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Sports

A Star On And Off The Floor

Eleanor Roosevelt graduate and incoming Howard University freshman Prince Okoroh has balanced his athletic accomplishments with an impressive academic career.

talent on the basketball court gained the former Eleanor Roosevelt High School standout an athletic scholarship to Howard University.

It’s his dedication to performing well in the classroom, though, that may be even more impressive.

You didn't have to worry about eligibility stuff with Prince, Roosevelt coach Brendan O’Connell said. “It’s weird, because, like, in the offseason and stuff, he would miss practice or miss a workout or miss a running session. But it’s because he was going to take a college class at Johns Hopkins or something like that. So how can I get mad at him, you know?”

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Okoroh — who was awarded a Gates Millennium Scholarship at Roosevelt — took part in the 2011 World Scholar-Athlete Games in the Greater Hartford, Conn. area, which ran June 26 through July 4.

The event was held in conjunction with the World Youth Peace Summit and attracted 1,500 participants from 150 different countries.

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“We had leadership clinics where we built up our leadership skills,” Okoroh said. “We met important leaders in the world, like, for example, Colin Powell. We were from all over the world, so we got to know each other and know each other’s culture and just connect overall.”

According to the event’s official Facebook page: “The World Scholar-Athlete Games is an event for high-school age students from around the world whose achievements in sports or the arts can promote understanding and friendship among citizens worldwide.”

At the World Scholar-Athlete Games basketball tournament, Okoroh said he averaged 22 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 blocks and 2 steals per game for his team, which went undefeated. He was also named MVP of the All-Star game.

“I met people from Ireland, from Sri Lanka — from places that I don’t know what the place looks like in my mind,” Okoroh said. “It was just amazing to be in an atmosphere with so many different people and just to realize that we’re the same, even though we’re from so many different places.”

The 6-foot-5 Okoroh played three years of varsity basketball at Roosevelt, starting all three. As a senior, he averaged 13.4 points per game to lead the Raiders to their second consecutive and . He in April, and was named Most Valuable Player of the Capital Classic’s preliminary game the following week.

Expectations are high for Okoroh to help turn around a program that won just six games a year ago and has endured a lengthy streak of 20-loss seasons.

“I think Prince is going to be a very productive college player,” O’Connell said, “but there always is an adjustment period for making that jump from high school to college. I think he’s going to have a great career, but his game is going to face an adjustment level, especially at the beginning adjusting to the speed and the strength and the athleticism at that level.”

Okoroh said he’s prepared for the challenge.

“I’ve been working on my body to have a college-sized body,” he said. “I’ve been working on, like, my footwork and my agility and my jump shot. I’ve just been doing things to improve myself as an all-around player.”

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