LAKEWOOD -- Adaugo Osuala is far from intimidating. She stands at 5-foot-7, almost short for girls basketball standards, and her build is not that of a superstar. She is quiet at first, but as soon as she cracks a smile, it never seems to leave her face.

It might be hard to imagine that the reserved Osuala led the state in steals last season, led her Green Mountain team in scoring, was all-state honorable mention as a sophomore, and now, as a junior, has Division 1 coaches coming out to see her play.

It also might be hard to believe that Osuala hasn't been playing basketball since she could walk. Born in Isunjaba, Nigeria, she and her family moved to the United States when she was entering third grade. Osuala's father, Stanley, had been here for about seven years before she and the rest of the family - brother Chidozie, sister Chi and mother Augusta - joined him here in Colorado. Stanley spent years building a life for his family so they could have access to better education and more choices for college.

Adaugo Osuala is a junior at Green Mountain High School. The Alumni/Leah Millis

At first, knowing little to no English and getting adjusted to her father back in her life was challenging. "It was kind of awkward because when I was little I really didn't know my dad very well, so I was always with my mom, but we're fine now," Osuala said.

One of Osuala's first coaches in Nigeria saw her playing around the gym when she was in third grade and saw talent. When he asked her to play, at first Osuala didn't know what basketball was, but after watching for a while, she agreed to try it. "He asked me if I wanted to play basketball, so I said OK because I had nothing better to do," she said.

The game has become a full-blown passion as Osuala's natural talent has started to shine through. By the time she reached high school, she was making an impression on Green Mountain's head varsity coach, Jim Miller. "First time I saw her, I went ‘Wow,' " Miller said, emphasizing her quickness

Her teammates characterize her as the fun spirit on the team, saying that she always has a smile on her face and never stops cheering on her teammates. But make no mistake, Osuala is a hard worker.

Junior Cassie McGurk, one of Osuala's longtime friends, appreciates how much work Osuala puts into her game. "She works really, incredibly hard, and even if we're having a bad time, she's always trying to help everything," McGurk said. "She's always working her hardest." Senior teammate Kayley Lewark knows how much effort Osuala puts into her game, saying that she "always works to her full ability."

McGurk added, "Without her, I don't really think we would have the team that we [have today]."

Osuala picks up her share of fouls as she continues to learn the game. But that aggressiveness can help her mature, and Miller is looking for her to emerge as a leader.

"I really want to help my teammates out," she said. "We play so much better when we play as a team."

Green Mountain enters 2008-09 with an eighth-place ranking, its first statewide ranking in more than a decade. The team graduated just two seniors and Miller counts himself lucky to find himself coaching such "incredible young ladies."

Lewark stressed that team chemistry will be the key, with Osuala commanding a major role. "No one person," Lewark said, "can beat any five people on the court."