Life is full of ups and downs, opportunities and challenges, and Case Western Reserve University sophomore Olufunso Olulafe went one-on-one with them last year on the basketball court.

After a few setbacks as a collegiate student-athlete elsewhere, Olulafe, who goes by the name Funso Lafe, returned home to Cleveland. He transferred to Case this summer after spending his freshman year at Division I George Washington (GW) University in Washington, D.C.

"Case was definitely a consideration the first time around for me and became the choice when I decided to leave GW," Lafe said. "There were other schools in the Patriot and Ivy League I could have gone to, but I wanted to come home."

After an honor-filled basketball career at local Hawken High School, Lafe headed to the nation's capital via GW. He walked on the basketball court as a rookie a year ago but only played in one game for the Colonials.

"It was a learning experience and very humbling," Lafe said. "I thought going in there that I was going to play a lot, and some things didn't go my way. When things like that happen in life, you find out what kind of character you hold."

Lafe's original home is Nigeria. He was born in Lagos and didn't come to the United States until he was 3 years old. Since then, his only return to his native country was the summer before his freshman year at Hawken.

"It makes you see how privileged you are," he said. "That country isn't as privileged as it is here, so I feel fortunate to be in America and to have the things I have."

Privileged is probably how Hawken felt to have Lafe, a 2002 graduate. He averaged 23 points, 6 rebounds, 5 steals and 4 assists per game his senior year as the team won a Chagrin Valley Conference title.

Lafe, now a business major at Case, was named the conference's Most Valuable Player and was a member of the All-Conference team. He also was an All-State selection and a Geauga County All-Star.

Things may not have gone his way at GW, but Lafe was sure things were back on track after a spring break visit to Case. He met with then men's basketball Head Coach Adam Hutchinson and felt like the University Circle campus was a good fit.

"I talked with coach Hutchinson and visited around campus with my cousin (Tsola Emiko from Nigeria), who plays on the men's soccer team," Lafe said. "Coach really wanted me to come, and that was important to me."

Everything was perfect. He would be able to play right away, it's a great school academically, it's close to home and he would be near his family and friends. But then another whistle blew. The coach he so liked was leaving.

"When that happened, I thought nothing could go right," Lafe said. "But in everything bad there is always something good waiting to come out of it. That's how I look at every situation."

The good out of Hutchinson's departure was the hiring of new Head Coach Sean McDonnell. McDonnell, 28, spent the previous three seasons as head coach at local Hiram College and has immediately stepped in as a player favorite.

But even still there is a downside. The Spartans finished 7-18 overall and 4-10 in the very competitive University Athletic Association last season, finished 7-17 and 3-11 in 2001-2002 and 7-16 and 4-11 in 2000-2001.

So Lafe and the team have their work cut out for them. It all begins with Lafe in the starting line-up November 21 when Case travels to Mount Union College for a two-day tournament.

Return to the online edition of the 11-20-03 Campus News.