Andre Follows Unusual Path to College Hoops

Andre credits Woodrow Wilson Coach Patrick Washington for helping to ease the transition to competitive basketball. Andre, who had grown to 6-foot-8 by then, began to blossom, averaging 12.3 points, 11.5 rebounds and 4.3 blocks per game on his way to earning district defensive player of the year. 

“He kind of took me underneath his wing and helped me out with everything,” Andre said. “He was hard on me, but it paid off.”

The journey continued last season, as he transferred to AZ Compass Prep for his senior year and another step up in competition. His team featured a trio of Division I signees and faced some of the top players in the high school ranks. He averaged 10.3 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.9 blocked shots per game and was considered as one of the top 200 recruits nationally by 247Sports. 

“I felt it was the right move for me in trying to get ready to play basketball in college,” Andre said. “It was a good challenge.”

While Nebraska was one of the final schools to reach out, Andre knew it was a good fit after talking with the Husker coaches. 

“I was looking to make a decision about school and was talking to a couple of different schools looking for the right fit,” Andre said. “When I was about to make the decision, Nebraska came into the picture. Matt (Abdelmassih) and Coach Hoiberg called me and visited on the phone. I also watched a lot of film on how they played and some of the past players Coach Hoiberg had. I felt like it was the right decision for me, so I made the decision to commit.”

For Andre, the summer has provided a valuable experience getting stronger and adjusting to the speed and size of this level. 

“It can be hard at times, but I just have the mindset that I just push for everything,” Andre said. “So that is what I just try and do every day, just work as hard as I can.”