EXCELLING OFF THE COURT

While Fagbenle was developing on the court early on at Blair, she was also forced to mature off of it.

“When she came in, she was scared,” Clarke said. “She was a homesick 15-year-old. It was not easy for her….It’s very rural out here, it’s not like London. You are black in a school that’s mostly white people, you are speaking different…I think she was forced to grow up faster than most 15-year-olds.”

After struggling to adjust to life in New Jersey at first, Fagbenle decided to add an extra year of schooling after junior year so as to bolster her academic record in hopes of attending a top-tier college like she planned when leaving her family a few years earlier.

Eventually Fagbenle adjusted to her new environment and began making a large impact beyond the basketball court.

Following in the footsteps of her family, Fagbenle spent her free time displaying her theatrical abilities at Blair.

“Theater Director Craig Evans came to me and said she could be a professional,” Clarke said. “She’s really good.”

Other members of Fagbenle’s large immediate family have done just that. Her brother Dapo works with music videos now after competing as a college basketball player.  His older brother O.T. is a professional theater, film, and television actor and another brother is a music producer

Athletically, Fagbenle continued playing tennis and running track, excelling at both. On the track, Fagbenle won state titles in high jump, javelin, discus and shot.

Fagbenle also served her school as an elected member of the eight-person senior class council that helps run the school.

“At first, she was viewed as a basketball player because of her height,” Hardwick said. “That said, within very short order, Temi was perceived primarily for her leadership and her impact on the community generally.”

FULFILLING A DREAM

By her senior fall, Fagbenle had developed into a socially comfortable leader on and off the court and was being pursued by just about every major basketball program in the country.

After team workouts, the men’s and women’s teams would scrimmage against each other so that Fagbenle and her teammates could face stiff competition. Those games became widely attended by scouts from both men’s and women’s college programs.

By the time the season began, the interest in Fagbenle was hard to ignore.