{"id":545941,"date":"2026-03-19T03:42:20","date_gmt":"2026-03-19T03:42:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/545941\/"},"modified":"2026-03-19T03:42:20","modified_gmt":"2026-03-19T03:42:20","slug":"march-madness-shines-spotlight-on-brampton-basketball-star","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/545941\/","title":{"rendered":"March Madness shines spotlight on Brampton basketball star"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ose Okojie from Brampton is making his mark in the NCAA basketball tournament (Photo by David Sierra for Howard University)<\/p>\n

It\u2019s that time of year again when sports fans across North America turn their attention to U.S. college basketball.<\/p>\n

The NCAA men\u2019s basketball tournament will determine which of 68 college squads is the best, as the winner of the elimination-style competition will be declared national champions and hold bragging rights for at least one year.<\/p>\n

And although the tournament is dominated by American-born players, several Canadians are included on squads this year, including Brampton\u2019s Ose Okojie.<\/p>\n

Okojie, who suits up for Howard University, has already made an impact on the tournament as he scored a career high 23-points in a thrilling 86-83 victory over UMBC last night (March 18) that will see his Bison team advance in the tournament.<\/p>\n

The 6-foot-5 guard helped Howard make school history as the victory was its first-ever win in the tournament after four losses dating back to 1981.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s kind of surreal,\u201d Okojie said after the game. \u201cYou kind of watched this tournament as a kid, and you\u2019re like, I always imagined I\u2019d be here, but to win a game is crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"\" <\/p>\n

The 21-year-old is a senior at the Washington D.C.-based Howard where he studies sports management and sociology. He played his high school basketball at the Toronto-based United Scholastic Academy, a private school that focuses on combining high-performance athletic training with academics. He was valedictorian of his 2022 class.<\/p>\n

Along with his scoring performance, Okojie, usually known for his defensive game, was 9-out-of-15 shooting for the night and was 3-for-3 from the three-point range. He added five rebounds and was 2-for-5 from the foul line.<\/p>\n

With the win, Howard will go up against a basketball powerhouse in the tournament on Thursday (March 19) when they meet top-seeded Michigan.<\/p>\n

His younger brother, Baraka Okojie, 20, plays for Mercer University in Georgia.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n


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