University of Oklahoma Athletics
Sooner Profile: Longar Longar
January 14, 2008 | Men's Basketball
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Born in the Sudan, Longar spent the first 11 years of his life in his native country before moving to Egypt. After four years there, he and his family moved to the U.S. in 1998, first to Chicago and then to Rochester, Minn., shortly thereafter.
It was there where Longar first started playing the game of basketball. He wasn't exactly a natural when he first stepped on the court, but his size and athleticism signaled unlimited potential. Longar worked tirelessly on his game and soon became an All-State player and was attracting attention from major Division I programs around the country.
After a year of prep school in North Carolina, Longar obviously landed in Oklahoma. Now a senior, he is grateful for the opportunities he has been given and is looking to finish his career on a high note.
On his journey around the world growing up:
"I was born in Waw, Sudan, which is in the southern part of the country. I left the Sudan when I was 11 or 12 years old and moved to Egypt. I lived in Egypt for about four years, went to school there and played soccer. We moved to the States in late 1998, lived in Chicago for about eight months and then moved to Rochester, Minn., and that's where I went to high school."
On his introduction to the game of basketball:
"I attended John Marshall High School and started basketball my sophomore year. I was on the team my freshman year but really didn't get to play much. I just worked on my game over the summer and started organized basketball as a sophomore. From there I earned a scholarship and actually got recruited through AAU basketball by going to a few big tournaments and gaining recognition from some big schools."
On how he ended up deciding to come to Oklahoma:
"I played AAU ball with Lawrence McKenzie, a former guard who was here but transferred to the University of Minnesota. We made the decision to come here together. Right after high school I went to prep school in North Carolina and ultimately that's how I ended up here.
"When I first came here, I thought Oklahoma was alright and I really liked the people here. Everyone was really nice to me. I came to watch a football game and I really liked the atmosphere and the fans, so it made my decision a lot easier to commit to here."
On what sticks out in his mind when considering all the different places he has lived:
"I would say it's just a little bit different everywhere I've been. North Carolina was different from here. The people in Oklahoma are a lot nicer than the people in North Carolina. They are just more willing to talk to you and are more outgoing. Egypt is a lot different also and it's harder to get used to the people there. I think Minnesota is similar to here.
 "I haven't been back in Sudan since I left... but I'm looking forward to going back there when school is over." |
On the place he calls home:
"I would say Minnesota. I've been there for about eight years now so I look at Minnesota and say that's home. I haven't been back in Sudan since I left when I was 11 years old but I'm looking forward to going back there when school is over. Hopefully I can get back there and visit some of my family members who are back there."
On where most of his family resides now:
"Everybody is kind of spread around now. I have a sister in Australia with her husband, a sister and two brothers in England, a brother in Canada, a little brother in Dallas and the rest of them are in Minnesota."
On how well he is able to keep in touch with his family and friends:
"I do my best at it. I try to stay in contact with a lot of the friends that I've met in different places through Facebook. I keep up with some of the friends I went to prep school with and high school friends who went to college. I think I do a pretty good job of keeping up with everybody."
On if he imagined basketball would create the opportunities it has when he first started playing:
"No, not really. I played basketball just for the love of the game. I just wanted to be out there every single minute that I could. I remember the summer of my freshman year in high school, it was just basketball, basketball, basketball. I was outside from 4 p.m., until 2 or 3 in the morning playing basketball with friends. I was just having fun doing it and the opportunity came where I could earn a scholarship. I was fortunate to have that and I believe it's a gift from God, just being athletic and having the opportunity to play the game. I've only been playing for six or seven years so I feel very fortunate to have that opportunity."
On his goals for the remainder of his final season of college basketball:
"The team goal is always to win every game possible that we can and just go out there and compete every day. Once we get to the Big 12 Tournament, hopefully we can win our league and just see where it takes us from there. The main goal is to be in the NCAA Tournament. That's something we didn't have last year. We're moving in the right direction right now. As long as we keep working hard and continue to do what we're doing I think we can accomplish that goal. Individually, I just want to get better every day."
On his proudest moment so far during his basketball career:
"That's a tough one, but I'd say in high school. I played on a team that hadn't been to the state champiosnip since 1960-something. So when we got to the state tournament it was a great accomplishment."
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