Why Wisconsin? The food? The outdoors? The seasonal activities? No, I love Wisconsin for the sports…more specifically this is where I started my basketball career. 

Why Wisconsin? Because it's where I started. I moved here in third grade and that's when I really started to get into sports. I played basketball, baseball, and football. My love for basketball was the one that stuck. 

Why Wisconsin? Because Wisconsin gave me a camaraderie that I could have never imagined. This started in seventh grade when I went over to Closed Gyms (a basketball organization from Milwaukee) and I created a bond with six teammates that I will never lose: Jack, Nick, Kon, MJ, Will, and DJ. Even though we are not all on the same team today we all still come together and have one big hangout over the summer.

Why Wisconsin? Because of Darlington, Wisconsin. Without basketball or the friendships I have created, I would have never been able to go here. Will lives here, the guys and I were curious about Darlington. This was due to the fact Darlington held a couple of hundred people and that he lived on a multi-thousand-acre farm. Which was completely different from what we were accustomed to living in. All of these things together sprung our curiosity. During my freshman year, we finally got the invite over. We were surprised by how little to no businesses were around. With Darlington being such a small town the only place we could choose to eat out was the local McDonalds. Even with the limited food options we had the best weekend of our lives, from ranging all over his farm on four-wheelers, watching horror films at night altogether, and the local pool. This place created memories that I won’t forget during my lifetime. We all come together and make this trip once a year.

Why Wisconsin? Because of my recruitment. Wisconsin is a strong basketball state and this has helped me in my recruitment. My parents, and coaches like Hines, Nau, and Curro have helped me through my recruitment process and all of these people are from Wisconsin. The recruitment process can be hard to balance with having to call different schools every night and to go out of state on college visits in many other states like Youngstown State in Ohio, St. Thomas in Minnesota, and Southern Illinois in Illinois. Without this state, I wouldn’t be getting recruited anywhere near the way that I am. 

Why Wisconsin? Because Wisconsin has allowed me to go everywhere. My basketball organization (Phenom University) is sponsored by Nike, and we travel every weekend to a new state. This allows me to experience new cultures and see new places. This is something I am grateful for because athletics in Wisconsin have created connections and opportunities for me in every state in the U.S. Wisconsin is different from every state I have been to from our accent to the words that vary from bubbler in Wisconsin to water fountain in Illinois. I feel that all of these small things make Wisconsin unique.

Why Wisconsin? Because Wisconsin has helped me set up my future. My sports team has helped me receive a scholarship offer for college which allows me to receive free tuition which will take a financial burden off of myself and this scholarship will also allow me to either use the degree I receive to get a good job for myself or to play overseas and get to travel around the world to see and try new things.

Why Wisconsin? Because I have created other relationships through sports. I lift and do basketball workouts at Pro Lane (a basketball training business). This place has allowed me to create new friends in my life like Dom, Spicey, Falter, Drew, Keith, and Jake. All of these people want to see the best for me but all of these people are more than just people that help me in basketball. I hang out with Dom, Spicey, and Flater outside of Pro Lane and these guys have shown me how to become an even better person and a harder worker. 

Why Wisconsin? Without Wisconsin I wouldn’t have been introduced to so many people in my life, my athletic career wouldn’t be anywhere near what it is, Wisconsin has helped create connections for the rest of my life, and Wisconsin has helped me set myself up for success in the future.