Miami Hurricanes new center Somto Cyril doesn't have the same story as everyone else. He comes from Nigeria where he had to work to get noticed on the national level.
Here is everything he said about his journey down below as he joined Peter Ariz on the CanesPulse YouTube account:
Somto Cyril: First off, it feels great. Great weather, great people overall. So far I like it, nothing crazy.
Peter Ariz: Basketball-wise, what were some of the main factors going into your decision to choose Miami? I know you had a lot of potential options in the portal, but what was it about Miami that made your decision easy?
Somto Cyril: For me, it was the coaching staff that really sold it for me. The game plan and everything, the plan that we have laid out for the season. I really believe in the coaching staff. So, yeah, that's the thing that really stood out for me.
Peter Ariz: Wanted to get into your journey here real quick, man. You didn't take the conventional route, coming from Nigeria, playing in Overtime Elite, now ending up at Miami here. Just talk about, you know, how grateful you are that this is, you know, the next step in your journey, and going back to the beginning, right? Talk about, you know, coming over from Nigeria and that process to get where you are right now.
Somto Cyril: It's a lot, definitely a lot. I feel like my journey is different from everybody else's, which is, it is. Everybody's life is different, different experience, different ways of, you know, getting to where you need to go to. For me playing at Overtime was really like a big step for me because it changed my perspective on my basketball and the business side of everything, and it helped me in different ways, like media, interviews and stuff like that, because it was gonna be a big and stuff like that. Coming from Nigeria, it's like a different cultural lifestyle, people, different opinions and stuff like that. But, it took me a little bit to adjust and, you know, get used to the lifestyle and the culture. I would say that I've been, I'm currently just learning how to adapt to everything.
Peter Ariz: In terms of your basketball journey, how old were you when you started to play?
Somto Cyril: When I really got into basketball I was 13. I started playing like 13, 14, you know, to get used to playing basketball.
Peter Ariz: You played another sport?
Somto Cyril: Yes, I played everything pretty much. I did track 100 meters pretty fast on my 8th game. I played soccer my whole life. I played volleyball, I did long jump, I did all that stuff, so. Basketball kind of like came late for me.
Peter Ariz: And what was it that kind of, was it just the size that kind of drew you to it? I mean, what was it about basketball that you were like, all right, I'm gonna have a future in this?
Somto Cyril: Yeah, my whole life I've been involved in sports somewhere. I played soccer my whole life, pretty much. I thought I was gonna be a soccer player, but, I got too tall for that.
Peter Ariz: Sounds like you're still a little bit sad about it, man.
Somto Cyril: Yes, I am, because I think I am pretty good at soccer, but people think I'm good at basketball. I don't think I'm that good compared to soccer.
Peter Ariz: Watch a lot of JJ Okocha?
Somto Cyril: Yeah, a little bit. He's an icon back at home. Everybody knows about him, so yeah.
Peter Ariz: And when you kind of decided it's gonna be basketball, were people, you know, around you kind of saying, why is he doing this? Like, he's good at soccer? Or did people understand?
Somto Cyril: For me, I came from a very strict family. We are an education-first family. My mom wanted me to go to school, get a degree, get a little job and stuff like that. But as a kid, I know I wanted something different. It was like a tough decision for me because I got to like 6'8 when I was 14.
Peter Ariz: And you were still playing soccer at that point or you were not?
Somto Cyril: A little bit, not as much.
Peter Ariz: You were a target, man, at that point.
Somto Cyril: It was risky playing soccer at that height. You know, I kind of had to make like a competition between, the two. And I started playing basketball at night. There's a lot of ups and downs.
Would you watch videos on YouTube?
Somto Cyril: Actually, yes. I watched a lot of YouTube videos. I can remember, growing up, probably shouldn't be saying this because you're gonna see some people. Growing up, I was in Kentucky, was my dream school. when I started playing basketball back at home, I told myself, one day, eventually, I'm gonna be in that situation. I was watching Kentucky when he left and everything, different plans. I believe it's God's plan at the end of the day, whatever happens. I watched a lot of YouTube, was like one of my favorites. Stuff like that, just kept going. At that point, it felt like it didn't make sense, but I just kept going, eventually.
Peter Ariz: And then you ended up going to overtime. You were how old at that point?
Somto Cyril: I was 17, 16.
Peter Ariz: Yeah, so you came over, you were in Chattanooga, Tennessee. And talk about kind of that transition when you came over here. I mean, talk about the learning experience for you.
Somto Cyril: It was really tough because... Especially in Tennessee, the middle of Tennessee, it was going from like Miami to Tennessee in the middle of winter. Because I got to America in January. It was really cold. I think I stayed a day or two in Tennessee, and my school had like a travel basketball with D.C. and over and stuff like that. You know, it was like different, like, I used to stuff when it's just like, fast, change, environment and everything. The food was different.
Peter Ariz: Is that still tough for you, the food, or are you used to it now at this point?
Somto Cyril: A little bit, because I don't eat like a whole bunch of stuff. I eat healthy. I eat like rice, chicken, and stuff like that. So it's like steak and stuff. So it's not really bad for me now. But then it was different. The people was different, everything was different. So, you know, I just, you know, kept my head down and kept working.
