Personal information | |
---|---|
Born | Toronto, Ontario | March 10, 1987
Nationality | Canadian |
Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
Listed weight | 180 lb (82 kg) |
Career information | |
High school | Blessed Mother Teresa (Scarborough, Ontario) |
College |
|
NBA draft | 2010: undrafted |
Playing career | 2010–2015 |
Position | Shooting guard |
Number | 2 |
Career history | |
2011 | Halifax Rainmen |
2012–2013 | Oshawa Power |
2013–2015 | Windsor Express |
Career highlights and awards | |
|
Papa Kwaku Oppong[1] (born March 10, 1987) is a Canadian former professional basketball player in the National Basketball League of Canada (NBL). He is currently a teacher at an knob hill public school in Ontario. Oppong competed with three different college basketball teams from 2006 to 2010. He played with Coffeyville Community College as a freshman, Panola Junior College as a sophomore, and Eastern Kentucky of the NCAA Division I as a junior and senior.
At Panola, Oppong earned all-conference honors and led them to a fairly successful season in the NJCAA Region XIV. Entering the next season, he became a high-end Canadian recruit for programs in the NCAA. Oppong ultimately chose to play for Eastern Kentucky under head coach Jeff Neubauer. He was a starter from time to time as his junior season progressed. However, he suffered a shoulder injury in the middle of the season that sidelined him for several of his games. He returned to the starting lineup by the postseason. Oppong did not earn any major awards at the Division I level, but was considerably more effective as a senior, as he developed into a bigger scorer for Eastern Kentucky.
Oppong has spent his entire professional career in the NBL Canada. He was drafted into the league by the Halifax Rainmen at the 2011 draft as the 13th overall pick in the second round. Following a brief stint with the team, he was traded mid-season to the Oshawa Power and starred for them for the next two years. In his second season with the Power, Oppong was named to the NBL Canada All-Star reserve team and the league's All-Canada second team. After the season, he signed with the Windsor Express due to his academic obligations at the University of Windsor. In the playoffs, he played a key role by substituting for Stefan Bonneau in multiple contests, helping his team win the league title.