The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Ovie Soko Signs To Play Basketball At UAB
8/3/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Aug. 3, 2009
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- Ovie Soko, a 6-8, 215-pound forward from London, England who attended high school in Virginia, has signed to play basketball at UAB, according to an announcement by head coach Mike Davis.
Soko becomes the sixth signee of the 2009-10 class and the fourth high school player to sign with the Blazers. Soko joins other high school signees Anthony Criswell (Oklahoma City, Okla./Douglass HS), Dexter Fields (Orlando, Fla./Olympia HS) and Robert Williams (Greenville, Miss./Weston HS). Two junior college players are also among the class in Heath Gameren (Hartnell (Calif.) College) and Jamarr Sanders (Northwest Florida Community College).
Soko, who played at Bethel High School in Hampton Roads, Va. under head coach Craig Brehon, was ranked as the No. 33 small forward coming out of high school by ESPN.com. He is also ranked as a two-star recruit by Scout.com.
Last season, Soko averaged 14.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.0 blocks per game during his lone season at Bethel HS. Additionally, Soko led the team field goal percentage, shooting 60 percent from floor, and recorded 15 double-doubles. Soko helped lead the Bruins to a 23-4 overall mark last season, including a 16-2 record in district play, and their second straight district championship.
As a result, Soko earned second team All-Peninsula District honors, as well as all-tournament accolades at the Ronald Curry Christmas Classic. Brehon said he deserved more honors, but had three scholarship players from the same Bethel team that went to a Division I school this season.
"Ovie is a very explosive player and will be a good fit at UAB," Brehon said. "He was really deserving of more awards but he is a very unselfish player. He is quick, athletic, has great foot speed and can finish around the basket. We wish we had him for one more year."
As a junior, Soko played at Hampton Roads Academy Soko finished with an average of 17.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.3 steals and 1.5 blocks per game. He also earned honorable mention all-state accolades following his junior season.
Soko originally committed to Liberty University, but reopened his recruitment after then-head coach Ritchie McKay departed to become an assistant coach at Virginia.
