New Flame shines

Transfer student David Andoh makes an instant impact for men’s basketball

Versatile. Coachable. Mentally tough. Athletic. Hard working. These are but a few of the words Liberty men’s basketball Head Coach Dale Layer and Assistant Coach Vinson Walden used to describe junior forward David Andoh, transfer student from Merritt College. In a season full of ups and downs, the 6-foot-7-inch Canadian has proven to be a bright spot for the Flames.

David Andoh, born of Charles and Elizabeth Andoh, was raised in Montreal, Quebec along with his three brothers Enoch, Isaiah and Isaac.

According to David Andoh, he picked up a basketball in the third grade and is yet to put it down.

“I learned it all really from my brother,” David Andoh said. “(Enoch) was a traditional back-to-the-basket kind of guy. My dad would always tell me, ‘You have to expand your game, you got to handle the ball.’”

Eventually, the Andoh family moved to the West Coast in the United States. Charles Andoh’s engineer work caused the family to travel occasionally. Because of the traveling, David Andoh eventually played on three different high school basketball teams, including IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida.

“IMG Academy is the No. 1 sports training facility in the world,” David Andoh said. “Everything they do there is high level, high class.”

He arrived in Florida for his senior year where he met Walden, who was the National team head coach at the time, according to libertyflames.edu.

Walden said David Andoh reached out to him after he recruited a close friend of his, future University of Connecticut guard Deondre Daniels. Walden was interested, but had to see the high school prospect on the court before he could make any decisions.

“David reached out to me,” Walden said. “He had an interest in coming out and playing for me. But I had to see him play.”

So Walden flew to Las Vegas for an AAU tournament to see David Andoh play.

Walden knew he would instantly make an impact on the team.

“David came in, as most players do, with the belief that he had some pretty good talent,” Walden said. “So we just wanted to toughen him up, as it related to mental toughness. So I saw him grow in the mental toughness aspect.”

David Andoh finished his high school tenure at IMG. While there, his relationship with Walden grew.

“(Walden) was my coach,” David Andoh said. “We were in the gym every day. Whether it was individuals or team practices.”

As his final season in high school came to an end, the question of where David Andoh would continue his basketball career arose. The answer would be the San Jose State Spartans under Head Coach George Nessman.

“At the time, I just felt like it was the right fit,” David Andoh said. “I used to live in San Jose with my family, and I just felt like I wanted to go back home. I had a good relationship with Coach Nessman and his staff. It was where I wanted to start my college career.”

It was where he started his career. But it would not be where he finished it.

According to espn.com, Nessman was fired. After playing one season with the Spartans, Nessman’s firing, along with other undisclosed reasons, propelled David Andoh to finish out his career elsewhere.

“There were a couple of other things that were a deciding factor,” David Andoh said. “But his departure was definitely the biggest thing.”

The search for the next college began. This time, he planned to take his talents to New York at Wagner University. But that plan soon changed.

“Wagner just did not feel like home for me,” David Andoh said. “I just felt like there was somewhere else I needed to be. My faith in God was a big part in that. I just felt like he was leading me in another direction.”

Instead, David Andoh returned to the West Coast where he enrolled at Merritt College, a junior college in Oakland, California.

He averaged 14 points per game and eight rebounds per game. According to cccaastats.org, he also shot 54 percent from the field and 84 percent from the free-throw line. David Andoh enjoyed being back in California, but he still had the desire to return to a four-year university.

Meanwhile, Layer added none other than Walden, David Andoh’s old coach, to his coaching staff. According to Layer, he heard about the former San Jose State forward transferring and felt that he would be an excellent fit.

“We knew about him when he was leaving San Jose State,” Layer said. “We’ve known about David for quite some time.”

Due to the pre-existing relationship, Walden took point on recruiting the junior to Liberty. However, despite the history between the two, getting his commitment was no small task.

“We had some interest,” Walden said. “So I flew out and recruited him (at Merritt). I went out to California at least three times. … I still had to recruit him hard even though we had a pre-existing relationship.”

Soon enough, David Andoh said yes to Walden’s pitch.

“I saw what Liberty is about,” David Andoh said. “I love it here, man. It’s a great place. It’s a great school on and off the court.”

He is now finishing his first of two seasons of eligibility.

Out of the nine newcomers on Layer’s roster, he is one of three with collegiate experience and has evolved into one of the leaders on this team.

“He’s a man who has a desire to do great things,” Walden said.

Haywood is the asst. sports editor.