LYNN — They say hard work pays off, and no one knows that more than the two English boys basketball players who made their college commitments known on Thursday. Next year, forward Jefferson Obarisiagbon will play at Becker College and guard Gabriel Paulino will play at Bryant & Stratton College.
“I’m really happy for both of those guys,” English coach Antonio Anderson said. “Jefferson and Gabe are both hard workers and it’s great to see them take the next step.”
Both players have had their own sets of challenges on their route to making their college commitments.
Obarisiagbon spent his junior season on the junior varsity squad, watching as his varsity teammates captured the Division 1 state championship. Not being included led to a serious drive to work harder, and Obarisiagbon made his way onto the varsity roster for his senior year.
“It was tough at first, I was really forced to get better so I could compete for a spot,” Obarisiagbon said. “But in the end it was good for me. I really worked hard and took my opportunities when I could get them, and it worked out.”
But still, Obarisiagbon found himself stuck behind star forwards Ademide Badmus and Jean-Baptiste Mukeba on the varsity team. With those two taking the majority of the playing time, Obarisiagbon had to show off his ability and potential in practice. It was on that practice floor that Becker College in Worcester saw his potential.
“It’s obviously tough for a guy like Jefferson, who has a ton of talent but was just stuck behind two other great players,” Anderson said. “But at the same time, Jefferson is a special kid and he worked so hard. The coaches who came to watch practices saw his energy and ability, but they also saw that he was willing to grind things out.”
With Becker, Obarisiagbon found a place that was comfortable and also that gave him a chance to continue his basketball career.
“I really liked the campus and I found myself really comfortable there,” Obarisiagbon said. “I think playing there gives me a great chance to become a better basketball player.”
Anderson believes that Becker is getting a great addition.
“He brings a lot to the table,” Anderson said of Obarisiagbon. “He has a ton of energy, he can rebound like nobody else and he works hard. He’s going to grind every day and he’s not going to complain, and the coaches are going to really appreciate that.”
For Paulino, the 2019-2020 season was challenging in a different way. Following a junior season on the junior varsity team, he sat out for his entire senior season due to personal reasons. But he was still allowed to practice with the team, and the practice floor proved to be the place where Paulino made his mark — catching the eye of Bryant & Stratton College in Rochester, N.Y.
“It’s been a long road, but I’m glad that I’m getting the opportunity to play in college,” Paulino said. “To be honest, I didn’t really have plans to play college ball at first. But Antonio came in and really pushed everybody, and I’m glad he did.”
“Gabe is another guy who really made his mark in practice,” Anderson said. “The coach at Bryant & Stratton (Troy Jackson) is an old prep school teammate of mine and he came down to an open gym practice we were having early in the year. Gabe was able to catch his eye, and those two hit it off from there.”
Paulino is excited to be able to continue to play basketball, but he’s even more excited to be able to go off to college.
“I’m truly looking forward to the opportunity,” Paulino said. “I’m excited for all of the new challenges ahead of me and I can’t wait to get things started.”
Anderson is also proud of Paulino for continuing on.
“It’s great to see, and I’m really proud of him personally,” said Anderson. “He’s going to be the first in his family to go to college and he gets to keep playing basketball, so that’s a great feeling. It just goes to show that you don’t have to be a starter, you’ve just got to work hard and keep grinding and people will find you.”