Dental Arts of Westwood Athlete of the Month: Patrick Otey

It didn’t take long for Patrick Otey to fall in love with basketball. His dad, Michael, instilled the affection for roundball, which is obvious when you pull into the family driveway in Westwood and see an illuminated half-court.
 

Around the Otey’s kitchen island, I sat with Patrick, a 6’5″ freshman in high school, along with Michael and his wife, Ilana, chatting about an exciting present and an even more promising future for the young man who’s ranked as Massachusetts’ #1 prospect in the Class of 2027.
 

Patrick is currently enrolled at Cambridge Arts, Technology and Science Academy in Braintree, a boarding school focused on pairing high-end academics with a serious athletic regimen, preparing some of the world’s best athletes for a future in collegiate sports. The CATS Academy basketball program competes in the NEPSAC Class A division, one of the top high school conferences in the nation. It’s not unusual for some of the biggest names in college basketball to stop by for a game.
 

“It’s an international school, with people from all over the world,” said Patrick. “It’s a cool experience, and we get to know people from all different types of countries. It’s a boarding school, so it’s prepping me for college – doing my own laundry, a lot of independence.”
 

The structure of a jam-packed schedule is also preparing Patrick for what’s ahead – regular wake-up calls in the 5 o’clock hour with workouts and practices scheduled tightly around study opportunities. Keeping grades up is a key to overall success, and Patrick has all A’s and B’s on the report card.
 

“Patrick’s self-motivated. That’s the best part,” said Michael. “Academically, he seems to understand what he needs to do. He needs to be as good as he is in basketball, as he is academically. If you don’t have those two, you’re not going to get to the level he wants to get to.”
 

It’s clear if Patrick stays on the current course, he’ll have his choice of college to attend. Already, he’s received a number of scholarship offers from some of the top programs, including Providence.
 

He’s also had the chance to represent Brazil in the FIBA 16U competition, the highlight of his fledgling career.
 

“Playing with the Brazilian team was one of the best experiences I’ve ever had in my life,” said Patrick.
 

“I went to San Paolo, trained with them for two weeks. I barely knew the language, so it was kind of weird, but there’s obviously people that could speak English, so that was helpful. It was so professional – I felt like I was in the league.”
 

“I’m very amazed at how far he’s gotten,” said Ilana. “I know the point that he is at right now, and it’s moving so fast. He’s an extremely hard worker. School is very challenging. They have all that structure, but there’s still a lot of time dedicated to basketball. He is doing well, considering the way that works.”
 

Patrick already is giving back, as he hosted a camp in Brazil in late December. He embraced the country’s basketball culture and wanted to engage with younger players. Back in the U.S., he’s focused on his club basketball season, competing with the Expressions Elite team in the Nike circuit, consistently drawing the attention of college coaches and improving his skills every day.
 

Thanks to our partners at Islington Pizza for presenting Patrick with a gift card to celebrate his accomplishments. If you want to nominate someone to be a future Dental Arts of Westwood Athlete of the Month, email Diana Bezdedeanu at dbezdedeanu@bestversionmedia.com