Tag - Victory Rock Prep

Hirotaka Ohashi Signs with Florida National University

Miami, FL – June 21, 2019

The ink has dried for Mr. Hirotaka Ohashi, a native from Osaka, Japan. Ohashi has officially accepted a scholarship offer from Florida National University, which is coming off of a stellar 20-9 season in D1 of the NAIA last season.

Hiro, as he is so affectionately known, is a 5’6″ Point Guard who excelled in his homeland at the famed Rakunan High School in Kyoto, Japan before deciding to take his talents to West Florida. Ohashi played at Victory Rock Prep Academy in Sarasota, FL as the starting PG for the postgraduate team, leading them to a winning season and gaining notice along the way. Although Hiro is a small player as are many Japanese, his unique skill sets of ball-handling, passing and decision making have propelled him to be effective as the primary ball-handler and captain of the Victory Rock ship.

When asked what separates Hiro from others, Crossover Exposure CEO Jerone Dodd Jr. noted “Hiro is a special talent in a small package…while many will say he doesn’t pass the eye test at first glance, almost a 100% of the time, people end up becoming a fan and enjoy watching him play when its all said and done. With his speed, quickness and low center of gravity it is very difficult to stay in front of him in the open floor. Ohashi has all the intangibles of a good PG to be successful. He has vision, a great assist to TO ratio, he can shoot the outside shot and most importantly he is a leader and is always on the job. I think his work ethic will rub off on others and he will soon become a valuable asset to Florida National. Japan is watching and we all look forward to following him to see how he does.”

In only 6 years of existence, Florida National University’s Head Coach, James ‘JJ’ Thatcher, has led the program to National Tournaments from 2015-18, with their best season achieving a 25-7 record and Final Four Appearance.

Shogo Yasunobu signs with Victory Rock Prep

Kyoto/Bradenton

Shogo Yasunobu has been making his mark at every turn and his story continues as he crosses over to attend Victory Rock Prep post graduate program in Bradenton, Florida.  The program has a long history of success under the helm of founder and head coach, Loren Jackson, former IMG Basketball Director who has coached and developed many top players around the globe, including NBA, top Division 1 and overseas talents.  Yasunobu is a 5’8 PG, originally from Okayama, Japan.

Asked about the opportunity to work with Yasunobu, Jackson touched on the development process in guard development, “I am always pleased to work with international talents and help with the refining process through top training and competition.  Victory Rock Prep is the 2016 Grind Session National Champion and is consistently ranked as one of the top programs in the country.

Shogo made his mark early as a junior high school student, participating in the national tournament and making it to the final 8 teams, being selected as a delegate for the U15 Japan team.  With a recommendation and coming off of success, Shogo joined the basketball powerhouse Rakunan High School, the well known program in Kyoto, Japan.

After graduation, Yasunobu had the opportunity to visit the US with the Shizuoka Gymrats on a national tour.  “We heard about Shogo and were excited to see him in action, as he had a high recommendation,” noted Crossover Exposure CEO, Jerone Dodd.  “We had the chance to travel in North Carolina and West Virginia with Takuya Okada and really connect on a road trip, so it was a lot of fun to get to know Shogo and see how he matched up against some other top talent and even older competition.  He has the edge he needs to be successful and I knew Coach Jackson would be a perfect fit in terms of guard development.”

Yasunobu has taken another step in the direction of his dream of playing professional basketball. Although a small guard, Shogo packs a punch with shifty ball handling and tough finishes.  He says that he always wanted to come to the United States because of its basketball supremacy.  “People are friendly, gentle and funny.  And there are plenty of basketball courts and you can play one-on-one or pick up games anytime.  And finally I would like to teach Japanese children what I learned in the USA.”

One thing is for certain, Mr. Yasunobu and Victory Rock Prep are both looking to continue their successful ways.