Nelly Junior Joseph

Nelly Junior Joseph (born November 20, 2001) is a Nigerian college basketball player for the New Mexico Lobos of the Mountain West Conference. He previously played for the Iona Gaels of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC).

Nelly Junior Joseph

Junior Joseph with New Mexico in 2024
No. 23 – New Mexico Lobos
Position	Power forward
League	Mountain West Conference
Personal information
Born	(2001-11-20) November 20, 2001 (age 23) Lagos, Nigeria
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	240 lb (109 kg)
Career information
College	Iona (2020–2023) New Mexico (2023–present)
Career highlights and awards
2× First-team All-MAAC (2022, 2023) MAAC Rookie of the Year (2021)

Early life

Junior Joseph grew up in Benin City, Nigeria and was friends with future NBA player Charles Bassey. At the age of 13, a local coach noticed his height and suggested he play basketball. Junior Joseph initially declined, as he wanted to focus on soccer, but was able to dunk after two weeks of practice. He attended high school for a year in Japan. Former NBA player Olumide Oyedeji informed NBA Academy Africa director Roland Houston about Junior Joseph, and he joined the academy after impressing Houston at a tryout. Junior Joseph played at the academy for two years and occasionally competed against NBA players such as Gorgui Dieng. Junior Joseph initially committed to playing college basketball for Wichita State, but received a late offer from Iona coach Rick Pitino, and he switched his commitment to the Gaels.^[1]

College career

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, embassies in Africa were closed, and Junior Joseph was unable to secure a visa to the United States. He was eventually able to reach Iona on October 29, 2020, shortly before the season started.^[1] Junior Joseph averaged 11.1 points and 7.5 rebounds per game as a freshman.^[2] He was named MAAC Freshman of the Week four times, and earned MAAC Freshman of the Year honors at the conclusion of the regular season.^[3] On November 13, 2021, Junior Joseph scored a career-high 28 points in a 90–87 overtime win against Harvard.^[4] Junior Joseph averaged 13 points and 8.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore.^[5] He was named to the First Team All-MAAC.^[6] As a junior, Junior Joseph averaged 14.9 points and 9.3 rebounds per game, repeating on the First Team All-MAAC. After coach Rick Pitino left the team to coach St. John's, Junior Joseph transferred to New Mexico to play for Pitino's son Richard.^[7] Junior Joseph averaged 8.8 points and 8.1 rebounds per game for the Lobos, helping the team reach the NCAA Tournament.^[8]

Career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

College

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2020–21	Iona	18	16	27.7	.596	.000	.638	7.5	1.3	.6	1.6	11.1

References

1. Braziller, Zach (March 20, 2021). "How last-minute suggestion got Rick Pitino to recruit Iona star". New York Post. Archived from the original on 2021-03-20. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
2. Edelson, Stephen (October 19, 2021). "Iona unanimous MAAC basketball choice; Monmouth tabbed 4th, lands two on preseason All-MAAC". Asbury Park Press. Archived from the original on 2022-02-11. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
3. Rapay, Eugene (March 10, 2001). "Men's Basketball: Iona's Nelly Junior Joseph named MAAC Rookie of the Year". The Journal News. Archived from the original on 2022-02-11. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
4. "Junior Joseph leads Iona past Harvard 90-87 in OT". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. November 13, 2021. Retrieved February 11, 2022.
5. Kirkland, Steve (April 11, 2023). "New Mexico Adds Forward Nelly Junior Joseph". New Mexico Lobos. Retrieved March 22, 2024.
6. "MAAC Reveals 2021-22 Men's Basketball All-MAAC Teams". Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference. March 7, 2022. Retrieved March 14, 2022.
7. Catlin, Nick (April 11, 2023). "UNM basketball land Iona forward Nelly Junior Joseph". KOAT. Retrieved May 7, 2023.
8. Grammer, Geoff (March 19, 2024). "Basketball found Nelly Junior Joseph, bringing him from the streets of Nigeria to the NCAA Tournament". The Albuquerque Journal. Retrieved March 22, 2024.

External links

• Iona Gaels bio