Christian Koloko

Koloko was born on June 20, 2000, in Douala, Cameroon. He grew up playing soccer and picked up basketball at the age of 12. As a junior in high school, without knowing any English, Koloko moved to the states to play basketball at Birmingham High School in Lake Balboa, California. For his senior season, he transferred to high school powerhouse Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, California, where he was teammates with Cassius Stanley, Kenyon Martin Jr. and Scotty Pippen Jr. Koloko helped the school claim its second straight Open Division state title. As a four-star recruit, he committed to playing college basketball for Arizona over offers from California, Northwestern, Vanderbilt, Harvard and Princeton. He came on to the scene as a junior, averaging 12.6 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. To finish off his college career, he was named Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year, Pac-12 Most Improved Player, and first-team All-Pac-12. On April 18, 2022, Koloko declared for the 2022 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility. He was picked by the Toronto Raptors in the second round with the 33rd overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.