EJ Singler
February 2, 2021
Nnanna Egwu
- Nationality: NIG/USA
- Date of Birth: 22/10/92
- Place of Birth: Abuja (Nigeria)
- Position: F/C
- Height (CM): 211
- Weight (KG): 113
- Junior Assoc:
- College: Illinois (2011–2015)
- NBL DEBUT: 8/10/16
- AGE AT DEBUT: 23
- LAST NBL GAME: 20/10/18
- AGE AT LAST GAME: 25
- NBL History: Cairns 2017-18 | Brisbane 2019
- Championships: 0
- None
BIO: Egwu and his twin sister, Nnenna, were born in Nigeria on October 22, 1992.
His mother brought him and his twin sister to Chicago, Illinois from Nigeria when they were 5 years old to join their father, after they were finally granted visas in 1998—Egwu’s father had moved to the United States in 1989.
The family moved to Chicago three months before Egwu’s sixth birthday.
Growing up in Chicago, Egwu found his niche on the basketball court.
As a eighth grader, his mother signed him up for a park district team and by his freshman year of high school, he really had a outlet.
As a junior at St.Ignatius College Prep in 2009/10, he averaged 13 points, six rebounds, and four blocks per game as he earned fourth-team All-State by the IBCA and special mention All-State by the News-Gazette.
NBL EXPERIENCE
Nnanna Egwu made his NBL debut with the Cairns Taipans at 23 years of age. He scored 14 points in his first game.
In the 2016/17 season, Egwu averaged 4.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 0.8 assists, helping the Taipans secure second place with a 15-13 record.
2017/18
Cairns entered the season following a second-place finish with a 15-13 record and a 2-0 semifinal loss to Perth the previous year, with Aaron Fearne returning as head coach and Cameron Gliddon remaining captain. Travis Trice (to Brisbane), Mark Worthington (retired) and Fuquan Edwin (to Kauhajoki) departed, while Dayshon “Scoochie” Smith (via Dayton), Michael Carrera (via Marinos de Anzoátegui) and Kuany Kuany (via Chaminade) joined the roster. Carrera suffered a medial meniscus tear in his right knee during a preseason game against Perth on September 23 and underwent surgery, ruling him out for four to six weeks, with Jerry Evans Jr (via Sandringham) signed to a short-term contract as his injury replacement.
Cairns opened the season at home against Illawarra on October 6, where Egwu (8 points, 4 rebounds, 2 steals, and 1 block) started and helped the Taipans escape with an 88-87 win. Loughton (19 points and 3 rebounds) scored 16 points in the second half and made the game-winning free throw with 0.8 seconds remaining and McCarron (14 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 1 steal) also contributed, while AJ Ogilvy (22 points, 11 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block) led Illawarra. Jawai (12 points and 4 rebounds) injured his left foot during the game, with scans later revealing a partial ligament tear which required surgery and ruled him out for 12 weeks.
Egwu (5.3 points and 4.7 rebounds across 28 games) had re-signed with Cairns on April 28 following his first season with the Taipans and appeared in all 28 games during 2017/18, starting 27. He did not miss a game through injury.
Egwu’s best game of the season came against Perth on October 22, where he made six of nine shots, including his only three-point attempt, and finished with 13 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks as Cairns handed the Wildcats their first loss of the season with a 90-69 win. McCarron (18 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) and Carrera (15 points, 5 rebounds, and 1 block) provided support in Carrera’s NBL debut after missing the opening four games following knee surgery, while JP Tokoto (17 points and 5 rebounds) led Perth. Egwu later accepted a $375 fine for engaging in a melee/brawl which occurred at the end of the game.
Carrera (14.2 points and 3.6 rebounds across 5 games) reclaimed Cairns’ import position following his return, with Evans Jr dropping out of the active rotation for the next six games. Carrera then suffered an ankle injury against Melbourne on November 9 and Evans Jr (7.5 points and 4.6 rebounds across 22 games) was brought back, returning against Illawarra on November 18 described as “fresh off the plane”. Carrera’s ankle failed to recover as hoped and Cairns ended his contract on December 14, leaving Evans in the full-time import position for the remainder of the season. Jawai (5.4 points across 7 games) missed the next 19 games following surgery on his injured foot, with Chris Patton (via Kilsyth) (1.7 points across 13 games) signed as his injury replacement before being released (to Melbourne) following Jawai’s return in January.
