Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs basketball fans will see three new faces making a difference this season: Armelie Lumanu, Chanel Mokango and Rima Kalonda, all of whom are originally from Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa.
All three play on Congo’s National Team, and have played the last two years at Southeastern Illinois College, a community college and member of the National Junior College Athletic Association. Led by the trio, Southeastern Illinois finished 32-3 and went deep into the NJCAA National Tournament.
Lumanu, a 5 feet 9 inches guard, forward, was a first team NJCAA All-American last season at Southeastern Illinois and averaged 15.6 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. She also made over 31 percent of her three-point shots.
Mokango, a 6 feet 5 inches forward/guard, was a second team NJCAA All-American last season, averaging 13.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Kalonda, a 6 feet 3 inches forward/center, averaged 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game last year.
“What I really love about them is their intensity and their passion for the game,” Lady Bulldog head coach Sharon Fanning said. “It’s been a real challenge for them to come to the United States and to adjust academically, culturally. It’s a huge adjustment. They’re real competitors, and they love to win.”
Growing up in Africa, Mokango said she didn’t even think about basketball much, preferring to dance. Once she grew to be so tall, people began to tell her that she ought to play basketball. She said she was reluctant at first and didn’t know if she could do it, but soon she began impressing everyone.
On the other hand, Lumanu always was confident she could play basketball from the beginning. Like Mokango and Kalonda, she worked her way up to Congo’s junior national team and eventually to the national team.
Coach Greg Franklin saw them playing for Congo in Nigeria and offered them the chance to join the team at Southeastern Illinois, which they accepted.
The trio was recruited by schools around the country, including recently Final Four participants Rutgers and LSU, after their freshman season. Franklin, who was head coach at Southeastern Illinois their freshman year, is now as assistant coach at MSU, and played a big role in bringing them to Mississippi State. Franqua Bedell, the 2007-08 head coach at Southeastern Illinois, is now an assistant at MSU as well.
“There was another college that wanted me, but I picked Mississippi State because it’s big,” Kalonda said. “It was coach [Franklin] and coach Fanning, they asked me to come.”
Lumanu said she also likes MSU because it’s big.
“I choose [MSU] because they tried to talk to us,” Lumanu said. “I didn’t visit another university; the first university I visited was Mississippi State. When I was coming to visit, I saw that it was big and I liked it. It’s a nice college.”
Mokango said she credited the coaching staff as the main reason why she chose MSU. She said that having two other players on the team with a similar background has really helped her adjust and fit in on the team.
“We’re like family,” she said.
Fanning said she expects to see immediate results from the trio.
“All three of them should have an immediate impact: their presence in the post position, their size, their strength, their quickness, and at the perimeter, the same with Armelie. All three of these girls are expected to play and to make a huge contribution,” Fanning said.
“I want to be here. I want to be better,” Mokango said.
Kalonda echoed Mokango’s sentiment.