‘Meant to be’: Sultan Adewale from England is working at Neumann Goretti toward his D-I hoops dream

Carl Arrigale’s Neumann Goretti High basketball team has a new face this season, and it’s a player who has quickly become a key contributor for the Saints as they head into the Philadelphia Catholic League playoffs.

Sultan Adewale is a 6-foot-8 junior forward with an athletic skill set that has already helped him draw offers from Memphis, Ole Miss, Rutgers, and Illinois, among others. A native of London, England, Adewale said his decision to come to the United States was a basketball one, as it gave him the best chance to realize his dream of playing Division I ball. While that dream looks as tangible as ever, Adewale’s path to Neumann Goretti and basketball success was anything but linear.

Adewale’s first exposure to Arrigale’s program came through a YouTube video of the Saints playing in the PCL championship game. Seeing the team in action was enough to generate interest from Adewale, who began communicating with Neumann Goretti assistant coach Andrew Bowman. Despite interest from both Adewale and Neumann Goretti — the Saints’ coaches had seen film of him playing in a tournament — Adewale didn’t play high school basketball in Philadelphia last year.

“With the pandemic and everything, we just didn’t think it would be something worth pursuing,” Arrigale said. “We didn’t know if the school would be willing to look at a kid from overseas or an exchange-type student during a pandemic, and we didn’t know if we were going to be playing … there’s just a lot to it.”

Adewale ended up finding a place to play basketball last season, suiting up for St. Louis (Mo.) Christian Academy. His experience with St. Louis Christian proved to be valuable.

“I had a national schedule [which] meant traveling to different states: Arizona, Kentucky, Memphis, etc.,” Adewale said. “It was a good experience playing a lot of games while COVID was still in action, so it was good for me playing some of the toughest teams in the country.”

Adewale’s year with St. Louis Christian also helped expose him to key differences in the American style of basketball. Perhaps his biggest lesson learned?

“Not to doubt your opponents,” Adewale said. “In England, when you look at a player, you can just tell right away. But in America, you can’t tell by just looking at a player; anyone can just step out at any moment, so you can’t underestimate your opponents.”

Moving across the Atlantic Ocean also required a shift in lifestyle, as Adewale learned and adjusted to a new culture. It looked like Adewale would be able to find a new home away from home, but St. Louis Christian Academy closed at the end of the year, leaving him without a team once again.

He reached back out to Arrigale and the Neumann Goretti coaching staff. Although there remained many steps in the process of enrolling Adewale, this time Arrigale had a chance encounter that made the process more doable.

“I ran into a lady down at the shore who was like the head of the department for the Archdiocese that my wife knows and I kind of know,” Arrigale said. “It was really weird; it all happened on the same day. It was almost like it was meant to be. She told me everything that had to happen for an exchange student to come.

“We just had that conversation that night, and we knew he was something we didn’t have. We had some smaller guys that could play and didn’t have anybody with much size.”

Over a year after Adewale had first seen the Neumann Goretti YouTube video, he became a student at the school. His emergence as a playmaker for the Saints was delayed, however, when Adewale arrived injured. It wasn’t until shortly before the start of the Saints’ practices that Adewale was finally cleared to join the team.

The sought-after Division I prospect was a mystery talent, and Arrigale and his staff weren’t sure what to expect entering this season. Even as the Saints were approaching the final playoff push, Arrigale thought Adewale was still just getting warmed up.

“He didn’t play in any full events with us or anything,” Arrigale said. “He was the great unknown. To me, he’s still rounding into form because he hadn’t played basketball for months because of that injury.”

After going through two major moves in just two years, throughout his entire recovery process Adewale remained positive and was thankful for the opportunity at Neumann Goretti.

“It was good because I obviously battled through a lot of adversity,” Adewale said. “I’m just happy I got myself better; I was just so happy. I remember my first dunk after injury … it felt great, I felt great.”

A return to full health allowed Adewale to step in and be an instant impact player. As one of the team’s primary big men, Adewale gives Arrigale a scoring threat in the post and a talented rebounder. In the Saints’ Feb. 2 victory over Archbishop Carroll, Adewale showed exactly the kind of impact he can have, recording a double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds.

Adewale still has one final year of high school basketball eligibility following this season. In a few months, he’ll begin his first full offseason with Neumann Goretti, something that Arrigale knows will be critical.

“I think he’ll just keep getting better because he really still needs to be taught,” Arrigale said. “He’s definitely coming along. He’s got a really bright future.”

Said Adewale: “I’ve always dreamed about being at the next level and playing in front of TV … the biggest stage of them all. I just can’t wait. It’s still going to take a lot to get there, so I just have to continue working on my weaknesses … I’m just a kid from England, and I’m ready to defeat a lot of odds and prove people wrong.”