Osahon “Osa” Obasohan, a 6-foot-4, 210-pound guard from Belgium, has joined the University of Hawaii men’s basketball team.
Obasohan was admitted into UH last week and then signed a scholarship agreement.
“The thing that made me pick Hawaii the most is because of all the schools I was talking to, I felt more welcomed with Hawaii,” Obasohan told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser. “They gave me the feeling of home and love.”
He also was familiar with Noel Coleman, a Belgium-reared guard who completed his UH eligibility in March.
“From there, it was easier for me to link with the University of Hawaii,” Obasohan said. “I don’t know (Coleman) personally, but because Belgium is not that big, I know of him. I saw him play in Belgium. I always know all the Belgian guys.”
Obasohan’s brother Retin Obasohan was a multi-skilled guard for Alabama. As a senior in 2016, the elder Obasohan was named to the Southeastern Conference’s first team, the league’s all-defensive team, and was honored as the SEC’s 2016 Scholar Athlete of the Year.
Osahon Obasohan, 21, said he has played basketball since he was 5. He has a 6-7 wing span and can play both guard positions. This past season, he played in the France U21 league for Espoirs Le Mans. He averaged 14.5 points on 63.1% shooting, including 35.1% from behind the arc, and 3.9 assists in 34 games.
After graduating high school in Belgium, he attended The Skills Factory in Atlanta, where he earned a 4.0 grade-point average and took extra-credit online classes from BYU.
He said he is fluent in Dutch, English and French. While he enjoys going to the beach or on walks, he recently “got into meditating.”