Egwu produced his season-high scoring game against Brisbane on December 14, making five of six shots and finishing with 14 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block as Cairns was defeated 75-74 at the Cairns Convention Centre. Evans Jr (18 points and 9 rebounds) and McCarron (12 points, 10 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 steals) provided the other main contributions, while Perrin Buford (17 points, 12 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 3 blocks) led Brisbane and blocked Cairns’ potential game-winner in the final seconds.
Gliddon (12.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 1.4 steals across 28 games) and Loughton (12.6 points and 3.6 rebounds across 28 games) led Cairns offensively, while McCarron (11.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.2 steals across 28 games), Smith (10 points across 28 games), Weeks (8.3 points across 28 games), Evans Jr, Weigh (5.7 points across 18 games) and Egwu provided the other main contributions. Gliddon and McCarron shared the Taipans’ Most Valuable Player award, while Loughton collected the Members’ Choice MVP, Coaches Award and Players’ Player awards, McCarron was named Best Defensive Player and Jawai received the Commitment to Community award.
The season was also Fearne’s last with Cairns, with the club choosing not to renew his contract following a 19-year association with the Taipans, including nine seasons as head coach. Fearne said the club had decided “that it is time for a new voice to carry the club forward into a new era.”
Cairns closed the season against Perth at Perth Arena on February 18, where Egwu (4 points, 6 rebounds, 1 assist, 3 steals, and 1 block) played 26 minutes, with Gliddon (12 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists, and 1 steal) and Evans Jr (12 points, 4 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals, and 1 block) leading the Taipans while Bryce Cotton (24 points and 6 assists) powered Perth to an 89-61 win. Cairns finished sixth with an 11-17 record and missed the playoffs.
BRISBANE BULLETS
2018/19
After finishing last in 2017/18 with a 9-19 record, Brisbane reshaped its roster under coach Andrej Lemanis. Daniel Kickert (to Sydney), Tom Jervis (to Perth), Mitch Young (to Cairns), Anthony Petrie (retired), Shaun Bruce and imports Travis Trice and Perrin Buford departed, while Adam Gibson, Stephen Holt, Reuben Te Rangi and Will Magnay remained. Cameron Gliddon (via Cairns), Jason Cadee (via Sydney), Matt Hodgson (via Adelaide), Mika Vukona (via New Zealand), Makoto Hiejima (via Japan) and Alonzo Gee (via Puerto Rico) were added, while Cam Bairstow returned after missing the previous season following a knee reconstruction.
Late in the preseason, Brisbane was left short-handed in the frontcourt after Hodgson suffered a calf injury and Magnay injured his ankle. The Bullets temporarily activated their vacant third import position and brought in Nnanna Egwu (via Cairns), who had been preparing for a move to Malaysia, as short-term injury cover until Brisbane’s big men returned.
Egwu’s best game came in Brisbane’s season opener against New Zealand on October 11, where he started and finished with 0 points, 5 rebounds, 1 steal, and 2 blocks in 22 minutes as the Bullets defeated the Breakers 86-73. Gliddon (29 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 steals) and Bairstow (14 points and 5 rebounds) led Brisbane, while Corey Webster (23 points) was New Zealand’s leading scorer as the Bullets won in Auckland for the first time since 2005.
Egwu (0 points across 3 games) remained in the starting lineup against Cairns two days later but was restricted to eight minutes after collecting four fouls, finishing with 0 points and 0 rebounds as the Taipans defeated Brisbane 88-70. Te Rangi (18 points) and Gliddon (11 points) led Brisbane, while Melo Trimble (32 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists) starred for Cairns.
