Texas Border Business
Rio Grande Valley – The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) Men’s Basketball Head Coach Lew Hill announced on Wednesday the addition of 6-11, 240-pound center Jeff Otchere, a graduate transfer from Stony Brook, for the 2020-21 academic year.
In two seasons at Stony Brook, Otchere blocked 127 shots in 66 games, the fourth-highest career total in program history, an average of 1.92 per game, the third-highest total.
An America East All-Defensive Team selection this past season, Otchere finished this past season with 49 blocks, the 72nd-highest total in the NCAA, second-best in the conference and fifth-best in program history. He averaged 1.48 blocks per game, ranking 90th in the NCAA, second in the conference and fifth in program history. Otchere also averaged 5.4 rebounds and 2.8 points on 54.2 percent shooting in 17.1 minutes per game while starting 28 of 33 appearances.
As a sophomore in 2018-19, Otchere earned America East Defensive Player of the Year honors by ranking 16th in the NCAA, first in the conference and third in program history in both blocks and blocks per game at 78 and 2.36, respectively. He blocked a career-high seven shots vs. Binghamton on Jan. 9, 2019, the fourth-best performance in program history. Otchere also averaged 4.2 rebounds per game and 4.4 points on 56.1 percent shooting in 18.0 minutes while starting all 33 appearances.
As a freshman in 2017-18, Otchere played at Garden City Community College, leading the nation in blocks at 3.8 per game en route to Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference and Region VI Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Otchere originally attended Delaware State, redshirting the 2016-17 season.
Originally from the Bronx, N.Y., Otchere graduated from Christopher Columbus High School before playing a prep year at Bull City Prep in North Carolina.
He is on track to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology prior to attending UTRGV.
“Jeff is a game-changer in regards to defense,” Hill said. “We haven’t had a player like him before. He reminds me of a player who I used to coach who played with the Miami Heat, Joel Anthony. They both change the game from the defensive end and from a rebounding standpoint. He’s a great student both in the classroom and on the court and wants to continuously get better every day. We’re excited as this signing is a great opportunity for us to take another step toward winning a WAC Championship.”
Otchere joins 6-6, 215-pound forward Malik Lawrence-Anderson as part of 2020-21 recruiting.
 Men’s Basketball Head Coach Lew Hill announced on Wednesday the addition of 6-11, 240-pound center Jeff Otchere, a graduate transfer from Stony Brook, for the 2020-21 academic year.){kind=link}