Luke Loucks: Olympic Experience With Nigerian Basketball Team

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (seminoles.com) – Prior to the start of the recent pre-Olympic men’s basketball exhibition game between the United States and Nigeria on July 10, former Seminole point guard Luke Loucks realized he was singing the words to a familiar national anthem.

Only he wasn’t singing the Star Spangled Banner.

He was singing Arise, O Compatriots, the national anthem of Nigeria.

“Leading up to the game (against the United States), in every team meeting, Head Coach Mike Brown would make one of the young players lead the whole group in the Nigerian national anthem,” said Loucks. “It was really cool for us, because I didn’t know the Nigerian national anthem, but it’s going to be played at every one of our games.

“We get to the game, and our whole staff — which is a bunch of Americans — was singing the Nigerian National Anthem standing across from our American players. It was a little awkward, standing across from them (the United States players) while the American National Anthem was played, knowing that we are getting ready to fight.”

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