Work hard and be humble. Although this might sound like simple, fortune-cookie wisdom, for transfer student Nikolas “Niko” Skouen, it is a recipe for success.
Skouen, a Norwegian-born student, earned a spot on Pepperdine University’s basketball team after an outstanding season at Pratt Community College.
“I would consider Niko one of the hardest workers that I have ever been around,” said Pepperdine basketball Head Coach Marty Wilson emphatically. “He has a great desire to succeed and it is no accident that he is good at what he does, because he puts in the extra hours.”
Standing at 6 feet 4 inches and 190 pounds, Skouen joins a Pepperdine team full of excitement. With a young coaching staff and many untested players, Pepperdine craves a return to its winning ways.
Coach Wilson and his staff are generating buzz in the Pepperdine community by implementing a fast-paced game plan.
“I don’t know what our record is going to be, but I can tell you we’re going to be fun to watch,” said Wilson at a preseason pep-rally. “We’re going to shoot a lot of threes and run the floor. We’re going to play hard.”
That strategy should suit Skouen. In high school, while playing for a Norwegian club-team, he scored 67 points in a game, making 10 three-point field goals.
Skouen’s teammates have noticed his potential.
“Niko will really help our shooting percentage. He will expand defenses with his range,” Pepperdine senior Taylor Darby said.
Skouen knows his role on the team, and how important it is for him to perform.
“Every great team that wins championships has a shooter,” he remarks. “If I can shoot from deep, people have to respect that, and it’s going to open things up for the rest of the team.”
Coach Wilson is quick to agree.
“We have a strong need for skilled players and his ability to shoot from long range will ultimately allow us to open the floor and create more opportunities for others.”
If he can produce, the fight for playing time is wide open. Skouen takes nothing for granted and is fully aware of how unique this opportunity is. His journey to Pepperdine was not always an easy one. Coming from Norway, a country not known for its basketball prowess, presented its challenges. But through faith, family, and a dedication to excellence he overcame and prospered.
Skouen began playing basketball after watching Michael Jordan’s “Space Jam” at the age of 9. He picked up a basketball and has been playing ever since. He would routinely spend five hours a day practicing and running drills.
His work ethic and talent was immediately apparent. However, Norwegian schools do not have basketball teams. His competitive career began when 12-year-old Adrian Mekki, a childhood friend, told the 10-year-old Skouen he should play for a club team. Skouen found his first basketball home with the Ulriken Eagles.
Growing up, Skouen was accustomed to athletic excellence. Prior to basketball he played tennis with his father, Jan Strure Skouen, who is a four-time national champion in the sport.
Seeing his father triumph on the tennis court, Skouen was determined to find that same level of success on the hardwood. “I wanted to be the best player in the country,” he recalled. His efforts paid off when he got an opportunity to play for Norway’s national team.
Playing for his home country is a great honor, Skouen said. “I really want to make this country proud. You get to compete against NBA players and Europe’s superstars. It’s great.”
As proud as he was to play for Norway, Skouen dreamed of playing in America. He got the opportunity in 2009 when he came to play for Pratt Community College in Kansas. Though he had to cope with the disappointment of not playing for a Division I school.
Skouen, although frustrated by his circumstances, proceeded with humility and a positive outlook. His attitude is founded in his Christian faith and family upbringing.
“My parents told me as long as you work hard and you try every possibility, you’ll always have some door open,” said Skouen.
That door opened when Jesse Shaw, the head coach at Pratt Community College, saw film of Skouen. At Pratt, Skouen benefited from 24/7 gym hours. Whenever he was not in class, he prioritized working out.
“I thought about getting a Division I body. I started waking up at 5:30 in the morning,” he said “That’s pretty much what I did: eating, sleeping, basketball, and school.”
As a freshman, Skouen was given an opportunity to get ample playing time and adjust to American basketball. However, it was not just the game Skouen needed to adapt to. Living in a foreign culture had its own challenges.
“It was shocking. When Europeans think about America they think about the buildings, they think about L.A. and things like that,” he said. Skouen found himself in Pratt, Kansas. “It was flat. It was full of cows. But there were good people.”
One such person, James Enick, was a teammate. Enick’s father is a priest and the three of them often played basketball together. One day he invited Skouen to church and he accepted.
Skouen grew up in a Christian home. However, it was not until coming to Kansas that he really claimed it for himself.
“It changed my life,” he said. “The more I focused on others and not myself, and worked for God and others, I felt better results for myself.”
His attitude off the court propelled his play on the court. After averaging 14.9 points per game and showing his versatility with 5.1 rebounds per game, he captured the attention of Pepperdine’s coaching staff and earned a spot on its roster.
“Niko is the hardest worker I have ever coached,” said former coach Jesse Shaw in a Pratt Community College news release. He adds, “He came here with a dream, he did everything in his power to achieve that dream, and he landed in a big-time Division I Conference because of his work ethic. He’s exactly the kind of person you want to see achieve success.”
Now at Pepperdine, Skouen is excited to join a Waves team he believes is ready to make a challenge.
“You can see the fire in [Coach Wilson’s] eyes,” he said. The coaches and the team are really ready to do something big.”
Skouen is majoring in psychology, and wants to work with athletes after his basketball career is over. He knows how important mental toughness is for basketball players.
Although he wants to play basketball professionally, he is determined to live in the moment and let the future handle itself.
“I’m so grateful. There is so little chance a Norwegian player could be here. I believe I’m here now for a reason.” Besides, he concludes, “It’s as much the journey as the end result.”