Over 5,000 miles away from Stony Brook, N.Y. lies the bustling city of Accra on the Atlantic coast of Ghana. Accra — the country’s largest city and capital — is the heart of Ghanaian soccer culture.
However, basketball is an afterthought in Accra, with makeshift courts and worn out basketballs littered across the city. For Stony Brook forward Jeremiah Nyarko, soccer took center stage — as it did for most kids his age — while basketball stood in the background.
It was not until his early teens where he finally picked up a basketball, playing pickup with a group of friends at one of the city’s open courts. Nyarko — who was already heads and shoulders taller than his peers — was hard to miss. After one of his games, he was approached by a local coach who was one of the first to recognize his potential.
“He sold me a lot of dreams that day,” Nyarko said. “From then on, I fell in love with the game.”
Modeling his game after pro-basketball greats such as Hakeem Olajuwon and Joel Embiid, Nyarko’s crafty inside-out game soon took form. Forced to play on outside courts in running shoes, he caught the eyes of many as early as 2018. He was one of over 500 players from Ghana to be selected for the National Basketball Association (NBA) Academy in Africa to represent his country in Senegal that year.
Despite being selected for Basketball Without Borders in the same year, he did not always experience praise, as many pushed back on his dreams to play basketball professionally.
Nyarko’s father was skeptical of what basketball could do for his son and barred Nyarko from the sport. Nyarko would have to sneak around to play, lying about workouts, staying up late at night and sometimes even walking up to 20 miles a day to stay in shape.
Eventually, Nyarko’s father gave in.
“One day, I got my dad to support me in basketball,” Nyarko said. “He told me, ‘I’ll give you this one chance in the United States. One chance.’”
The weight of the moment was not lost on Nyarko, who eventually found his home at St. John Bosco High School, a private school in Bellflower, Calif. The hype followed him into the United States, as a SportsCenter highlight reel against one of the nation’s best high school prospects — Mikey Williams — dubbed him the “Baby Embiid.”
He had a red-hot start to his freshman year, leading St. John Bosco to a 27-0 record. As a sophomore in high school, Nyarko posted 9.4 points, 6.3 rebounds and a block a game. Collegiate interest soon followed, as he received his first offer from the University of Southern California (USC) that summer.
“This was big time,” Nyarko said. “I just came from Ghana and have been here for less than two years.”
His true leap would come in the following year, where he scored nearly 12 points per game and led his team to the state championship. His dominance extended beyond the court, as both years Nyarko was named Second Team All-League and Student-Athlete of the Year. After his junior year campaign, San Jose State University and San Diego State University threw in offers as well.
Going into 2022, the Ghana-native moved to Sierra Canyon School for his senior year, sharing the court with LeBron James Jr., who is now a guard for the Los Angeles Lakers.
“I went from not playing basketball as a regular kid to playing with Bronny James,” Nyarko said. “That was tough.”
In his lone season with the team, Nyarko dealt with a reduced role as Sierra Canyon tallied a 26-5 record. The Trailblazers made it to the Southern California Regional before losing, ending the season ranked No. 17 by USA Today.
“[Sierra Canyon] was a very good experience for me … meeting LeBron James, too, was a very big thing for me,” Nyarko said. “My teammates were all really good. 70 teammates from all of my high schools made it into the NBA. I know I can do that because I’ll always be one of the best players on my team. If they can do it, I can.”
He was able to speak with James on many occasions, who told him to enjoy the journey. Considering not everyone makes it to the next level, James pushed Nyarko to live in the moment — a sentiment he keeps at the forefront of his mind as he navigates life by himself.
While USC was seemingly his top offer, Nyarko felt dissuaded by high-major programs. Unlike many of his peers who had family and friends cheering them on, his success over the past few years were hardly shared. Even after dominant games, he would have no choice but to walk to his room alone, with all of his family and friends thousands of miles away. He vividly remembers nights where he would be the best player on the floor yet not even be able to buy dinner after the game.
“I’ve seen so much glory and so many good things,” Nyarko said. “That is when times become difficult. I just know everything is gonna work out for my good.”
With a plethora of offers, he opted for the San Diego State Aztecs, hoping to make an impact immediately. In his first scrimmage against California Polytechnic State University, he put up 17 points which topped the Aztecs in scoring. Though tides seemed in Nyarko’s favor, a string of injuries derailed his freshman season, keeping him out of the rotation for much of the year.
Feeling the need to prove himself once again, Nyarko opted to transfer to Western Texas College, a junior college (JUCO). While he felt like he was above JUCO programs, he knew it was the only way to showcase his talents once again. Upon arriving in the Lone Star State, Nyarko was now the focal point of the offense, averaging 14 points on an efficient .531/.372/.698 shooting split to go along with 5.3 rebounds per game.
A 42-point outburst against Temple College was the pinnacle of his sophomore year, as he attracted top programs around the country once again. After just one year at Western Texas, he put his name in the portal again, committing to Arizona State University.
With playing professionally being his end goal, Nyarko soon rescinded his commitment to Arizona State, looking for a new home once again.
“I know my talent and I know what I’m capable of doing,” Nyarko said. “I just have to get opportunities at the right place at the right time. Then, I’m going to kill it on the court.”
Confident, yet humble, Nyarko found Stony Brook University to be a perfect match: quiet but gleaming with opportunities. With a loaded rotation, Nyarko has yet to find his footing, only taking the floor in 49 minutes so far this season. Averaging 2.1 points and 1.9 rebounds per game, he has made good use of his minutes when called upon.
While it is still yet to be seen what legacy he will leave at Stony Brook, it is clear that he will leave his mark back in Ghana.
“Building basketball infrastructure — I will find a way to make that happen,” Nyarko said. “I know it could happen. Whether I’ll be able to make that money or give all my heart away, I might be a phone call away from the happening.”
From being the only kid from Ghana, to a high school star, to finding himself at the collegiate level, Jeremiah Nyarko’s journey is a testament to resilience, talent and the unrelenting pursuit of a dream that once felt a world away.
