Isaac Likekele
{{short description|American basketball player}}
{{Infobox basketball biography
| name = Isaac Likekele
| image = Isaac Likekele Ohio State.jpg
| caption = Likekele with Ohio State in 2023
| number = 13
| position = Point guard
| height_ft = 6
| height_in = 5
| weight_lb = 215
| league = Korisliiga
| team = Kouvot
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2000|2|25}}
| birth_place = Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S.
| nationality =
| high_school = Mansfield Timberview
(Arlington, Texas)
| college =
- Oklahoma State (2018–2022)
- Ohio State (2022–2023)
| draft_year = 2023
| career_start = 2023
| career_end =
| years1 = 2023–2024
| team1 = Fyllingen BBK
| years2 = 2024–present
| team2 = Kouvot
| highlights =
| medal_templates =
{{MedalSport|Men's basketball}}
{{MedalCountry|{{bk|USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition|FIBA Under-19 World Cup}}
{{MedalGold|2019 Greece|Team}}
}}
Isaac Likekele (born February 25, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Kouvot of Korisliiga. Listed at {{convert|6|ft|5|in|m|2|abbr=}} and {{convert|215|lbs|kg|0|abbr=}}, he plays the point guard position. He played college basketball at Oklahoma State and Ohio State.
Early life
Likekele was born in Charlotte, North Carolina to Sarah and Serge Likekele.{{Cite web|title=Isaac Likekele - 2019-20 - Men's Basketball|url=https://okstate.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/isaac-likekele/7417|website=Oklahoma State University Athletics|language=en|access-date=2020-05-20}} He attended Mansfield Timberview High School, where in his senior year averaged 18 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists per game. In 2017, Likekele led his team to the Texas 5A state championship.{{Cite web|title=Isaac Likekele|url=https://www.usab.com:443/basketball/players/mens/l/likekele-isaac.aspx|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200614180735/https://www.usab.com/basketball/players/mens/l/likekele-isaac.aspx|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 14, 2020|website=www.usab.com|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-20}} A three-star prospect, he was accepted to attend Oklahoma State University in May 2018.{{Cite web|title=Isaac Likekele, Oklahoma State Cowboys, Point Guard|url=https://247sports.com/player/isaac-likekele-46035735/|website=247Sports|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-21}}
College career
=Oklahoma State=
As a freshman at Oklahoma State, Likekele averaged 8.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game.{{cite news |last1=Dwyer |first1=Danielle |title=OSU's Isaac Likekele back from winning gold medal with USA Basketball |url=https://okcfox.com/sports/oklahoma-state-cowboys/osus-isaac-likekele-back-from-winning-gold-medal-with-usa-basketball |accessdate=2020-06-14 |work=OKC Fox.com |date=2019-07-17}} In November 2019, Oklahoma State won the NIT Season Tip-Off against Ole Miss; Likekele was named to the All-Tournament Team.{{Cite web|title=Cowboys dominate Ole Miss to win NIT Season Tip-Off in New York|url=https://www.ocolly.com/sports/cowboys-dominate-ole-miss-to-win-nit-season-tip-off-in-new-york/article_0d7abd68-1330-11ea-abb3-a31e03975501.html|first=Hallie |last=Hart|website=O'colly.com|language=en|access-date=2020-05-21}} Despite missing most of December with an illness, Likekele posted three triple-doubles and had 21 points in the Big 12 Tournament first round win over Iowa State. In the 2019–20 season he played 28 games and started all of them, averaging 10.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and a team-high 4.5 assists per game. Likekele was named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention.{{cite news |last1=Nagel |first1=Cody |title=Report: Isaac Likekele to return to Oklahoma State next season |url=https://247sports.com/college/oklahoma-state/Article/Oklahoma-State-Cowboys-basketball-guard-Isaac-Likekele-return-146260148/ |accessdate=2020-06-14 |work=247 sports |date=2020-04-20}}
=Ohio State=
On May 4, 2022, Likelele announced on Twitter that he was transferring to Ohio State.{{cite web|url=https://mobile.twitter.com/_Issaaac/status/1521881894975156227|title=Tweet|website=Twitter}}
Professional career
After not being selected in the 2023 NBA draft, Likekele signed with Norwegian club Fyllingen BBK. He averaged 19.7 points, 12 rebounds, and 8.1 assists per game. On June 18, 2024, Isaac Likekele signed a one-season contract with Finnish club Kouvot.{{cite web |title=Kouvot lands Isaac Likekele ex Fyllingen |url=https://www.eurobasket.com/Norway/news/876774/Kouvot-lands-Isaac-Likekele-ex-Fyllingen |website=Eurobasket |access-date=July 16, 2024 |date=June 18, 2024}}
National team career
Likekele won a gold medal with the United States at the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Heraklion. He averaged 8.4 points, 5.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game.{{cite web |title=Isaac LIKEKELE |url=https://www.fiba.basketball/world/u19/2019/player/Isaac-Likekele |website=FIBA |accessdate=2020-06-04}}
Career statistics
{{NBA player statistics legend}}
=College=
{{NBA player statistics start}}
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2018–19
| style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma State
| 32 || 32 || 28.9 || .466 || .240 || .657 || 4.8 || 3.9 || 1.3 || .3 || 8.7
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2019–20
| style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma State
| 28 || 28 || 32.4 || .460 || .214 || .661 || 5.6 || 4.5 || 1.9 || .4 || 10.9
|-
| style="text-align:left;"| 2020–21
| style="text-align:left;"| Oklahoma State
| 24 || 20 || 33.8 || .482 || .444 || .570 || 6.6 || 3.6 || 1.1 || .2 || 9.1
|- class="sortbottom"
| style="text-align:center;" colspan="2"| Career
| 84 || 80 || 31.5 || .468 || .298 || .635 || 5.6 || 4.0 || 1.5 || .3 || 9.6
{{S-end}}
Personal life
Likekele marks both of his sneakers with a black marker in honor of his deceased grandfather, his friend Criston King (who died in an automobile accident), and best friend John Lee. Likekele says, "Me going out there and playing like that is paying respects to them...".{{Cite web|title='That's what I do it for': Why OSU guard Isaac Likekele is driven to honor lost loved ones with heart and sole|url=https://oklahoman.com/article/5657172/osu-basketball-isaac-likekele-plays-for-more-than-himself/|date=2020-03-11|website=Oklahoman.com|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-21}} Likekele has two sisters, Faith and Hope.
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
{{Commons}}
- [https://okstate.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/isaac-likekele/7417 Oklahoma State Cowboys bio]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20200614180735/https://www.usab.com/basketball/players/mens/l/likekele-isaac.aspx USA Basketball bio]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Likekele, Isaac}}
Category:American expatriate basketball people in Norway
Category:Basketball players from Arlington, Texas
Category:Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball players
Category:Oklahoma State Cowboys basketball players
Category:Basketball players from Charlotte, North Carolina
Category:Olympic gold medalists for the United States in basketball