Tragic passing of Nigerian basketball star

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Tobi Oyedeji, a power forward slated to begin his collegiate career at Texas A&M next season, died Sunday due to injuries sustained in a car accident.

Early reports suggest Oyedeji was driving a car involved in a two-vehicle accident in which one other person was killed. Oyedeji played high school ball in Bellaire, Texas, and made the All-Greater Houston team last season as a senior.

He was considered a top-100 recruit in his class. Rivals ranked him as the No. 18 power forward in the class of 2010. "The world has lost a great kid today," said Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon in a statement on Oyedeji's tragic death. "Tobi epitomized the term student-athlete. He was a very good student. He worked hard in the classrooms and on the basketball court and he was a terrific basketball player. This is difficult to understand and today is a very sad day. My heart aches for his mom and dad. Tobi was an only child and I would like everyone to pray for Tobi's parents."

Apparently Tobi Oyedeji dropped his last friend off after prom night, called his father Mike Kunle Oyedeji and told him he was on his way home early Sunday morning. The 6-foot-9, 220-pound, 18-year-old power forward from Bellaire High in Bellaire, Texas who was destined to be an impact player for Texas A&M in the fall and committed to studying engineering never made it to his house.

Oyedeji was in a head-on collision shortly after the phone call home and died after attempts at life-saving surgery weren't successful Sunday afternoon, according to Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon. "He was an only child," a distraught Turgeon said of Oyedeji, whose parents, Mike and Nikki, are said to be in immense emotional pain.

"This is really tough on them. I'm just hurting so much for his mom and dad right now." Turgeon said he didn't have any other details of the crash. He said he was in California early Sunday morning when he received the first phone call that Oyedeji had been in an accident and was in intensive care heading into surgery. Turgeon said a few hours later, as he was boarding his flight back to Houston, he was told that Oyedeji died. "I loved that kid," Turgeon said. "I loved that kid. This is really, really hard."

Hal Pastner, who runs Houston Hoops, an AAU program Oyedeji played for, was crushed as well when he was told the news on Sunday afternoon. Turgeon said Oyedeji was the first player he recruited when he took the job three years ago. "This has been a three-year relationship, we were really close," Turgeon said. "From the first day he came to our camp, I knew he was coming to Texas A&M. He was going to be an engineer. This was the perfect place for him." Turgeon last saw Oyedeji at a workout in April and said he told his assistant coaches that Oyedeji was going to help the Aggies quite a bit next season. Oyedeji had been on campus apparently five to seven times a season in the past three years. "He was going to be a big part of our program," Turgeon said. "More than just basketball, his personality, his character, he would have helped us in so many ways. He was a great student. He epitomized the values we have here."

Turgeon said details on the memorial service will be provided this week. He added that the Aggies will do something in memory of Oyedeji next season, but to what extent and how it will be done is still undetermined.