Wareham native Denzel Brito is Chicago-bound, as he announced Thursday that he will be attending Loyola University on a full scholarship to play basketball.

"It was not an easy decision for me," Brito, a 6-1 point guard, said before making his announcement on the Gleason Family YMCA basketball court before family, friends, and fans.  "It got annoying, frankly, with so many people asking me where I was going to go," he joked.

Brito thanked his family for continuing to support him and work with him to improve his game throughout his adolescence, even after he was cut from the middle school basketball team in 6th grade and 7th grade.

"I keep working hard for you," Brito said.  "You are my heroes."

Brito also credited his "brothers, not only teammates" and teachers at Lawrence Academy, the prep school from which he will graduate next month.

Going to Lawrence was "the biggest decision of my life," he said, the school "turned a scrawny, cocky kid into a success-hungry young man."

Lu Brito, Denzel's father said that it was one of the proudest days of his life, and that he was looking forward to visiting Chicago to see his son play...although he admitted that he might not be able to attend his son's every game like he does now.

"I'll try to get to as many as possible, then get the ESPN package, I guess," Lu said.

Tanya Pina, Denzel's mother, echoed the commitment.

"I'm used to traveling to see him play, so it won't be that different," she said.  "Lawrence was a two-hour drive, Chicago's a two-hour plane ride."

She said that she was also glad that Denzel would be able to experience another part of the country and travel.  He was deciding between University of New Hampshire and Florida Atlantic University, and she had urged him to choose the best program for him, not make the decision based on the school's proximity to home.

Denzel said that he chose Loyola because he immediately felt comfortable when he visited the campus and met the coach and his teammates. He reports to campus on July 6 to start a summer session where he begins working toward a degree in business and sports management.  It doesn't leave him much of a summer, but he said he's okay with that.

"I've got to sacrifice a lot of things if I'm going to be where I want to be."