Ichima Idoko has emerged as one of the more intriguing newcomers set to make his debut on the MADE Hoops Circuit this spring. The 6-foot-7 Grassroots Sizzle (MN) wing has already made a strong impression playing for one of Minnesota’s premier high school programs at DeLaSalle, flashing a blend of size, athleticism, and upside that stands out.
While his impact on the hardwood is becoming increasingly clear, basketball wasn’t always his first love – a detail that helps explain both his rapid rise and the foundation of his competitive mindset. Growing up, soccer came first. But everything changed in third grade when his dad introduced him to the game.
“I’ve been playing basketball ever since the third grade,” he said. “I fell in love with it.”
From that point on, the gym became home, and the game quickly turned into something more than just an after-school activity.
As his skill set developed, so did his confidence. When asked how he’d describe his game, he pointed to explosive guards who can create for themselves.
“I feel like I play a little like VJ Edgecomb,” he said. “I can get off the dribble, I’m very explosive, and I can get to my shot.”
He studies players who make scoring look effortless, especially guards who control pace and space.
“I usually study Shai because I like the way he gets open, how easy his shots are, and how he creates his own looks.”
The moment he truly believed he could be a high level player came during the summer between seventh and eighth grade. After a tough tournament loss, frustration turned into fuel.
“I was really down, and I just stayed in the gym,” he said. That’s where he met his trainer, almost by chance. “He saw me shooting with my dad and told me to come train. Once he told me I could be special, I just put in the work — and it paid off.”
A major turning point in his development came through his relationship with Coach Brian Sandifer. The two first connected while he was playing for a different team in seventh grade.
“After the game, he came up to me and my dad and asked for my name and introduced himself,” he recalled.
They stayed in touch, and by eighth grade he joined Sandifer’s AAU program. From there, the trust grew quickly.
“I was playing 16s and 17s as an eighth grader,” he said. “He kept putting trust in me, giving me confidence. He made me who I am today.”
It also allowed colleges like Kansas State, Arizona State, UNLV, New Orleans, and UMKC all to evaluate him early and extend offers to the talented sophomore.
Playing up against older competition became a constant theme, and it’s something he credits heavily for his growth.
“Playing up is better,” he said. “You’re playing tougher competition, and when you go back to your grade level, it’s easier. The game slows down because you already know what to do.”
That experience has carried over into his high school season. His team currently sits at 8–2, with one of those losses coming by a single point on the road. A rematch looms, and it’s circled.
“That’s a get-back game,” he said. “We weren’t focused or prepared the first time. At home, it’s going to be different.”
Balancing national competition with local play has only sharpened his edge.
“When I play top competition and come back home, it feels easier,” he said. “But I look at everyone as my rival. I go at everyone hard — no mercy.”
That same mindset is what he plans to bring to the spring circuit.
“I’ll bring that this Spring and Summer too – I’m excited to play MHC,” he said. “We want to win it all and bring it home. I think we’ve got a real chance.”
Despite the buzz surrounding him — including being labeled the top sophomore in the state – his mindset hasn’t shifted.
“It feels good hearing that, but the job’s not done,” he said. “You never know who’s in the shadows.” His routine reflects that mentality: school, gym, shots up, repeat. “You’ve just got to keep stacking the days.”
Looking ahead, the next step is internal. “Probably the mental aspect,” he said. “Getting my focus right.” It’s a daily conversation with himself. “I wake up and ask, ‘Do I really want this?’ And I just keep trusting the process.”
For him, the path forward is clear: stay in the gym, stay hungry, and let the work speak.
