SPRINGFIELD- Bella Vista Prep’s Paul Osaruyi hasn’t always played in the United States. For the 2024 FIBA U-17 Basketball World Cup the junior was a roster feature.

During the tournament he scored an average of six points per game and 6.6 rebounds.

“High school basketball in the (United) States is like more up and down (the court), so it’s fast, fast paced,” Osaruyi said. “In FIBA, what I remember when traveling to different countries, playing all these international teams, I think it was…more disciplined (either) offensively or defensively…kind of more poised, you could tell the difference between their games.”

Uphill or an uphill battle. That would be how the No. 3 ranked junior would describe his high school career so far.

“It’s uphill, it keeps just progressing every single year so I’ll just put it at that,” Osaruyi said.

The competition of the sport of basketball is what the center enjoys most. He feels that the higher players play, the more competition there is and makes the “game better for me and easier.”

“All these different guys, they’re on their path to becoming future stars so I just feel like it’s a great environment to be in,” Osaruyi said.

In the fifth game of the Hoophall Classic’s fourth day, Bella Vista shut down IMG Academy 66-32, where the junior recorded seven points and 10 rebounds. Two teammates also recorded double digit points, highlighting the cohesiveness of a team with multiple nationally ranked players.

“It all starts in practice, we all really go back and forth in practice so it’s like, we’re all like battling each other,” Osaruyi said. “We all live together so I feel like that part brings us together so we’re closer than other teams…we all have the same goal, win a championship and that’s just what we have in mind.”

In addition to being surrounded by teammates with the same goals as him, Osaruyi enjoys being at Bella Vista because of its location in Phoenix and also the people that are “willing to work with you” at the school towards a “better future”.

“It’s a great environment…a great choice,” Osaruyi said on why he chose to play at Bella Vista.

While he may be the third highest ranked in his recruiting class, the center is not focused on any specific college program at the moment to make a commitment to.

“Basically, (I’m) just a free agent right now,” Osaruyi said.

Despite not focusing on committing anywhere, he has already received multiple offers. But tries not to focus on his ranking in the class of 2027.

“It is what it is sometimes, I’m just trying to better my game so I can get to the next level really,” Osaruyi said.