Lamont Paris, South Carolina men’s basketball get late-season roster addition
Freshman forward Okku Federiko has officially joined the South Carolina men’s basketball team after resolving NCAA eligibility issues, the school announced Friday.
Head coach Lamont Paris previously said Federiko had not been cleared, mainly because of “some difficulty getting some information to the NCAA.” He had issues with his move to the United States before finally receiving clearance from the NCAA.
Federiko missed the first 19 games of the season but is now eligible. The Gamecocks return to action Saturday at Colonial Life Arena against Mississippi State. It is likely Federiko will redshirt his first season with USC. Federiko and current Gamecock sophomore guard Morris Ugusuk, both from Finland, originally committed to USC in May 2023.
The 6-foot-10 Helsinki native brings a stellar resume. Federiko was the top collegiate prospect in Finland’s 2024 class and played for the country’s national team in the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship. There, he averaged 11.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 blocks across seven games. That includes a standout 20-point, 10-rebound double-double against Albania.
At DRIVE Basketball Academy, where he was teammates with Ugusuk, Federiko dominated. In 11 games during the 2023-24 season, he led the team in points (19.6), rebounds (11.7), steals (2.7) and blocks (2.0).
Frederiko had double figures in 10 games at DRIVE, including a season-high 36-point explosion against BC London United, shooting 71.4% from the floor and 83.3% from three.
This story was originally published January 24, 2025 at 4:58 PM.
