WSU player who went viral for dunk gets ready to head to NIT semifinals

The Washington State men’s basketball team is still dancing in March. The Cougs are in the semifinals of the men’s NIT tournament on Tuesday for the first time since 2011 when Klay Thompson led them.

PULLMAN, Wash. - The Washington State men’s basketball team is still dancing in March. The Cougs are in the semifinals of the men’s NIT tournament on Tuesday for the first time since 2011 when Klay Thompson led them.

This year, Efe Abogidi is one of several players helping WSU play their best basketball when it matters most.

He caught national attention mid-March after his dunk against Southern Methodist University landed him No. 1 on ESPN’s SportsCenter. But it wasn’t his first big moment after a highlight-reel dunk.

"It was a big deal, it was a big deal. It’s not every day you get to be SportsCenter number one. Just felt like it was just a crazy experience like ‘oh, I’m number one today, it’s not every day you get there,’" Abogidi told FOX 13.

He went viral after a dunk at the NBA Academy in Nigeria– and that viral dunk changed his life. It was then he moved from Nigeria, to Australia and then to Pullman to play for the Cougs.

No matter where he is, Abogidi loves that one dunk can change a game.

"You know we’re playing an away game, playing against a team that has a lot of fans, dunking the ball would actually shut up the fans, and that’s good juice for the team too," he said.

Abogidi said he remembers his first dunk– at age 13 and on his first try.

The Cougs take on the Aggies in Madison Square Garden at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday. You can catch the game on ESPN.