Photo by: Access 2 Success
McKillop Joins the Mission in Nigeria
7/4/2017 9:23:00 AM | Men's Basketball
DavidsonPhotos.com
Written By Justin Parker, Lake Norman Citizen
Bob McKillop is well-traveled, and his ties across the globe regularly produce a roster featuring a mix of international talent.
But his latest overseas trip is not for recruiting.
Bob McKillop is well-traveled, and his ties across the globe regularly produce a roster featuring a mix of international talent.
But his latest overseas trip is not for recruiting.
The Davidson basketball coach traveled to Nigeria Saturday to lead a coaching clinic in conjunction with the Access to Success Foundation led by former Wildcat and Nigerian native Andrew Lovedale.
"Andrew has done an incredible job of leading the great mission of this foundation and has enlisted the support of so many of his teammates and so many in the Davidson community," said McKillop. "I'm just part of that team, and I'm honored to be part of it."
Lovedale, a starting forward on Davidson's 2008 Elite Eight team, and a few others were already in Nigeria, holding Access to Success' annual camps in Benin City, Lovedale's hometown. Though McKillop has coached five Nigerians at Davidson — Lovedale, Emeka Erege, Frank Ben-Eze and Ben Ebong, along with current forward Nathan Ekwu — it's his first trip to their home country. He recruited all of them elsewhere, including Lovedale exclusively in England, where he was playing high school basketball.
Lovedale founded the Christian-based foundation in 2009 after initially collecting basketball shoes from his teammates to distribute upon returning home from college. The foundation uses basketball to teach life lessons and aims to empower the children of Nigeria through a variety of educational initiatives. McKillop is proud of the work Lovedale continues to do nearly a decade after being part of the Wildcats' storybook run on the court.
"When we talk about team and talk about a collection of people who are joining forces, Andrew is the centerpiece and setting the tone," said McKillop. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if our world, our country took a lesson from the book Andrew is writing? Color, creed, nationality, skin color, male, female — it doesn't matter. We're united for the same reason."
"Andrew has done an incredible job of leading the great mission of this foundation and has enlisted the support of so many of his teammates and so many in the Davidson community," said McKillop. "I'm just part of that team, and I'm honored to be part of it."
Lovedale, a starting forward on Davidson's 2008 Elite Eight team, and a few others were already in Nigeria, holding Access to Success' annual camps in Benin City, Lovedale's hometown. Though McKillop has coached five Nigerians at Davidson — Lovedale, Emeka Erege, Frank Ben-Eze and Ben Ebong, along with current forward Nathan Ekwu — it's his first trip to their home country. He recruited all of them elsewhere, including Lovedale exclusively in England, where he was playing high school basketball.
Lovedale founded the Christian-based foundation in 2009 after initially collecting basketball shoes from his teammates to distribute upon returning home from college. The foundation uses basketball to teach life lessons and aims to empower the children of Nigeria through a variety of educational initiatives. McKillop is proud of the work Lovedale continues to do nearly a decade after being part of the Wildcats' storybook run on the court.
"When we talk about team and talk about a collection of people who are joining forces, Andrew is the centerpiece and setting the tone," said McKillop. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if our world, our country took a lesson from the book Andrew is writing? Color, creed, nationality, skin color, male, female — it doesn't matter. We're united for the same reason."
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