Prep girls basketball: Diversity brings Marshall together

Members of the Duluth Marshall girls basketball team should have been celebrating another decisive victory in a season full of them. Instead, their night was soured by the sound of ignorance.

The Hilltoppers are a Northland anomaly, with four black players and one from China, plus a black coach in Chibuzo "C.J." Osuchukwu. Entering the locker room following a win earlier this winter, the term "hood rats," shouted by an opposing player down the hallway, pierced the good vibes.

For some of the Hilltoppers, it was a sobering reality check.

"Because that's the first time they'd heard it," said Osuchukwu, who was born and raised in Washington, D.C.

Grace Kirk, a talented guard and the leader of Marshall's Black Student Union, wouldn't change a thing about the incident.

"I wouldn't take back that experience for anything," Kirk said. "I think that showed our teammates that don't go through racism on a daily basis that it comes in different forms. And that mostly it's not up in your face.

"Me personally, I was affected by the comments, but I noticed that (sophomore) Gianna (Kneepkens) was upset about it. That's something in itself. You might not be going through it yourself, but you see that I am and you care about it. That means a lot to me."

High school sports are billed as education-based athletics, a supplement to the learning that goes on inside classrooms. The Hilltoppers embody that, their team photo a literal black-and-white image. Multiple ethnicities and backgrounds blend together seamlessly as players embrace their differences and, Kirk said, take a genuine interest in learning about disparate cultures.

Kirk said if she and one of her black varsity teammates - either Baamlak Haugen, Maritsa Harris or Dasia Starks - are discussing an issue "we feel really passionate about, you'll notice other girls on the team starting to focus in and they're asking us questions."

Kneepkens, Kirk's backcourt mate, loves that dynamic, "being able to hear where people come from."

"I would say we have more similarities than we do differences," Kneepkens said. "We might not all look the same, but we always come together as one."

Perhaps no Hilltopper has benefited from that inclusivity more than Amber Bai. A sophomore foreign exchange student from China, Bai is in her first year at Marshall. While her English is fluent, it's obviously not her first language. She admits that, initially, the transition was "really tough."

"I'm speaking my own language and have a culture that people don't know much about," Bai said.

The Hilltoppers welcomed Bai with open arms, allowing the 16-year-old to feel comfortable as she settled in Duluth - which was just as novel as a basketball court. Bai never had played before. The closest she'd gotten to a pick-and-roll was watching the sport on TV.

So Bai had questions for Osuchukwu before Marshall's season opener. She was confounded to see half the players wearing different jerseys. The opponent, of course. Bai asked Osuchukwu, "Who do I pass it to?" Once that confusion was cleared up, she wanted to know, "Which court do I shoot on?"

"And now she's a gym rat," Osuchukwu said. "She's come a long way."

Indeed, Bai says she "fell in love" with the game.

Osuchukwu brings a unique perspective to the Hilltoppers. The first-year coach describes his D.C. upbringing as "inner-city." Adjusting to life in northern Minnesota once he arrived at Hibbing Community College to play basketball was staggering.

Hibbing is about 95 percent white, according to city-data.com, compared to less than 50 percent for D.C. Osuchukwu no doubt stood out on the Iron Range. Just as he does in Duluth.

Coaching basketball has given him a platform, a classroom on the court.

"We have had multiple conversations about, you know, everybody's not from the same background, so let's try and get to know each other, let's work with each other, let's get to understand somebody before we judge them," Osuchukwu said.

It's a valuable lesson in this politically polarized world in which racial tensions appear to be escalating, and it was reinforced earlier this season via the phrase "hood rats." Osuchukwu proudly described the way his club rallied that night around its black players, who "hear those types of things all the time."

Marshall's playing style likely doesn't endear the Hilltoppers (18-5) to opposing teams and fans. They play hard and they play fast. The average margin of victory in their 18 wins is 32.7 points, meaning blowouts are common, which tends to ruffle feathers.

Osuchukwu says he hasn't had much choice. With a varsity roster that's been down to seven players at times, there aren't many substitutions to make. Similarly, games are often the only opportunities for the Hilltoppers to go 5-on-5. The coach feels it would be unfair to not take advantage of them.

Realistically, Osuchukwu says, his justification is frequently going to be a moot point.

Win or lose, "People are going to judge you regardless," he said.

The Hilltoppers, led by the outspoken and hard-charging Kirk, are proving adept at ignoring the ignorance.

Consequently, they are thriving. Because of their diversity, not despite it, players say.

"If you have a disconnect in basketball, you're not going to win," Kirk said. "It's not putting our differences aside; it's about bringing our differences together. And then finding ways to communicate and work together to win."