Rhode Island's Kelvin Odih makes his college choice; where he'll be playing basketball

Rhode Island’s Kelvin Odih makes his college choice; where he’ll be playing basketball

Posted by Admin October 9, 2024 Basketball

PROVIDENCE — West Virginia’s first four-star men’s basketball recruit since 2020 is a Rhode Island native.

Kelvin Odih pledged to the Mountaineers during a Wednesday evening commitment ceremony at Zuccolo Recreation Center. Family, friends and past coaches with La Salle Academy and grassroots program Rhode Island Elite watched Odih select West Virginia ahead of fellow finalists Louisville and Rutgers.

Odih took official visits with the Mountaineers and Scarlet Knights over the last six weeks. He’ll be joining a rebuilding project headed by new coach Darian DeVries, who was hired away from Drake after reaching the NCAA Tournament three times in the last four years.

“This is something I only get to do one time,” Odih said. “Why not spend it with the people who started with me and my family? I definitely wanted to do it at home.”

Odih’s picture will now line the Federal Hill building’s hallways with college alums from the city such as David Duke Jr., Kimani Lawrence, Miguel Prieto and Deja Ross. Odih sat in a folding chair on the basketball court at the back of the facility flanked by his parents while making his announcement on a live 247Sports stream. The grandstands toward the front of the building were filled with former teammates and community members offering congratulations.

“That just makes me the person I am — the support system that I have,” Odih said. “I thank everybody for coming out here.”

Odih released a top six in August that also included Colorado, Creighton and Oklahoma State. He’s a consensus top-80 national prospect, according to 247Sports, Rivals and On3. Odih started his prep career with the Rams, continued at South Kent (Conn.) and is a month into his senior year at Southern California Academy.

Odih cemented his status as a star with La Salle in 2022-23, earning All-State honors before a transfer to the Cardinals. He prepped for one season while reclassifying and repeating his junior year, moving from 2024 into the 2025 group. Odih announced a September transfer to the Bears after his coach, Raphael Chillious, accepted an offer to join the coaching staff with the Memphis Grizzlies.

More: The La Salle Rams win the Div 1 Boys Basketball Championship over Hendricken

“This is a place where stuff like this doesn’t happen too often,” Odih said. “We’re not really known for having Division I basketball players. I’m taking advantage of this.”

Odih’s lead recruiter for West Virginia was assistant coach Tom Ostrom, who made frequent visits to his Providence home and his new school. Odih said Ostrom has been on multiple cross-country flights over the last month after the change from western Connecticut to the Los Angeles area. The Mountaineers prioritized Odih ahead of reported offers to multiple shooting guards and a handful of small forwards.

“He came to my house many times,” Odih said. “I just went to school in L.A. last month — I can’t count how many times he’s been there. Just showing that I’m important to the program.”

Sacred Heart was first to make an offer to Odih in August 2022. The following summer saw a quick rise in his recruiting. Albany, Marquette and the University of Rhode Island all followed in June 2023, and the Golden Eagles hosted Odih for an official visit in December. Odih also claimed offers from the likes of Florida State, Missouri, LSU, Texas A&M, Iowa, Penn State and Xavier.

“I can’t honestly say that I expected this,” Odih said. “But I just knew that if I continued to work hard every single day — which I did — that I would be happy with the results.”

Odih is the second prominent state native who’s committed to West Virginia in the last two decades. Joe Mazzulla reached a Final Four with the Mountaineers in 2010 after a standout career at Bishop Hendricken. Odih declined to say whether or not Mazzulla had been in touch, but he wouldn’t turn down an invitation to the Auerbach Center and a chance to visit the training facility for the head coach’s NBA champion Boston Celtics.

“Joe’s cool,” Odih said. “I don’t have a relationship with him right now, but I hope to build one in the future.”

DeVries presided over one of the nation’s most efficient offenses in the last four seasons, according to KenPom.com. Drake was a top-75 overall unit three times and a top-40 program in turnover percentage every year. The Bulldogs were a top-5 offensive rebounding team in 2022-23 and 2023-24, an area in which Odih excels as a 6-foot-5 wing who can play above his size.

“Just my versatility — I’m pretty sure I can fit into any college system,” Odih said. “I plan on going to West Virginia and making an impact right away. I’m a dog.”

The Mountaineers should be poised for a quick bounceback from a 9-23 season. They started in turmoil when long-time coach Bob Huggins was forced to resign after a June 2023 arrest for driving under the influence. Interim coach Josh Eilert inherited a challenge that proved too difficult. Illinois forward Amani Hansberry and Tucker DeVries, Darian’s son, are a pair of incoming four-star transfer recruits for 2024-25.

bkoch@providencejournal.com

On X: @BillKoch25