Witney's Dexter Chapman is back for a summer break after a successful first season with the Ohio Christian University team.

Chapman, 20, took up a four-year basketball scholarship with the side after impressing talent spotters during a one-year scholarship at World Harvest Prep in Columbus.

The youngest player in the side, he helped Ohio to fourth place in the Division II National Championship at Central Bible College, Springfield, Missouri, in March.

“We did really well,” he said. “We had lost in the regional tournament before that, but we won a bid based on how the season had gone to go there, and we got further than Kentucky Christian University, the team we lost to in the regional.”

Moving into college basketball, Chapman quickly real-ised he had to muscle up for the challenge ahead.

“We have some players who are 6ft 8ins,” he said. “I was playing with bigger guys and in order to play with these guys they got me into the weights room and I gained 2st in a year. It helped, especially with defence.

“They like to look at me as an aggressive defender – to guard players of the other team, which is really good.”

The former Henry Box School pupil, who is 6ft 5ins, spent much of the season coming off the bench, but when he started the game against Appalachian College he grabbed his chance in style.

“One of our starters didn’t play that game, so I took his role and and got 27 points and 15 rebounds,” he said. “That was a really good game – I think we won it by 22 points and the coach was really proud of me.”

Chapman also made his mark in the college soccer team as an attacking midfielder, scoring 12 goals in the regular season as they finished runner-sup to Johnson College in the regional championships.

He is working for his Eynsham-based sponsor, Ice Energy Heat Pumps, during his stay in this country before he returns to the States next month when he will be looking to continue his progress.