<span>Men's Basketball</span> <time pubdate="" datetime="12/19/2024 8:25:00 AM">12/19/2024 8:25:00 AM</time> <span>Morgan Safford, as told to FanWord</span> <br><span style="color:#0E101A;">My basketball story began on the east side of Columbus, Ohio. My parents put me on a little YMCA basketball team, and I was so nervous that I wouldn’t even go on the court without my mom. </span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">I fell in love with playing sports pretty much immediately after that, and then, in seventh grade, I was faced with a pivotal decision: which sport to focus on.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">At the time, I was a shortstop in baseball, but things began to shift. They moved me to the outfield, and I found myself bored, standing under the sun for endless stretches.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">Basketball, on the other hand, was alive — fast-paced, competitive, and thrilling.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">It lit something inside me that baseball no longer could.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">So, I made my choice.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">Basketball.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">I had no idea how deeply that decision would shape my life. I only knew I loved the game.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;"><strong>The Long Road to College Basketball</strong></span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">I wasn’t a standout high school player.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">In fact, I was far from it.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">Things started looking up when I joined the AAU circuit, but my momentum stalled after skipping my U17 year.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">By the time my senior year rolled around, I didn’t have a single scholarship offer to my name.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">It felt like the dream was slipping away.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">My guidance counselor thought so, too.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">She advised me to start applying to colleges as a regular student—essentially, to give up on playing basketball.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">But that wasn’t an option for me.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">I told her I’d started applying, but the truth was I hadn’t filled out a single application.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">It was basketball or nothing.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">I kept grinding, pouring everything into my senior season.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">Then, everything changed. A run of games — 37, 43, and 35 points — put me on the radar of local schools like Youngstown State and Ohio University.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">Wofford College stood out among them.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">I believed in what Coach McAuley was building there, and Wofford’s academic reputation appealed to me. Plus, I wanted to step out of my comfort zone, to leave Ohio and experience something new.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">So, I chose Wofford, and it became the next chapter of my journey.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;"><strong>Lessons in Setbacks</strong></span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">My time at Wofford taught me how to be an elite college basketball player.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">I learned from incredible teammates and competed in high-stakes games.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">But it wasn’t all smooth sailing.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">I tore my labrum during my time there, and it was one of the hardest periods of my life.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">A teammate, Storm Murphy, gave me advice that would become my mantra: Work while you wait.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">He told me that even when I couldn’t play, I could still work on my craft and be ready for my moment.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">So, I worked.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">That same determination carried me through my transfer to Miami University.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">Every day, I practiced, trained, and stayed ready.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">I repeated that process again at Kent State, sitting out due to the timing of my transfer.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">It wasn’t easy.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">Waiting never is.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">But I don’t know how to do anything else but work.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">Basketball is my love, my craft, and my life.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;"><strong>Growth Through Adversity</strong></span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">Each stop on my basketball journey — Wofford, Miami, and now Kent State — has taught me something different.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">At Wofford, I learned to carry myself like a professional; I was watching and learning from teammates who went on to play at the highest levels. At Miami, I developed leadership skills, learning how to find positivity in tough situations.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">Those lessons prepared me for Kent State.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">Here, I’m chasing something bigger than myself: championships, banners, and a chance to leave a lasting legacy.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">I’ve never been to the NCAA Tournament, and that hunger fuels me.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">Kent State’s championship pedigree is what drew me here, and I want to be part of that history.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;"><strong>The Best Teacher for Life</strong></span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">Basketball has been my greatest joy and my toughest challenge.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">It’s more than a game — it’s a microcosm of life.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">It throws curveballs when you least expect them, and you have to keep pushing forward.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">I’ve faced injuries, transfers, and setbacks.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">But I’ve also had the highs: big wins, unforgettable moments, and lifelong friendships.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">I’m just a kid from Columbus, Ohio, who fell in love with a ball and a hoop. Basketball has taken me places I never imagined and given me experiences I wouldn’t trade for anything.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">And I’m not done.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">My dream is to play basketball for as long as I can.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">I’ll keep working, grinding, and chasing that dream until I can’t anymore.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">Basketball is my love, my passion, and my life’s greatest teacher.</span><br><span style="color:#0E101A;">I’ve chosen it time and time again, and I’ll keep choosing it — because I can’t imagine my life any other way.</span><br><i><strong>For more Kent State of Mind narratives, </strong></i><a href="https://kentstatesports.com/sports/2022/10/4/kent-state-of-mind.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i><strong>click here</strong></i></a><i><strong>.</strong></i><br><time pubdate="" datetime="12.15.24">12.15.24</time><br><time pubdate="" datetime="12.13.24">12.13.24</time><br><time pubdate="" datetime="12.06.24">12.06.24</time><br><time pubdate="" datetime="12.05.24">12.05.24</time><br><time pubdate="" datetime="11.30.24">11.30.24</time><br><time pubdate="" data-bind="formatDate: video_date, format: 'MM.DD.YY'"></time><br>Thanks for visiting <a class="b4qktrgkv-modal__text-host"></a>!<br>The use of software that blocks ads hinders our ability to serve you the content you came here to enjoy.<br>We ask that you consider turning off your ad blocker so we can deliver you the best experience possible while you are here.<br>Thank you for your support!<br><br><a href="https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMixAFBVV95cUxOOXBMZXBkOWNESVIzeERORmx4dGxIT2phUEQxemJySTBQbkdVN1BLSFFzQjlkTmhiX0x4Qi1pUk1feHdlSnpNSEtld0lpZzNyRUFFM25WWGhVbHNFSEpHai10clB4ZTJlS2RGejNUMHhGa3JLUTFGeXBMaGN5X3JoMFhjaWRKZVkwRW1UbFo3S1phMGVtUXhINGdIVk5yWGlSa0QzbHhGekg1UGpsejU5WWVwbENpcG1sdlRiVTBjY2RwdUNZ?oc=5">source</a>