His third and final game came in Perth on October 20, where Egwu (0 points and 2 rebounds) again battled foul trouble and played six minutes as the Wildcats defeated Brisbane 88-73. Gliddon (13 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists) and Te Rangi (11 points and 4 rebounds) led the Bullets, while Bryce Cotton (28 points and 4 assists) and Nick Kay (16 points and 11 rebounds) led Perth.
With Hodgson returning to Brisbane’s preferred starting lineup, Egwu’s short-term role was no longer required and he accepted an opportunity in Malaysia. There was no injury involved in his departure, with the Bullets confirming after the Perth game that his three-game stint had ended.
Lamar Patterson (17.8 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, and 1.3 steals), who replaced Gee during the season, developed into Brisbane’s leading scorer and earned All-NBL First Team honours. Gliddon (13.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 steals), Bairstow (11.6 points and 5.8 rebounds) and Te Rangi (9.9 points and 3.1 rebounds) were also major contributors, with Te Rangi winning both the NBL’s Most Improved Player and Sixth Man of the Year awards. Brisbane finished tied with Adelaide at 14-14 but claimed fourth place on points percentage to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2008.
Egwu was no longer with Brisbane when Perth opened the semifinals with an 89-59 win behind Cotton (22 points, 5 rebounds, and 6 assists), Terrico White (19 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists) and Kay (18 points and 10 rebounds), while Gliddon (18 points and 4 rebounds), Hodgson (10 points and 7 rebounds) and Patterson (9 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists) led Brisbane.
Game two moved to Brisbane, where Patterson (19 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 steals), Hodgson (15 points and 2 blocks) and Bairstow (12 points and 7 rebounds) kept the Bullets close, but White (24 points), Cotton (19 points and 10 assists) and Kay (16 points and 15 rebounds) led Perth to an 84-79 victory to complete the 2-0 sweep.
Nnanna Egwu played three seasons in the NBL, playing for both the Cairns Taipans and the Brisbane Bullets. He averaged 4.8 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 60 NBL games.
NBL TOTAL STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 26 | Brisbane | 14-14 (4) | 3 | 37.0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0 | 0 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 25 | Cairns | 11-17 (6) | 27 | 653.0 | 147 | 129 | 60 | 66 | 63 | 19 | 19 | 41 | 83 | 61 | 122 | 50% | 3 | 12 | 25% | 22 | 27 | 81% | 55% | 51% | 14 |
| 2016-17 | 24 | Cairns | 15-13 (2) | 29 | 514.5 | 141 | 106 | 23 | 42 | 64 | 12 | 16 | 33 | 73 | 58 | 105 | 55% | 2 | 8 | 25% | 23 | 29 | 79% | 59% | 56% | 14 | Totals | 60 | 1224 | 290 | 244 | 85 | 112 | 132 | 32 | 37 | 78 | 168 | 120 | 233 | 51.5% | 5 | 20 | 25.0% | 82 | 141 | 58.2% | 49% | 53% | 14 |
NBL PER GAME STATISTICS
| SEASON | AGE | TEAM | TEAM RECORD | GP | MINS | PTS | REB | AST | OR | DR | STL | BLK | TO | PF | FGM | FGA | FG% | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% | FTM | FTA | FT% | TS% | EFG% | HS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-19 | 26 | Brisbane | 14-14 (4) | 3 | 12.3 | 0.0 | 2.3 | 0.0 | 0.7 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 1.3 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0 |
| 2017-18 | 25 | Cairns | 11-17 (6) | 27 | 24.2 | 5.4 | 4.8 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.5 | 3.1 | 2.3 | 4.5 | 50% | 0.1 | 0.4 | 25% | 0.8 | 1.0 | 81% | 55% | 51% | 14 |
| 2016-17 | 24 | Cairns | 15-13 (2) | 29 | 17.7 | 4.9 | 3.7 | 0.8 | 1.4 | 2.2 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.5 | 2.0 | 3.6 | 55% | 0.1 | 0.3 | 25% | 0.8 | 1.0 | 79% | 59% | 56% | 14 | Total | 60 | 20.4 | 4.8 | 4.1 | 1.4 | 1.9 | 2.2 | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.3 | 2.8 | 2.0 | 3.9 | 51.5% | 0.0 | 0.0 | 25.0% | 0.1 | 0.3 | 58.2% | 49% | 53% | 14 |
CAREER HIGHS
| POINTS | REBOUNDS | ASSISTS | STEALS | BLOCKS | TURNOVERS | TRIPLE DOUBLES | 14 | 12 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 0 |
|---|
STATE LEAGUE EXPERIENCE
- Cairns (2017)
Egwu joined Cairns for the 2017 Queensland Basketball League season, where he linked with the Cairns Marlins for the remainder of the QBL season ahead of his NBL debut with the Taipans.