Here is everything he said about his journey down below as he joined Peter Ariz on the CanesPulse YouTube account:
Somto Cyril: First off, it feels great. Great weather, great people overall. So far I like it, nothing crazy.
Peter Ariz: Basketball-wise, what were some of the main factors going into your decision to choose Miami? I know you had a lot of potential options in the portal, but what was it about Miami that made your decision easy?
Somto Cyril: For me, it was the coaching staff that really sold it for me. The game plan and everything, the plan that we have laid out for the season. I really believe in the coaching staff. So, yeah, that's the thing that really stood out for me.
Peter Ariz: Wanted to get into your journey here real quick, man. You didn't take the conventional route, coming from Nigeria, playing in Overtime Elite, now ending up at Miami here. Just talk about, you know, how grateful you are that this is, you know, the next step in your journey, and going back to the beginning, right? Talk about, you know, coming over from Nigeria and that process to get where you are right now.
Somto Cyril: It's a lot, definitely a lot. I feel like my journey is different from everybody else's, which is, it is. Everybody's life is different, different experience, different ways of, you know, getting to where you need to go to. For me playing at Overtime was really like a big step for me because it changed my perspective on my basketball and the business side of everything, and it helped me in different ways, like media, interviews and stuff like that, because it was gonna be a big and stuff like that. Coming from Nigeria, it's like a different cultural lifestyle, people, different opinions and stuff like that. But, it took me a little bit to adjust and, you know, get used to the lifestyle and the culture. I would say that I've been, I'm currently just learning how to adapt to everything.
Peter Ariz: In terms of your basketball journey, how old were you when you started to play?
Somto Cyril: When I really got into basketball I was 13. I started playing like 13, 14, you know, to get used to playing basketball.
Peter Ariz: You played another sport?
Somto Cyril: Yes, I played everything pretty much. I did track 100 meters pretty fast on my 8th game. I played soccer my whole life. I played volleyball, I did long jump, I did all that stuff, so. Basketball kind of like came late for me.
Peter Ariz: And what was it that kind of, was it just the size that kind of drew you to it? I mean, what was it about basketball that you were like, all right, I'm gonna have a future in this?
Somto Cyril: Yeah, my whole life I've been involved in sports somewhere. I played soccer my whole life, pretty much. I thought I was gonna be a soccer player, but, I got too tall for that.
Peter Ariz: Sounds like you're still a little bit sad about it, man.
Somto Cyril: Yes, I am, because I think I am pretty good at soccer, but people think I'm good at basketball. I don't think I'm that good compared to soccer.
Peter Ariz: Watch a lot of JJ Okocha?
Somto Cyril: Yeah, a little bit. He's an icon back at home. Everybody knows about him, so yeah.
Peter Ariz: And when you kind of decided it's gonna be basketball, were people, you know, around you kind of saying, why is he doing this? Like, he's good at soccer? Or did people understand?
Somto Cyril: For me, I came from a very strict family. We are an education-first family. My mom wanted me to go to school, get a degree, get a little job and stuff like that. But as a kid, I know I wanted something different. It was like a tough decision for me because I got to like 6'8 when I was 14.
Peter Ariz: And you were still playing soccer at that point or you were not?
Somto Cyril: A little bit, not as much.
Peter Ariz: You were a target, man, at that point.
Somto Cyril: It was risky playing soccer at that height. You know, I kind of had to make like a competition between, the two. And I started playing basketball at night. There's a lot of ups and downs.
Would you watch videos on YouTube?
Somto Cyril: Actually, yes. I watched a lot of YouTube videos. I can remember, growing up, probably shouldn't be saying this because you're gonna see some people. Growing up, I was in Kentucky, was my dream school. when I started playing basketball back at home, I told myself, one day, eventually, I'm gonna be in that situation. I was watching Kentucky when he left and everything, different plans. I believe it's God's plan at the end of the day, whatever happens. I watched a lot of YouTube, was like one of my favorites. Stuff like that, just kept going. At that point, it felt like it didn't make sense, but I just kept going, eventually.
Peter Ariz: And then you ended up going to overtime. You were how old at that point?
Somto Cyril: I was 17, 16.
Peter Ariz: Yeah, so you came over, you were in Chattanooga, Tennessee. And talk about kind of that transition when you came over here. I mean, talk about the learning experience for you.
Somto Cyril: It was really tough because... Especially in Tennessee, the middle of Tennessee, it was going from like Miami to Tennessee in the middle of winter. Because I got to America in January. It was really cold. I think I stayed a day or two in Tennessee, and my school had like a travel basketball with D.C. and over and stuff like that. You know, it was like different, like, I used to stuff when it's just like, fast, change, environment and everything. The food was different.
Peter Ariz: Is that still tough for you, the food, or are you used to it now at this point?
Somto Cyril: A little bit, because I don't eat like a whole bunch of stuff. I eat healthy. I eat like rice, chicken, and stuff like that. So it's like steak and stuff. So it's not really bad for me now. But then it was different. The people was different, everything was different. So, you know, I just, you know, kept my head down and kept working.
