I love the game. It’s what makes me happy. I can’t really explain why I love it so much, but I do.
Growing up it seemed cool to play in the NBA, but for me it was more about loving basketball. I was small for the majority of my life, so college basketball and NBA basketball weren’t even a thing in my mind. It sounded cool to say, but it didn’t seem like a reality.
I was still in the gym all the time. At that age, just grinding, grinding, grinding. I was putting all this work in, and it seemed like for nothing.
I had no real offers out of high school. I was contemplating quitting basketball, being done with it. I never stopped though. My love for the game kept me going. I ended up pursuing the prep school thing, then Michigan and eventually I got here.
What we did this season is what I pictured when I decided to come to UCF. It was what I wanted to accomplish. I wanted to help bring this team to the NCAA Tournament, show UCF something they had never really seen before. I wanted to have the kind of season where the fans and the city can really get behind UCF. To show them that this was the caliber of basketball we could have. I wanted to come here and help my father. I think I achieved that.
It’s always nice to be in a place where what you do really means something. For me to come here, with these guys, this was the kind of winning I wanted. It all mattered. For us to do this at UCF, with guys who have been under the radar and have earned everything they’ve gotten, it’s meant everything.
The whole experience mattered. Not just to me, not just to the team, but to all of UCF and Orlando.
We’ve been through a lot here, ups and downs as a team. Guys have struggled with injuries, myself included. It shows that any team can achieve success if they work together. This team created a lasting bond with what we did this year. We feel like we should have gone further in the tournament, but just to make it to the big stage, and make the noise that we made – that was powerful. It’s what we do it for. That’s what gives you chills. That’s what it’s all about. That’s why I love basketball. Doing stuff by yourself is one thing, but when you’ve got brothers you can share it with, that’s powerful.
This is me continuing to pursue my dreams.
My dream is to be the best player I can be at the highest level I can play at, whether that’s college, NBA, overseas, it’s wherever I can maximize the talents I have. When you put so much time in and grind so much, you feel like you deserve that opportunity.
We had a great season and I learned a lot of valuable lessons. I grew my game the way it needed to be grown, and now, at this point in my career, I need to move up to the next phase of my life. I need to keep growing my game, expanding my limits.
This is my choice. This is the right choice.
It’s been a long journey. Five years of high school to get to college. Five years of college to get to the next level. I’m 23 years old, proud to have earned my degree, and I’m confident enough in myself to know that I’ve worked my butt off to get where I’m at and whatever’s out there for me, I’ve got nothing to worry about. It’s just basketball.
In life, you only have one chance to do this and do it right. You have to make the best decision for you and your career.
In that vein, I’d like to thank God for blessing me with the ability to play the game of basketball. A game that I love. I thank my family for supporting me every step of the way. And I want to thank everyone at UCF and Knight Nation for an experience I’ll never forget. After discussing with my family, I have decided to declare for the NBA Draft to continue pursuing my dreams. I’m ready for the next chapter of my life. Go Knights. Charge On.