Arinze Onuaku Is The Viper

by Sean Keeley on Mar 9, 2011 12:30 PM EST

This commercial was always on when I was young and I swear to God I thought the security system really was a collection of holographic vipers that appear around your car when someone tries to tamper with it. When I found that wasn't true, I was more disappointed than embarrassed. I still feel like viper holograms would be the best defense from car thieves.

Anyway, the point is that Arinze Onuaku is a Rio Grande Valley Viper.

Guard Kelvin Lewis and forward Arinze Onuaku took to the Vipers practice court in Pharr on Monday morning. Lewis is a 6-4 guard who Vipers head coach Chris Finch says is a great system player, while the 6-9 Onuaku is the big presence in the paint the Vipers haven't had ever since Jeff Adrian signed with the NBA's Warriors late last month.

Both Lewis and Onuaku told CHANNEL 5 SPORTS they're excited to be here in the Valley and being a part of the Vipers championship tradition. And, they'll have a whole week to get the Vipers system down--as they don't play until a week from Monday (March 14) when they host Sioux Falls.

Here's the official release, in which they happened to find the one photo of AO in a blue uniform that's out there.

The Vipers are the NBA Development League affiliate of the NBA Houston Rockets and they're the defending champions of the league. A couple familiar names on the team include former Duke player Jon Scheyer. Marquette's Jerel McNeal was a member of the team but he signed with the Hornets today.

The Vipes have ten games left in the season and will surely make the playoffs, giving AO ample opportunity to show off his wares. Go get'm AO, but please keep those trips to Mexico to a minimum. Lord knows what kind of Unfinished Business is going on down there.

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Of the hundreds of photos of him.....

geez.

Born in '87, Orange fan since '86

by StealthTurkey on Mar 9, 2011 12:32 PM EST reply actions

They listed his senior year stats

In his final collegiate season, Onuaku averaged 10.5 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 32 games

We thought AO was great (and he is really good), but it makes you realize the awesome work Rick Jackson has put in this year!!!

by Pinker on Mar 9, 2011 1:07 PM EST reply actions

Rick Jackson has put up

13.1 points and 10.7 rebounds per game, and 2.5 blocked shots his senior year. Damn. All that time having to battle AO in practice really paid off, and then this year he just trimmed down and went hog wild!!! In retrospect, losing that bulk helped him incredibly….

by Pinker on Mar 9, 2011 1:10 PM EST up reply actions

true in part,

but AO had RJ playing next to him – RJ has Fab and BMK…

by dacj501 on Mar 9, 2011 1:10 PM EST up reply actions

I did think about that

Rick Jackson is not sharing that defensive play with anyone really this year.

by Pinker on Mar 9, 2011 1:11 PM EST up reply actions

AO wasn't as good last year though

Him, Rick and Wes should have DOMINATED the glass last year.

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Mar 9, 2011 1:22 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

AO

is so strong, when healthy he can push anyone around. Lets hope the knee is healed up and he stays in shape.

by ryanwk628 on Mar 9, 2011 1:12 PM EST reply actions

Wait a minute

When did we wear that specific blue? That wasn’t the one we wore against ND was it? I thought those Nike system of dress unis were brough out before the BET two years ago? That game in blue was before that (2007 maybe?), right?

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Mar 9, 2011 1:25 PM EST via mobile reply actions

I cant recall more

than once or twice we’ve actually worn them. They were nice looking, but….NOT ORANGE I haven’t seen them in the last two years I can recall

by Pinker on Mar 9, 2011 1:34 PM EST up reply actions

They wore blues for ND a few years ago

But I wasn’t sure if they were those Nike system of dress duds from the pic. Guess so.

Before that they wore blue at Kentucky in the late 80’s or early 90’s, and lost. JB said no mas.

I believe they used to wear blue a lot back in the 70’s. I think you can google Dennis Duval and you’d find a painting of him in a blue uni. I think it was him.

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Mar 9, 2011 1:38 PM EST via mobile up reply actions

Here's the pic i was talking about

http://www.syracusehalloffame.com/images/1994/dennis_duval.jpg

Sorry I can’t format the link from my phone.

I remember trying to find pictures of SU in blue a few years back and that’s all I could really find. I know I’ve read about them wearing them often back then somewhere. Wish I could find more.

~K
"As the governor of Louisiana once said, the only way Chris Kelsay can lose his job is if he got caught in bed with a dead girl or a live boy."

by Kurupt on Mar 9, 2011 1:46 PM EST via mobile up reply actions