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Sports

Okoroh Heading to Howard

Roosevelt basketball star Prince Okoroh commits to Howard University.

had a lengthy list of schools seeking his services, but in the end he chose the one that he thought fit best.

The senior basketball star ended his recruitment last week, committing to play close to home at Division I Howard University. Okoroh said he informed Howard coaches of his decision last Wednesday night.

“Basically, Howard had everything that I wanted in the college of my choice,” Okoroh said Thursday. “They had great academics, and they had my major in chemical engineering, and they had a basketball situation where I felt like I could come in and make an immediate impact as a freshman.”

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Howard finished 6-23 last season, including a 4-12 record in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. Okoroh is the latest local product to sign up with the Bison, joining Gwynn Park guard Brandon Ford, Largo forward Brandon Bailey and Gonzaga forward Oliver Ellison. Okoroh, Bailey and Ford will all take part in the 38th Annual Capital Classic All-Star game at Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro on Sunday.

The 6-foot-5, 208-pound Okoroh averaged 13.4 points per game to lead the Raiders to their second consecutive and .

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Okoroh chose Howard from a group of Division I schools that included Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Maryland-Baltimore County, Loyola, Fordham (N.Y.), New Hampshire, Quinnipiac (Conn.) and Lehigh (Pa.).

Roosevelt coach Brendan O’Connell said Howard should be a good fit for Okoroh, adding that his star senior has the skills to contribute on the court immediately.

“He’s going to have to make an adjustment to college basketball like all guys,” O’Connell said. “There’s certain things he has to work on, but there’s also a few things he brings to the table that I think will allow him a chance to play right away in some spots, too.”

Okoroh — who spent three years on Roosevelt’s varsity — agreed, and said that he feels versatility is one of his biggest assets.

“I can play the two, the three, the four,” he said. “I’m an excellent defensive player, and at the same time, I can score the ball very well in the paint and behind the three-point line. And I’m just a winner; I just do whatever it takes to win. That’s the main thing I can contribute to Howard University, is my winning mentality.”

When asked what he’d like to improve on, Okoroh said he’d like to work on honing his overall game, but particularly his play on the perimeter.

“I’m working on my shooting and my ball handling consistently, because I’m going to be playing more of a guard position when I get there,” he said. “I’m just working on my conditioning, my ball handling, my shooting and everything. I just want to be the best player I can possibly be.”

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