Nnanna Egwu joined Cairns for the 2017 Queensland Basketball League season and played in the frontcourt for the Marlins, with the 6-foot-11 center also used at power forward during his stint in Far North Queensland.
INTERNATIONAL EXPERIENCE
- New Zealand - Super City Rangers (2017, 2019) | Malaysia - Westports Malaysia Dragons (2018–2019) | Japan - Earthfriends Tokyo Z (2019–2021)
Egwu joined the Super City Rangers for the 2017 New Zealand NBL season, playing his first season in New Zealand, and after being named in the club’s Northern Blitz squad on 3 March 2017 he signed two days later and averaged 12.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists across 19 games.
Egwu joined the Westports Malaysia Dragons for the 2018–19 ASEAN Basketball League season in Malaysia, and he averaged 13.0 points, 6.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.3 blocks across 26 games.
In 2019, he returned to play another season for the Super City Rangers and averaged 13.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 2.1 assist across 15 games.
Egwu rejoined the Super City Rangers for the 2019 New Zealand NBL season after signing on 1 April 2019, and he parted ways with the club on 29 June 2019.
Egwu joined Earthfriends Tokyo Z on 1 August 2019 for the Japanese B.League, and he remained with the club through the 2020–21 period.
COLLEGE
Nnanna Egwu played for the Illinois Fighting Illini from 2011–12 through 2014–15, developing into one of the program’s most reliable interior defenders and finishing his career as Illinois’ all-time leader in blocked shots with 201.
As a freshman in 2011–12, he played in all 32 games and made three starts, averaging 1.9 points and 1.5 rebounds in 9.8 minutes per game, with a season-high 11 points against Loyola Chicago.
He took a major step forward as a sophomore in 2012–13, starting 35 of 36 games while averaging 6.5 points and a team-leading 4.9 rebounds per game, and he ranked among the Big Ten Conference leaders in blocked shots at 1.4 per game.
Egwu’s 2012–13 season included a career-high 16 points on 7-of-10 shooting against Ohio State, and in the NCAA Tournament loss to Miami on March 24, 2013, he posted 12 points and 12 rebounds with seven offensive boards.
As a junior in 2013–14, he started all 35 games, averaged 6.9 points and a team-leading 6.0 rebounds, finished first in the Big Ten in offensive rebounding at 2.5 per game, and ranked second in the league in blocked shots at 2.1 per game.
That junior campaign produced 73 total blocks, which ranked second on Illinois’ single-season list, and it began with a double-double of 10 points and 10 rebounds against Alabama State on November 8, 2013.
As a senior in 2014–15, Egwu earned Big Ten All-Defensive Team honours and finished the season averaging 6.5 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game, continuing to anchor Illinois’ interior defence.
He broke Illinois’ all-time blocks record on January 21, 2015 against Purdue and finished his Illini career with 201 blocked shots, with the milestone block coming on a dunk attempt by Vince Edwards.
Late in his senior season, he recorded one of his most complete games in Illinois’ win over Maryland on January 7, 2015 with 11 points, nine rebounds, and four blocks while playing a career-high 38 minutes.
Related
HAVE MORE INFORMATION ON THIS PLAYER?
Whilst we try to source as much information as we can for every player who has ever played in the NBL some information on a player profile may be missing. If you have additional information on a player you'd like us to add to a profile, please send it to us using the enquiry form below.
Submissions are then sent to info@aussiehoopla.com