Folarin Campbell facts for kids

Folarin Yaovi Campbell (born February 27, 1986) is an American basketball player. He also has Nigerian roots. He played for the Maccabi Kiryat Motzkin team in Israel.

Before playing professionally, Folarin played college basketball. He was a guard for the George Mason Patriots team. During his second year, in 2006, his team made a surprising run. They reached the Final Four in the NCAA Tournament. Because of this, the team was called the "Cinderella Team."

Folarin Campbell's Early Life and High School Basketball

Folarin Campbell grew up in Lanham, Maryland. He went to several schools there. These included Glenridge Elementary and Kenmoor Middle School. He also attended Charles Carroll Middle School. For one year, he went to Fairmont Heights High School.

In 2001, Folarin moved to Silver Spring, Maryland. He graduated from Springbrook High School in 2004. While at Springbrook, he was a top player. The Washington Post newspaper chose him for their first-team All-Metropolitan. This happened in both his junior and senior years. As a junior, he was the best scorer in Montgomery County. He averaged 26.3 points in each game.

College Basketball Career at George Mason

Folarin Campbell chose to play basketball at George Mason University. He picked George Mason over other big schools. These included Providence, Boston College, and Georgetown.

Freshman Year Success

As a freshman in the 2004–05 season, Folarin played in 29 games. He started one game. He was named to the CAA All-Rookie team. He averaged 6.4 points and 2.2 rebounds per game.

The Cinderella Team: Sophomore Year

In his second year, Folarin was a key player. He helped George Mason reach the 2006 Final Four. This was a huge surprise in college basketball. He started 34 out of 35 games that season. Folarin scored a lot of points in the NCAA Tournament. He scored double figures in all five of Mason's tournament games. He had 21 points against Michigan State. He scored 15 points against North Carolina. He also had 16 points against Wichita State. And 15 points against Connecticut.

Junior and Senior Year Highlights

During his junior year, Folarin was named Third-Team All-CAA. He was the top scorer for his team. He also led in assists, 3-pointers, and steals. He was one of only two players in his league to rank high in scoring, assists, and steals.

Folarin finished his college career with more honors. He was chosen for the Second-Team All-CAA. He scored 15 or more points in 17 straight games. This streak happened before the NCAA Tournament in 2007–08. He scored double figures 76 times in his college career. Folarin is the only player in George Mason history to achieve certain stats. He had over 1,500 points, 450 rebounds, and 350 assists. He also had 150 three-pointers, 100 steals, and 50 blocks.

Professional Basketball Journey

After college, Folarin Campbell started his professional career. He signed his first contract in Italy. He played for Solsonica Rieti in the 2008–09 season.

Playing in Germany and Italy

The next year, Folarin moved to Germany. He played for the Artland Dragons in the 2009–2010 season. Then, he played for Telekom Baskets Bonn in Germany during the 2010–11 season. After two years in Germany, Folarin went back to Italy. He played briefly for FastWeb Casale Monferrato. For the 2011–2012 season, he played for Pallacanestro Sant'Antimo in Italy.

Later Career Teams

In November 2012, Folarin signed with BK Ventspils in Latvia. He then played for Enel Brindisi and MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg. On March 2, 2015, he signed with Orlandina Basket. On October 15, 2015, Folarin signed with Czarni Słupsk in Poland.

His last known team was Maccabi Kiryat Motzkin. He signed with this Israeli team on September 29, 2017. He played for them during the 2017–18 season.

Personal Life

Folarin Campbell has Nigerian heritage. His name, Folarin, comes from the Yoruba people. It means "Walking with wealth." His parents are Quasi and Teni Campbell. Folarin has inspired his family members to play basketball too.