MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Harlan Obioha could probably give Noom, Weight Watchers, Nutrisystem, Jenny Craig, Dash, Keto and others a run for their money.

That's because West Virginia University's 7-foot center has shed nearly 80 pounds since his freshman year of college in 2022, and a significant portion of that has come since his arrival in Morgantown earlier this summer.

Obioha said he came here weighing 294 pounds, dropped down to 263, and plans to play this season at 270 pounds with much more strength and agility. The senior believes the weight loss and muscle redistribution have made a significant difference in his overall game.

"My second jump is a little more explosive now," he said last week. "I'm able to play longer stretches of quality basketball now instead of just surviving those last couple of minutes."

Obioha credits new WVU strength and conditioning coach Jason Martinez for the advice and encouragement he has provided, calling it "life training."

"Me and him talk every morning or every night before I go to bed, and it's never him getting on me about anything, but it's just like conversations about (eating healthy), and that's been the biggest thing for me is my relationship with Jason," Obioha explained.

The Hoxie, Kansas, resident has a fascinating backstory.

He was a two-sport star at Hoxie High, playing basketball and eight-man football, which is played on an 80x40-yard field and requires speed and agility. According to Obioha, there are no offensive tackles in eight-man football, so he played tight end on offense and was a defensive end on the other side of the ball.

"If you have the fastest guy on the field, you are probably going to win the game," he laughed.

Obioha performed well enough on the gridiron to be invited to play in the Shrine Bowl, considered the state's top high school football all-star game played in Kansas City, but basketball was always his first love.

"(College football) really wasn't a choice for me because I was always going to play basketball," he admitted. Obioha, the cousin of former Wichita State star player Ron Baker, said he grew up a Shockers fan while also watching a lot of Kansas State games when Marcus Pullen played for them.

"The dual-sport thing was offered to me coming out of high school because I didn't have any just-basketball offers," he added. "I thought about it, and it was a conversation I had with my mom, and she said if (playing both sports) is not what you are interested in doing, then just stick to one sport and you will get to what you want to be."

Therefore, despite talking to Ole Miss about playing both sports in college, he decided to reclassify and attend Rocky Mountain Sports Academy in Fort Collins, Colorado, to pursue basketball. 

It was there where he was eventually discovered by Niagara's Greg Paulus.

Obioha went from playing just 10 minutes per game as a freshman in 2023 to a starter the following year when he averaged 10.3 points and 7.8 rebounds per game for the 16-16 Purple Eagles, who lost in the MAAC Tournament quarterfinals to Rider.

After the season, he decided to jump into the transfer portal to see what was available. He ended up signing with UNC Wilmington, where he helped the Seahawks to a Colonial Athletic Association championship and an NCAA Tournament first-round loss to Texas Tech last season.

The center started 23 of 32 games and averaged 9.2 points and 6.0 rebounds per game for the season, including scoring a career-high 23 points with 10 rebounds in a victory over William & Mary. He averaged 10.3 points and 6.6 rebounds while shooting 64.6% from the floor after moving into the starting lineup during conference play.

Obioha tallied seven points and grabbed nine boards in the 10-point loss to the Red Raiders, prompting another visit to the portal. 

This time, he had many more suitors.

"Coming into college not really being recruited at all, Greg Paulus and his staff gave me a chance," Obioha explained. "I went over to Niagara for a couple of years, entered the portal, and it was a lot of competitive mid-majors that were on my phone. I was blessed enough to go to (UNC Wilmington) with coach (Takayo) Siddle and his staff and win a championship over there.

"Coming into the portal this time, it was a little different," he admitted. "I was a lot more sought after, and I had to sift through a lot of calls. It kept ramping up every time I entered the portal."

What separated West Virginia from the other Big 12, SEC and Big East programs recruiting Obioha was its new coach, Ross Hodge. Obioha said he was impressed with Hodge's philosophy on winning.

"I talked to a lot of different coaches at the same level of basketball in the SEC and Big East, and the first conversation was never how are we going to win a national championship with anybody but Ross Hodge," he said.

What Hodge believes he's getting in Obioha is an athletic and agile post who can really pass the basketball.

"He has incredible hands, and he has really good feet," the coach observed. "Probably some of it was because he was a football player out of high school. He's got really soft hands and is a good facilitator. 

"Honestly, we probably need him to be a little more aggressive (scoring) because his first instinct is to pass, and to pass out of the post even when he has really good deep, post position," Hodge added.

Obioha says his pass-first instincts come from his mother, Tabetha Gillespie, who played basketball and volleyball at Kansas Wesleyan. His role as an offensive facilitator has increased as his overall skills have improved.

"As I've been in college, my role on a couple of the teams I've been on was get it to the scorer and get into rebounding position," he explained. "This year, they are looking for me to score a lot more, and I think it's something I've got to grow up in."

"It's crazy, because I feel at times, he's too unselfish," teammate Honor Huff said. "He's a great team player, and he gets us going. His energy is infectious. Any time we score, and he makes an assist, you would think he scored because he's so energetic. He brings that fire that we need night in and night out. 

"He's the most unselfish player on our team when in reality, he should be the most selfish because of how big he is and his presence," Huff added.

In some respects, Obioha is probably a throwback player in today's game.

"I feel like 7-footers are a dying breed in today's game, especially my size and physicality, so I'm bringing a one-of-a-kind-type of trait," he admitted.

Hodge is hopeful Obioha's additional weight loss can transform him from a 15-to-18-minute type of player to one who can play effectively for longer stretches this season.

"The weight loss helps him the most being able to do it for longer stretches," Hodge explained.

"Me being an older guy now, I have to step up into a leadership role more than I have been these past few years. Being an everyday guy is something we've talked about a lot," Obioha concluded.

According to social media reports, West Virginia performed well during last Saturday's closed scrimmage against Maryland at Hope Coliseum. Mountaineer fans will get their first opportunity to see the team in person this Sunday afternoon in Morgantown against Wheeling. 

The exhibition game will tip off at 4 p.m. and will be televised on ESPN+.

The regular season opener is slated for Tuesday, Nov. 4, against Mount St. Mary's at Hope Coliseum. Season tickets remain on sale and can be purchased by logging on to WVUGAME.com.