PITTSBURGH, Pa. — Samuel Obenjo, member of the Swedish U18 national team and GetRecruited alumnus, committed last weekend to play NCAA Division I basketball at Robert Morris University.
Obenjo, a 6-foot-10 wing from Stockholm, moved to the U.S. before his sophomore year to join Layton Christian Academy (UT), a GetRecruited-affiliated program.
After attending several GetRecruited camps in Sweden, his exposure grew—prompting a major decision: continue his prep career at home or pursue an opportunity in the States.
Looking for guidance from someone with deep experience in American college basketball, Obenjo contacted GetRecruited founder Justin Berry.
“I reached out to Justin a lot when I was making my decisions about going to high school in the States,” Obenjo said. “I just texted him and asked what he knew about the programs, if he thought it was good for me to go for exposure. When I was leaving for Layton Christian Academy, I also texted him just to get that advice from someone who’s been through this system a long time.”
Layton Christian, a nationally ranked program led by head coach Casey Stanley, turned out to be the right fit. As Obenjo continued to develop, more college coaches began to show interest in the versatile forward.
Throughout the recruiting process, Obenjo said he stayed in touch with Berry for advice as he narrowed down his options.
No matter where he landed, Obenjo said he felt prepared to compete at the next level—thanks not only to his time in American high school basketball, but also his experience playing against older athletes at GetRecruited showcases.
“It was fun getting to mix the age groups,” Obenjo said. “It wasn’t just 2006 guys—I was playing against players born in 2004, 2005, and 2006. That helped me get ready for other tryouts and camps. When I got selected for Basketball Without Borders and national team camps, that really helped me because I was already used to what it takes to produce at that level.”
Obenjo said the intensity at GetRecruited camps was always high, and he appreciated Berry’s approach to the game.
In his first camp, Obenjo remembers arriving with a few fellow rising Swedish prospects a little too eager to show off their range or engage in iso-ball.
“I remember him [Berry] pausing one of the games and saying, ‘Hey, we have a standard here. If y’all don’t want to hold the standard, y’all can like go sit on the side, but we try to hold the standard when we’re showing ourselves to all these coaches. So think about that when y’all play.’”
Obenjo called it a humbling wake-up call.
“Justin wanted us to show that we were able to still go one-on-one and stuff, but also play with each other and be able to play as a team and still show off,” Obenjo said. “So I feel like he got upset when we started doing it our own way, playing one-against-five, and just wanted to tell us like, ‘Hey, we’ve had guys here before that have done great and they did not do anything like this. They just passed the ball, they were moving with the ball, without the ball. So if they can do it and can make their way to high school and college in the States, then you can do the same thing.’”
Those lessons stuck—and Obenjo said they’re exactly what he’d pass on to young international players with dreams of playing in the U.S.
“Focus on the little things,” he said. “Don’t just try to be the guy who averages 30 or makes the highlight reels. Be the one who runs the floor hardest, talks on defense, reads the game the best. The stats that don’t show up on the box score are the ones that get coaches’ attention. Of course, scoring helps—but the little things stand out more.”
