University of Connecticut Athletics
UConn To Retire Emeka Okafor's Number 50 On Feb. 18
2/9/2026 3:30:00 PM | Men's Basketball
STORRS – The UConn men's basketball program will raise No. 50 into the rafters of Gampel Pavilion on Wednesday, Feb. 18 when it retires the number of all-time great Emeka Okafor at halftime of the game against Creighton. Okafor joins Ray Allen (No. 34) and Richard "Rip" Hamilton (No. 32) as the only men' s basketball players forever living in the Gampel rafters.
The greatest big man in program history, Okafor was the 2004 Final Four Most Outstanding Player as he led Connecticut to its second national title. He was a two-time All American including a consensus First Team pick in 2004, a two-time National Defensive Player of the Year and the 2004 NABC Co-Player of the Year, the lone Player of the Year honoree in UConn history.
Okafor was also one of the program's greatest, if not its greatest, academic achiever. He twice won BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year (2003, 2004), was a two-time CoSIDA Academic All-America pick and the 2004 Academic All-American of the Year. He graduated in three years with a degree in finance and was inducted earlier this year into the UConn School of Business Hall of Fame.
During his incredible run at UConn the Huskies went 83-23 and reached three Sweet 16s, two Elite Eights and won the 2004 National Championship. In addition to his 2004 MOP honors, he was selected to the 2003 South and 2004 Phoenix All-Regional teams. Okafor went on to be selected in the first round of the 2004 NBA Draft at No. 2 overall by the Charlotte Bobcats. He was the 2005 NBA Rookie of the Year and played in 10 total seasons from 2004-13 and 2017-18.
Okafor was a five-time BIG EAST champion as the Huskies won at least a share of the regular season in all three of his seasons along with the 2002 and 2004 BIG EAST Tournaments. He was the 2004 BIG EAST Player of the year, a two-time BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year, a member of the 2003 BIG EAST All-Tournament team and a two-time First Team All-Conference pick.
The 6'10 native of Bellaire, Texas outside of Houston holds UConn's all-time records for blocked shots with 441, blocks per game at 4.3 and set single-season records for double-doubles (24) in 2003-2004 and blocked shots total (156) and per game (4.7) in 2002-03. Upon the conclusion of his three-year career he was UConn's 15th all-time leading scorer, posting 1,426 points and hitting the 1,000 point mark in his 79th game.
Across his three seasons Okafor averaged a double-double with 13.8 points and 10.6 rebounds, one of six Huskies in program history to average double-figures in points and rebounds and the first since 1971. His 10.6 career rebound average is sixth all-time and best of any Husky since 1976. He is one of seven players in program history and one of two since '76 to compile over 1,000 rebounds as a Husky. Okafor's 53 career double-doubles are third-most in program history
He tied the program's single-game blocks record with 10 on 12/6/03 vs. Army, a game in which he recorded UConn's fourth all-time triple-double. Okafor snared the most rebounds in a BIG EAST game in UConn history when he grabbed 22 vs. Notre Dame on Feb. 21, 2004 and holds the Gampel Pavilion single-game rebound record with 19 against Wagner on 12/7/02.
Okafor was inducted into the inaugural Huskies of Honor class in 2007.
