Columbus’ Odio receives full scholarship to Boston College

By Linda Rodriguez Bernfeld….

Eddie Odio signs a letter of intent to play for Boston College.

Eddie Odio, a 6-foot-7 senior at Christopher Columbus High School, will be playing basketball for Boston College next year. Odio signed a full scholarship offer on the first day of the signing period.

Odio, a West Kendall resident, is the son of Barry University Coach Cesar Odio, who was a star at Columbus High and Florida Southern, and grandson of the former Miami city manager Cesar Odio.

It was no surprise that Odio was highly recruited. He was named to the All Miami-Dade Basketball Team both his sophomore and junior seasons and a nominee for Miami-Dade Athlete of the Year two years running.

“More than 20 schools had contacted me through phone calls, emails, or sending a letter to my home,” Odio said. “Boston College was the first school to offer a scholarship. That’s what I wanted. There were other schools recruiting me at the time but I felt it was the best fit.”

He likes the BC system and felt it was a good match for his style of play.

Not only was the program a good match for him, Odio said he loves the city of Boston and the Boston Red Sox are his favorite team, as evidenced by his dog, who is named Fenway.

BC Coach Steve Donahue came to watch Odio at an open gym at the end of the past school year. Odio said his dad received the call about the scholarship and they discussed the offer.

“My whole family agreed that it was the best choice,” he said.

Dad Cesar said they always wanted Eddie to go to a great academic school and Boston College fits that requirement.

“And we always wanted him to play for a great coach who cares about kids,” Coach Odio said.

Eddie Odio expects to play small forward or shooting guard. Although he’s 6-feet-7, two of the new recruits are taller, at 6-feet-11 and 7 feet.

While Odio has been playing all his life, including in the basketball league at the Dave and Mary Alper Jewish Community Center, on travel teams and school teams, Odio said his dad made sure he kept a low profile.

“He didn’t want me getting spoiled with all the AAU hoopla,” Eddie said.

His father said they wanted him to develop and enjoy basketball and let nature take its course because Eddie was going to be a late bloomer. In fact, they didn’t think Eddie would be taller than 6-feet-2.

“We never thought he’d grow into the kind of player he is now. We’re ecstatic and proud of him,” Coach Odio said. “When he was small he was skinny and he was a shooter. Now he’s athletic. He’s a great kid and he’s worked awfully hard since he was 5 years old.”

That low profile included going to Miami Christian, a small school where he honed his skills his freshman and sophomore years.

“Dad was a star at Columbus which is why I didn’t go to Columbus at first,” young Odio said. “But I wanted to move on to bigger school to help me get ready for college.”

So for his last two years, Odio transferred to Columbus where his dad had been a star. He handled the transition well, leading Columbus to a 22-4 season, losing to Krop in the regional finals last year. This year Columbus is poised to take another run at going deep into the playoffs.


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