By Jim Fenton
BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Precious Okoh (Brockton, Mass.) has one word to sum up the wild basketball ride he's been on the past decade.
"Crazy," said the senior guard on the Bridgewater State University men's team.
That is a fitting description of the various twists and turns Okoh has taken through high schools, prep schools, a Division 1 college in northern New England, a junior college in Kansas and now at BSU, just a few miles from home.
He played as a freshman and sophomore at Cardinal Spellman High School in Brockton (2014-16) and as a junior at Brockton High School (2016-17). Okoh then transferred to Springfield Commonwealth Academy for the 2017-18 season and moved to the Bradford Christian Academy in Haverhill (2018-19).
Okoh's play earned him a spot on the University of Maine roster (2019-21), then he transferred to Independence Community College in Kansas (2021-22).
With two years of eligibility remaining, Okoh returned to Brockton and was unsure about continuing to attend college and playing basketball.
But he found a home at Bridgewater State beginning in the fall of 2022, and the Bears have gone 20-6 in the games Okoh has played in 2022-23 and 2023-24.
It has certainly been a crazy ride for Okoh, but he is enjoying the final stop with the Bears.
"I look back, it's really been a journey," said Okoh after a recent practice. "To see where I've been, how hard I've worked. I think about it sometimes. It's been a crazy, crazy journey.
"I'm glad this is where my college career is ending. I'm thankful for the opportunity."
Okoh and second-seeded BSU open the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference tournament on Thursday night (7:30) with a semifinal-round game at the Tinsley Center against an opponent to be determined Tuesday night.
Since making his season debut on Dec. 30, Okoh has helped the Bears (13-11, 9-3 MASCAC) turn things around, winning 10 of 14 games after the semester break.
Okoh is averaging a team-best 18.9 points and is second with 5.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.1 steals in 30 minutes. Last season, Okoh played 12 first-semester games and averaged 20.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 1.6 steals.
Following two years at Cardinal Spellman and one season with the Brockton Boxers, Okoh decided to play in the New England Prep School Athletic Conference at Springfield Commonwealth, then moved to Bradford Christian Academy a year later to get more playing time.
"Before I went to prep school, I was definitely a college basketball player, in my opinion," said Okoh. "But those schools were run like a college already. The way they structured it, had practice, paid attention to detail, it took my game to a new level.
"I was around kids from all over the world -- Australia, England, New York, Chicago. I got to battle with high level kids, three and four-star kids, and I was just a kid from Brockton. At first it was a hard adjustment, but over a couple of months my game really grew and I was able to play with people who were better athletically than me. I was able to match that competition pretty fast."
At Bradford Christian, Okoh received honorable mention on the New England Preparatory Athletic Council AA team and received interest from UMass Amherst, UMass Lowell, Holy Cross and Southern New Hampshire. He decided on Maine and moved into the rotation right away as a freshman in the 2019-20 season.
"That summer was really, really hard getting used to the Division 1 system," said Okoh. "One of the first couple of weeks, my coach was yelling at me in practice that if I don't understand the plays, I might as well just start doing the clock at practice.
"He wanted me to play, but his offense was complex. Once I got the hang of it, it was really, really fun and I was able to play right away."
Okoh played 30 games, starting four, as a freshman for the Black Bears and averaged 3.1 points and 1.2 rebounds with a 14-point performance against UMass Lowell.
A year later, Okoh played eight games and started three, averaging 4.8 points and 1.9 rebounds. He decided to transfer ("I wasn't having fun playing basketball'') but said the time in Maine was a boost to his basketball skills.
"It was an amazing experience, being able to meet new people, build new connections," said Okoh. "Some of my closest friends, I met there. Maine is really cold and there isn't anything to do, so I was in the gym constantly. I never watched TV. I was in the gym or in school.
"It was hard in Division 1 because you had to perform every day. That's the difference between the levels. Practice is more important than games sometimes. It's the same here, but not to the same extent. There, you had to be ready at practice, you had to make shots at practice, you couldn't turn the ball over. I took that over to today and it helps me be a better leader."
The next stop was Independence, Kansas, and junior college basketball where Okoh played 16 games with 10 starts for Independence CC, averaging 6.7 points and 2.6 rebounds in the 2021-22 season.
"We played some of the people I see on TV now," said Okoh. "It was an interesting year. JUCO was an interesting experience -- in the middle of nowhere, driving three, four, six hours to games in a little van. But it made me way better and tougher. I was able to stay focused. I'm happy for that.''
Okoh came back to Massachusetts in the summer of '22 and thought about giving up basketball and college.
But it was suggested that Bridgewater State would be a good option, and Okoh decided to take it.
"After the JUCO experience, I didn't know if I wanted to continue school," he said. "I gave my all to this game. I did everything I could. It wasn't loving me the way I loved it. I was OK. I did everything I could with this game.
"I was working over the summer and my boss was like, 'Why don't you just go to Bridgewater and play?' I didn't know if I wanted to go to Bridgewater. He said, 'It's right next to home. You're able to still work and help your family.' At that time, me and my family were going through a lot. That's why I wanted to be home and work and help my mom out.
"My boss was like, 'There's no way you're just going to stop playing basketball.' So I went to Bridgewater. I met coach Mac (Matt McLaughlin). It's been wonderful. Definitely my favorite school I've been to."
McLaughlin, now in his second season, is pleased to have an experienced and talented player in his program.
"He fell in our laps and we're grateful," said McLaughlin. "He's great for our locker room. He's well respected and liked. Everybody enjoys him. As soon as he steps on the floor, the level is raised. If you're playing with him, you know you've got to be on your game. If you're playing against him, you've got to be ready.
"He has a maturity about him. He has experience and his personality is just positive, it's uplifting. He's very self-aware. He could come in here and say, 'The heck with everybody, I'm going to take the ball and do whatever I want.' He's done the exact opposite. He's here to help, He's here to work with the guys and be a member of the team. He's a supportive guy."
Okoh is averaging 21.6 points and 5.3 rebounds and is shooting 42 percent from 3-point range in his 26 career games at BSU.
What he wants most is to leave with a MASCAC championship this week and a trip to the NCAA Division 3 tournament.
"I've worked hard every practice," said Okoh. "I didn't come here with a head like, 'Oh, I played Division 1.' That doesn't mean anything to me. I came here to win a championship.
"To win, it would feel like all this hard work went to something positive. I want to keep something rolling for Coach Mac and the staff for years to come. I want to set an example so that 10 years from now, the foundation I was able to help set is there."
At some point this winter, the crazy basketball journey that went from high schools to prep schools to three colleges will be ending.
Okoh had a taste of Division 1 and now he's looking for a championship for BSU.
"I watch the (Division 1 games) and I know God had a different plan for me and I'm not worried about it at all," said Okoh. "I know where He's going to take me. My job is to get better every day and win this MASCAC championship.
"It feels good to be home. I do enjoy it. I love the Bridgewater environment, the town. There's a lot of love. They all love basketball and they make it fun to be here every day."