For former Marist men’s basketball center Stephane Ingo, immigrating from Burundi, Africa to Toronto, Canada in his early childhood shaped his hardworking lifestyle and developed his mindset that the game of basketball is a marathon, not a sprint.
Ingo, who is currently a graduate student Marist, showcased how the sport of basketball became a journey that changed his life. Ingo is currently continuing his career playing professional basketball in Canada, with plans to play for the Winnipeg Sea Bears of the Canadian Elite Basketball League over the summer. Simultaneously, Ingo is earning a Master’s degree in Information Systems at Marist this spring. In the future, he hopes to one day parlay his playing career and analytical knowledge into a front office position with a sports franchise.
Growing up as the middle child of two sisters and having parents with a relentless work ethic, Ingo has consistently pushed himself to achieve his goals. He began his basketball journey when he was six years old playing youth basketball, eventually working his way up to play on a travel team in high school. Ingo’s parents, specifically his father, nudged him to get involved in basketball at such a young age.
“We immigrated to Canada when I was six, so my parents, my dad specifically, were working hard to get us here and to have better opportunities,” said Ingo. “The relentless work ethic, he has translated for me into sports, just because I knew how hard I had to work just to get to where I want to be.”
Continuing on this upward trajectory in his basketball career, he played in several tournaments in the United States with his travel team and became more interested in playing basketball at the collegiate level. At the end of high school, he committed to playing Division I basketball at the University of Maine while majoring in both Finance and Management.
During Ingo’s time at the university, he was not only a basketball player; but a member of the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee and Fellow Christian Athletes group. Ingo created a social life outside of basketball and made a lasting impact in his community.
After making his mark in Maine, Ingo knew he wanted to venture somewhere else and seek a change of scenery. Ingo decided to enter the transfer portal to pursue his fifth year at Marist and came into the program with other newcomers, including Patrick Gardner, Kam Farris and Jaden Daughtry.
“I was very fortunate to have two other [graduate] students who were also grad transfers, and a big freshman class,” said Ingo about arriving at Marist in 2022. “Everybody was figuring it out together and it made the older guys, the guys that were already there, welcome us and help us adjust to the new environment.”
Entering Marist as a fifth-year student presented its challenges, but over time, he formed bonds with both his new teammates and coaches that would last a lifetime. The transition from the University of Maine to Marist gave Ingo the opportunity to showcase what he was capable of during his final year of college basketball.
“I definitely felt some pressure for my last year because you’re a senior and you want to help your team succeed,” said Ingo.
During his final year in college hoops, Ingo helped bring the Red Foxes all the way to the MAAC Championship final against Iona. Marist fell short of a win, yet showcased the determination they had created throughout that season.
“He was our anchor on defense and sacrificed himself for the team, that doesn’t get a lot of credit or talked about enough,” said Gardner. “Steph is one of the best teammates and friends you could ask for, and he added leadership to Marist because of his usefulness, discipline and how committed he was on and off the court. Everyone looked up to him.”
Ingo and Gardner have remained close during their post-collegiate careers. Gardner is currently playing for the Long Island Nets, the NBA G League team for the Brooklyn Nets, and would like to showcase his talents globally at the highest level. Gardner wants to resemble Ingo’s motivation and give back to those who helped him along the way.
“Steph is going to do great things. While he’s successful in basketball, the beauty of being him is that he’s very bright and will be beneficial wherever he ends up,” said Gardner.
Ingo has high aspirations for both his basketball and postgraduate career. Upon returning to Canada this summer, Ingo will play for the Sea Bears until September; venturing to Europe to play in either Spain or France is a future goal for Ingo.
Utilizing his academic background, which includes studying finance and management in college and then earning a masters degree in analytics, Ingo hopes to one day land an executive role for a sports team.
“Working for the Raptors, now that would be a dream of mine,” said Ingo. “Growing up watching them and having been a fan my whole life, that would be my dream job.”
Ingo has been motivated from the start, translating his parents strong work ethic into a lifelong journey on and off the court. Surrounded by new faces and a new team dynamic, his core values of leadership and discipline have remained consistent.
While Ingo has achieved much on the court, basketball has given him the skills to excel beyond the paint.
Edited by Ben Leeds and Luke Sassa
Graphic by Cara Lacey; Photos from Stephane Ingo and Marist Athletics
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