CHARLESTON, WV (WOWK) – A lifelong dream has become a reality for George Washington’s Ben Nicol.

Nicol has committed to Ohio University, and will play for the Bobcats in 2023.

Ben grew up loving OU. His mom graduated from there, so he has been visiting the Ohio campus and going to games for most of his life.

In first grade, Ben wrote on an Ohio folder ‘OU rocks forever!’ …and he still has it today.

He also still has his first sippy cup from when he was a toddler – that reads ‘On my way to Ohio University’.

“My mother went there. It’s a big thing for me, it’s always been a place for me,” said Nicol. “She definitely had a big smile on her face when I told her I was going to Ohio.”

But he really didn’t think he’d get to play basketball at the division one level; until he made a big shot in the Charleston Coliseum.

“Everything really changed after my sophomore year,” said Nicol. “Winning the state championship and having the last bucket in the state tournament, everything changed after that. West Virginia guys have it rough they get overlooked a lot so once that happened, I got my name out there.”

In 2021, Nicol helped GW take down the number one seed Morgantown in the state championship game by one point, the final 47-46.

Now, Nicol is getting ready to play his final season of high school basketball, and he has some advice for other players.

“For high school students, keep your head up and keep going,” said Nicol. “If you want to play college basketball, it may seem like a farfetched dream, but dreams become reality. So definitely just stay consistent, keep pushing through, work hard. Do what you can do, do what’s right, and anything is possible.”