In just 50 days, men's basketball freshman Mustapha Amzil went from signing his letter of intent to play college basketball to being named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week. For Amzil, basketball is not only a game he loves, but a chance to share all he's accomplished with his friends and family back home, while also showing what he can do on the court to an international audience. 

Amzil always enjoyed being active and playing sports as a kid. He played soccer competitively for seven years, as his dad is from Morocco and soccer is the most popular sport in the country. However, when his parents allowed him to play basketball, he fell in love with the game and eventually decided to focus on the sport full time.
 
Amzil stated his time playing soccer allowed him to develop his footwork and become a better athlete as a whole. He loves the competitive nature of basketball and is always focused on winning the next game.

"I'm very competitive and I hate losing," he said. "I always want to compete because losing is the worst feeling for me."

At a towering 6-foot-10, Amzil was always one of the taller athletes on the court, giving him an advantage that helped him decide to stick to the hardwood, rather than the pitch. He also realized he was simply better than many of his competitors on the court while playing.

Amzil first heard about UD while back in Finland in summer 2019. He had 10 offers in 11 days after coming to the U.S. in the fall of 2020, but committed to Dayton because of the culture of building relationships set out by the coaching staff. While unable to visit campus during the pandemic, Amzil's virtual visits convinced him to commit.

"The first thing I noticed was how the coaches talked to me," Amzil said. "I felt like I was a priority."

Like any international player, Amzil needed to adjust to the culture in the United States. He has noticed a more social culture among the people as compared to Finland, but also noted his father's outgoing personality helped him meet new people in the States, and interact well with his teammates and coaches. 

"People are more social here as compared to Finland," Amzil said. "I've also been social because my dad is from Morocco and the social culture there is big. Adjusting to different situations and meeting new people is one of my strengths."

English is Amzil's third language, as he is fluent in Finnish and Arabic. Beginning school in the middle of the year, just like joining the team in the middle of the season presented a challenge for him. His teammates, coaches, and support staff helped him both adjust to life in the United States while learning how to be a successful student-athlete.

"I got a lot of help, especially in the first couple of weeks from my fellow teammates and coaches," Amzil said. "The staff and coaches made sure I kept on top of things and managed my time outside of basketball."

Amzil played on Finland's U16 and U18 national teams, serving as the captain for the U18 team in 2019. As the captain of the U18 team, he averaged 12.4 points and 7.3 rebounds in seven games at the All-European Championships. He helped the U18 national team win the All-Nordic and Baltic Sea Cup Championships in 2019, averaging 16.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 2.4 steals per game in the All-Nordic tournament. 

He developed through his national teams because of the high-level of competition, which challenged the always-competitive Amzil to test himself against some of the best players in Europe.

"The games themselves gave me confidence when I played well because international teams are the highest level I can play at as a young player," Amzil said. "Playing with the best players in your country helps you learn and has a great impact on everyone's game."

Even with only a few practices under his belt, Amzil immediately made a significant impact on the court. On Dec. 30, 2020, he made his first career appearance and start against La Salle, scoring an impressive 22 points on 9-of-14 shooting, while adding seven rebounds in 36 minutes. Amzil followed up that effort with 15 more points, 6-of-13 shooting, and six rebounds in 35 minutes in a win against George Mason on Jan. 2, 2021. These performances earned Amzil A-10 Rookie of the Week, an award he did not know about until after he received recognition.

Not only had he earned immediate recognition from the A-10, but his stellar and tenacious play also earned him admiration from UD's coaching staff, including head coach Anthony Grant.

I thought Mustapha did a good job for us," Coach Grant said after Amzil was named A-10 Rookie of the Week on January 4. "Obviously, being put in the starting lineup with three practices was a challenge, but he's got a very, very high basketball IQ and he's got a toughness about him. He's a worker and loves the game.  I thought he handled it all pretty well."

Over the course of 19 games played which included 15 starts, Amzil averaged 9.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, shot .496 from the field and made 26 threes on the season. He reached double-figures in 13 of his 19 games. His performances were good enough to earn him a spot on the A-10 All-Rookie team for the 2020-21 season. 

Amzil credits his strong performances on the court to his teammates and coaches, who consistently challenged him to perform better through the year.
"I'm blessed and thankful to win these awards because without my teammates and my coaches I wouldn't be in this situation," Amzil said. "It's been easy to play with the guys and I've been enjoying every moment of it."

He also attributed his performances to focusing on doing the little things right and trying not to let the jitters that come with starting a college basketball career get to him.

"I started thinking about doing the small stuff right such as going hard for the rebounds," Amzil said. "I didn't want to rush the offense, but when I shot my first shot and it went in, that helped alleviate some pressure."

From his perspective, Amzil is able to play a game he has enjoyed his whole life, just on a bigger, more recognized and publicized stage. This helped him adjust to playing college basketball.

"It's still the same game I've played my whole life, just with bigger arenas," Amzil said.

Amzil's family is important to him. His parents, Katri and Brahim Amzil, stay up and watch all of his games back home, even with most games starting after midnight local time. Sometimes they even provide feedback as to what their son can improve upon for future games.  

"If it's late they will try to sleep before the game or they will otherwise stay up to watch," Amzil said about how his parents manage to watch every game. "They have always been a big part of my basketball career and have always been very supportive." 

Amzil also has three siblings – two sisters, Latifa and Safia and a brother, Abdullah. Like Mustapha, Latifa also played in the Finnish Junior National program. She currently plays at Cisco College, a junior college in Cisco, Texas located west of Fort Worth. He is glad to have her to talk to without having to deal with a significant time difference. Amzil added that she plays similar to him, and believes Latifa has a bright future ahead as she pursues a DI scholarship.

He most enjoyed the people at UD from both the basketball side and the personal side during his first year. Amzil looks forward to being back in front of the consistently large and passionate UD Arena crowds next season.

"I've heard a lot of great things [about the fans]," Amzil said. "I can't wait to play the game in front of all of the people and enjoy the game with all of my teammates while also winning games. The goal is to win a championship in front of all the people."

Mustapha's success on the court has earned him recognition from halfway around the world. On Feb. 5, 2021, Moroccan reporter Ali Sadif visited UD Arena to cover Mustapha and the Flyers in their matchup against George Mason, a game which coincidentally featured a visit from Cincinnati Bengals' quarterback Joe Burrow. Mustapha scored 10 points on 4-for-9 shooting while grabbing three rebounds in the Flyers' 74-65 win that evening.

While basketball is not necessarily popular in Morocco as compared to other sports (soccer is the biggest sport in Morocco, according to Amzil) Amzil's play and media coverage from Morocco has allowed him to expose the sport and Dayton men's basketball to kids across the country. While he is a product of the Finnish National Program, Amzil has also received much praise from those in his father's home country.

"Some Moroccan fans have sent me messages after games telling me how much they enjoyed watching me play and how they look forward to seeing the next game," Amzil said. "It gives me pride to represent the country and [have] an effect on them. It's also great to show kids in Morocco that there is someone whose family is from there that is playing basketball at such a high level."

Amzil has visited 20 countries in his lifetime, but with continued success on the court, he may have fans from 200. In just 19 games at UD, Amzil has endeared himself to fans with his tough and smart play and timely shooting, earning him Atlantic 10 recognition as a freshman with hopefully further recognition to come. He fell in love with basketball as a kid because of its competitive nature, and he has shown coaches, teammates, opponents, and fans he is a worthy competitor on the court, all while becoming a worthy influence for family, friends, and fans around the world.