Abdul-Malik Abu didn’t have a wedding gift for his friends Deah Barakat and Yusor Mohammad. So instead, he made them a promise.

When a friend jokingly chided him about not having something to give, the bride and groom told Abu to make sure he beat Duke and North Carolina.

Abu fulfilled that promise. But Barakat and Mohammad never got to see it.

They were two of the three Chapel Hill (North Carolina) shooting victims on Feb. 10. Craig Stephen Hicks, 46, shot Barakat, Mohammad and Mohammad’s sister, Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, in Barakat’s apartment, police said.

The promise Abu made still drives him as eighth-seeded North Carolina State (22-13, 10-8 Atlantic Coast) looks to continue its run against No. 4 seed Louisville (26-8, 12-6) in the NCAA Tournament on Friday at 7:37 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.

Barakat and Abu met on Abu’s recruiting visit at North Carolina State at a mosque in Raleigh, North Carolina. When Abu arrived on campus, Barakat made Abu feel at home. He said he still thinks about the three every day.

“I just remember we were both like, ‘Damn, that really just happened,’” said Omar Khanani, a mutual friend, of his and Abu’s reaction to Barakat’s death. “We were both just shocked. What could cause that to happen?”

Barakat was a diehard fan that Abu said followed his recruitment and made Raleigh feel like home, making his decision easier because he knew he had people who cared about him at N.C. State.

Fandom turned into friendship, as Barakat befriended Abu. In October, Barakat celebrated Eid al-Adha, an Islamic celebration, with his friends and invited Abu.

While at N.C. State, Barakat arranged a basketball tournament run by the Muslim Student Association.

“We had made it to the finals and (Abu) was our coach,” said Imad Ahmad, Barakat’s former roommate. “He was telling us what to do because we were down. He was telling us plays.”

The team lost in overtime, but after the game Barakat thanked Abu and hugged him.

All the while, Abu worked on fulfilling his promise. After the Wolfpack beat Duke, 87-75, on Jan. 11, Barakat and Mohammad nearly saw Abu complete the promise three days later. Abu stood at the charity stripe with two shots, 0.2 seconds left, and a three-point deficit. Drilling the first made the score 81-79. The next shot peaked above the backboard and crashed off the front rim. The ball was tipped away, and hopes for a putback or tip-in evaporated.

Just less than a month passed, and on Feb. 10, Barakat, along with his wife and sister-in-law, were killed.

Khanani, a former professional basketball player overseas, was playing basketball in a gym at N.C. State and his phone blew up. The texts left the situation unclear. He didn’t know whether Barakat was dead or not, because no one would say for sure. When it was confirmed that night, he called Abu.

“A lot of people looked up to him,” Abu said. “His life was on the upward path to something big. It’s sad to see him go so soon.”

Abu described himself as “in denial,” but forced himself to refocus for a game against Virginia the next day. Five minutes into the game, Abu slammed a block off the backboard, ran the floor and dunked home an alley-oop. After the play, Khanani said he pointed to the sky for Barakat, Mohammad and Abu-Salha.

The day after the game, the funeral was held. People packed the Islamic Association of Raleigh and the N.C. State soccer field. Khanani and Abu attended the burial together. Because of the number of people that showed up, the two had to walk to the soccer field and burial.

“I just remember when me and him were walking,” Khanani said. “As we got closer to where the graveyard was, you felt it more. You got chills.”

Two weeks later, N.C. State beat North Carolina in Chapel Hill for the first time in 13 years. Barakat’s family attended the game. The game gave Abu closure, Khanani said.

But the promise he made and Barakat’s death still motivate him.

“I hope to win a national title for him,” Abu said, “and all the people that support N.C. State and all the people in Raleigh.”

Abu never promised a run in the NCAA Tournament. But after two improbable wins, every game and its increasing importance reminds him of his friends that always supported him.

Published on March 27, 2015 at 12:29 am

Contact Chris: cjlibona@syr.edu | @ChrisLibonati