Recruiting: Westtown's Anthony Ochefu following in brother Daniel's footsteps

Anthony Ochefu has seen the answers to the test. That's the benefit of having an older brother recently showered in local ticker tape and national glory.

Inside NRG Stadium in Houston earlier this month, Anthony, a junior forward at Westtown, watched as his older brother, Daniel, helped Villanova capture a thrilling NCAA championship.

"It was a great experience for me and my family," said Anthony, a 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward, whose recruiting stock is on the rise. "Nothing like it."

"Just reminded me of how much work is put into it," he said. "How much work you have to sacrifice. If you want to be there, you have to work 10 times harder than other people. Nothing comes easy."

Daniel, a 6-foot-10, 245-pound college senior who hopes to be selected in the June 23 NBA draft, provided his younger brother with the blueprint to success.

"You know how it is with the younger brother-older brother thing," Anthony said. "You're always in some type of shadow with your older siblings. I would say it's harder for me because we play the same sport. People see me and they think of him. 'Oh, can you do this like your brother? Are you going to be that kind of player?'

"It was hard at first, but from when I started to where I am now, I've grown as a player."

Hofstra, Bowling Green, NJIT, Wagner, and most recently La Salle have noticed and made offers to the younger Ochefu.

Backyard battles at the family's home in West Chester weren't exactly frequent, Anthony said. More often, the brothers Ochefu worked out together.

That's when Daniel, 22, showed Anthony, 17, the key to success.

"He's always been a hard worker," Anthony said. "I don't remember him taking days off. He talked about it in his senior speech at the Villanova banquet last week. Late at night he'd try to get maintenance to open doors for him to shoot free throws or early in the morning. I just try to follow that. I'll be honest, I'm not in the gym early in the morning every day like he is, but I'm trying to get there."

Maybe not in the wee hours of the morning, but basketball still fills Anthony's calendar. He plays AAU basketball for Team Philly.

Last season for Westtown, he averaged eight points and six rebounds during the school's third consecutive - and fourth in five years - Friends League championship. Westtown's season also ended with its first Pennsylvania Independent Schools Athletic Association championship.

"Tony is a rebounder and defender who can finish at the basket," said Westtown coach Seth Berger, who also coached Daniel at Westtown. "In some of our biggest games he guarded the other team's best center."

If he has one weakness, however, Anthony conceded it has been playing with consistent aggression.

"There were times when I had a guy that you could tell I was stronger than, but I wouldn't play like I was stronger than him," he said. "Just [need to] stay more aggressive and be in attack mode all game."

The quality footwork Anthony likely developed playing soccer in Nigeria, where he lived with his parents from about 5 to 11 years old, likely has college coaches intrigued.

And, according to Berger, Anthony was effectively aggressive against Udoka Azubuike, a 6-foot-11, 270-pound forward for Potter's House Christian who is headed to Kansas.

"I just don't think Anthony really knows how big and strong he is," Berger said.

He has learned, however, how good he wants to be.

"He motivates me a lot," Anthony said of Daniel. "I try to be better than him. With all that's going on with him right now, I think I'm starting to make a name for myself.

"Even where he's at right now," he added, smiling, "I'll still say I'm better than him."

"I'll never think he's better than me," he continued. "He's probably going to get drafted later this summer, but even if he does, yeah, I'll congratulate him and be happy for him, but I'll still think I'm better than him. Nothing's going to change about that."

The question is, after following Daniel to Westtown (although Daniel graduated from Downingtown East), does Anthony want to change course in college?

"It's really up to them," he said of Villanova. "If they offered me, that would definitely be an option. It's a great program. On the flip side, if I did get an offer and then committed there, I'd be in Daniel's shadow again. I'd have to see if I would want or enjoy that. On the basketball side, [Villanova] would be up there with my top picks because it's a great program."

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