Instead, he’s hoping a return to La Salle for his master’s degree in marketing, and maybe a spot as a grad assistant at La Salle “if that’s possible”

After that, it’s still up in the air--though he thinks he might have found his new hometown after four years at 20th and Olney.

“When I first came to college, I used to be a little sad that I never went home,” he said. “I just love Philly now, I love what’s around here, and I feel by myself and more independent. If I go back home, I feel like my mom’s going to try to treat me like a little kid again, so I’ll do my best to stay out here.”