LAFAYETTE — Theo Akwuba’s first passion was soccer.

The son of Nigerian immigrants, Akwuba was taught the sport by his father Theordore. If he wasn’t playing it in the backyard of the family’s home in Montgomery, Alabama, Akwuba could be found glued in front of the television set watching matches with his father.

The only thing Akwuba wanted to do was play soccer.

That was until he hit a massive growth spurt in high school, which forced Akwuba to realize his dream of one day playing as a midfielder for his favorite team — Chelsea of the Premier League — would not become a reality.

“I liked playing basketball but I always choose soccer over it,” Akwuba said. “I absolutely loved soccer but during right before my sophomore year I grew to 6-foot-6. So at that point I couldn’t really play anymore because I didn’t want to play goalie. So I was like, I will just try to play basketball.”

The self-described “late bloomer” has transformed from a soccer player scoring goals on the pitch to a 6-foot-11, 225-pound basketball player who has become one of the nation’s top shot blockers.

The University of Louisiana junior center leads the Sun Belt Conference in shot blocks by a large margin, as Akwuba has 23 more blocks than Little Rock’s Rout Monyong. Akwuba’s 55 blocks are tied for third most in the NCAA this season.

“For me, it just came naturally,” Akwuba said. “I just always had the tendencies to go and block the shot. That was the first real skill that I had when it came to playing basketball. It wasn’t scoring the ball or rebounding because I was too skinny. It was blocking shots.”

Before Akwuba became one of the nation’s best shot blockers, the lanky kid from Montgomery was brought up as a child of immigrants — a childhood that taught him valuable lessons concerning hard work, respect for his elders, dedication to a craft and selfness.

Much of the lessons were crystalized when the family made trips over Christmas break to Legos, Nigeria where his father and mother Lillian grew up.

“It exposed me to a lot of things,” Akwuba said. “It made me far more appreciative of things we have here in the U.S. A lot of people back home can’t get in the U.S. for a better education and life. That traveling really opened my eyes to the privileges and opportunities I have here. I learned early on to not take anything for granted.”

Akwuba began putting in the extra hours on the court to become a complete basketball player but early on at Brewbaker Technology Magnet, he could barely dribble the ball and was shooting with both hands.

Akwuba credits his high school coaches for his development, and also credits a dedication to putting on muscle as helping him transition from soccer to basketball.

“I was getting pushed around too much,” Akwuba said. “So when I started lifting weights and putting on weight I started to hold my own down low.”

Akwuba’s coordination skills from soccer transitioned very well to the hardwood, as he became a first-team Class 5A honoree his senior season when he averaged a triple double, and led the state in blocked shots both his junior and senior seasons.

Akwuba eventually earned scholarship offers from Troy, Western Kentucky, North Alabama but signed with Portland, which was the first program to offer him an athletic scholarship so in his words, “he took it.”

In two seasons with Portland, Akwuba played in 52 games, with 26 starts (all as a freshman). He blocked 46 shots as a freshman, including swatting three or more shots in eight games.

An issue with his credit hours forced him to miss the first semester of his sophomore season, as the team went with the player who started before he arrived, and once he rejoined the team he was a reserve player.

“I was disappointed,” Akwuba said. “I just had to be patient and contribute when I could.”

With the support of his parents, Akwuba improved his grades, fixed his credit issue and then made the decision to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal and find a program closer to home.

“The biggest thing for me was to get closer to home so it would make it easier for my parents to come see my games,” Akwuba said. “That was my first priority.”

That wasn’t the only criteria.

“The second priority was I wanted to come somewhere where they had tradition,” Akwuba said. “I didn’t win much at Portland. I knew UL struggled with injuries the year before but they had winning history under Coach (Bob) Marlin so that checked the second box. The third thing was that I wanted to go somewhere where I could play and have a staff that saw the potential in me. UL checked that box too.”

Akwuba checked a lot of boxes for the Ragin’ Cajuns as well.

“When you have a rim protector that can do so without fouling out it is special,” Ragin’ Cajuns Director of Basketball Operations Mike Murphy said. “You know a lot of guys can block shots but they foul out. Theo doesn’t do that.”

Akwuba’s calling card without a doubt is blocking shots but the Ragin’ Cajun with the 7-foot-6 wingspan has also shown off his offensive skill set. Akwuba entered Thursday’s game against ULM shooting 62.9 percent from the field, averaging 11.1 points, 9.2 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game.

“We feel that he has improved a lot in the short period of time he has been here with us,” Ragin’ Cajuns coach Bob Marlin said. “We need to feed him the ball more. We need to get him more touches.”

“I think I still have a long way to go with my offensive game,” Akwuba said. “I am working on it every day.”

Believe it or not, despite recording at least one block in 17 of 19 games and has at least two blocks in 15 games, Akwuba states that he is still working on developing his shot blocking.

“Blocking shots for me is still a work in progress” said Akwuba, who had a season-high seven blocks against McNeese earlier this season. “It is something that I am working on each and every day. When to go for the block or when to force them to take a tough shot and grab the rebound. I am still trying to get better.”