Jahlil Okafor Focused on Winning First State Championship (VIDEO)

 

CSN Chicago is following Chicago (IL) Whitney Young and the team’s Duke-bound star center, Jahlil Okafor, throughout the ’13-14 season. The fourth installment of the “DRIVE” webisode series gives an in-depth look at Okafor’s qualities as a leader and motivator. More from CSN Chicago:

Before Jahlil Okafor can set his sights on trading in his beloved Blue and Orange for the legendary Blue and White, he wants what most athletes want before walking across the graduation stage: lifting a state championship banner come March. 

“My main focus right now is to win a state championship. That is my only goal being that I failed the last three years,” Okafor said. “So all my energy, all my heart, all my everything is all going into winning a state championship this year.

Coming up short in previous years against cross-town rival Simeon has left an impression on Okafor, something he wishes not to repeat his last time around. 

“That has definitely made me a lot hungrier being that I have failed the last three years and being that I’ve never won state. And I definitely feel like I don’t want to graduate and leave Whitney Young High School without having a state championship and a banner on the wall,” Okafor said.