Next Man Up; Makings of Umude

Baton Rouge is a long way from San Antonio, Texas, but talking to Sidney Umude, a senior forward for the Southern Jags, the city gave him a love for the game and hunger for improvement that he takes with him wherever he goes.
“Me [and my brother] were known for being really athletic, but we really didn’t know what sport we wanted to play. I played football [too], but basketball is what I really wanted to follow through with.” said Umude on his early years playing sports in San Antonio.
While Sidney knew what he wanted to do from a very young age, the question of where he would play would be a big factor for him after his sophomore season at Youngstown State, following which he transferred.
“Upon transferring, I knew that this would be the school for me because of the relations I had built with the coaches and [because] I felt comfortable when I came here on my visits,” was Umude’s response when asked when he knew this could possibly be a place he could call home for the rest of his matriculation as a college student and development as a player.
With this being Umude’s second season with the Jags, he admitted that this team has yet to play as well as they are capable of as of yet. Sitting at number eight in the SWAC coming into February 2 evening game vs Alcorn State, Umude was also able to shed some light to what he himself and the team as a whole can do to end their season on a positive note.
“I’m approaching it as if I just have to step up to the plate. I know what I’m capable of on the basketball court offensively, but what I need personally to help this team win is have a better defensive mindset and just go all out on defense every possession.”
Although there have been flashes of chemistry and solid play from this Jags team up to this point in the season, the consistency needed for winning in the long-term simply hasn’t been there for the Jags.
While the Alcorn State game on February 2nd was the Jags first game of the month, this is the time of year where most college teams discover their identities as a team. According to Umude however, reaching that level is still a work in progress for this Jags team.
“I feel like at this point in the season, we still haven’t found our identity. We have some players that aren’t here with us [anymore], but as a team, we still haven’t reached our full potential.” said Umude when asked about this team’s identity.
With this being Umude’s final season of eligibility on the collegiate level, the strides he has made since leaving San Antonio while at Youngstown and on the Bluff have served him well for preparing for the game on the next level. From shooting the ball, increased basketball IQ, and just learning to be a better teammate are some the things cited by Umude as being things he’s improved on.
When asked what’s next for him after his last game in Jaguar uniform, Umude let it be known that he’s far from done playing the game of basketball.
“I want to play for as many years as possible after this, whether that’s overseas or in the G-League, I pan to play basketball for as long as I can.” said Umude.