Men’s basketball senior guard spoke to The Brown and White about his decision to transfer to Lehigh, adjusting to the team and stepping into a bigger role for the 2026-2027 season.
Q: Looking back at your basketball journey, what experiences have shaped you most into the player and person you are today?
For me personally, I had a career full of injuries, which ultimately forced me to go to junior college. I feel like this was the best route for me.
It taught me a lot about myself as a person and player, and it led me to attend Lehigh, which was the best fit for me. So overall, I’m pretty happy with how my career turned out.
Q: When you transferred from Pasadena City College to Lehigh, what were you looking for in a new program, and what ultimately made Lehigh feel like the right fit?
Obviously, I was trying to further my basketball career, but I felt Lehigh ultimately was the best fit for me because, academically, it’s a very good school, and I felt it was the best place for me to make and create those connections and friendships that will last a lifetime.
Q: Transferring to a new program means adjusting to different teammates, coaches, and expectations. What was the most challenging part of the transition that people might not have seen?
Off the court, everybody was very welcoming. It felt like a family right away. That’s part of why I chose to come to Lehigh for my visit.
I fell in love with the coaches and the culture. All my teammates were really cool on the court. The biggest struggle was gaining everybody’s trust as a new player — 14 new guys. So gaining that trust and connecting on the court was a big struggle at first.
Q: Is there anything that you learned about yourself during your first year at Lehigh that you didn’t know before?
I would say I’m more of a quiet person, but coming here and learning more about myself helped me come out of my shell. I was kind of forced to talk to people and get to know everybody.
Q: How do you stay ready and prepared when you are waiting for your number to be called, not knowing if you are going to go into a game or not?
For me, I focus on my preparation, knowing that I’ve done the work to be ready to get in the game at all times.
Whenever my number’s called, I just know I’m going to do my best and to not worry about the negatives too much. I just focus on the positives and what good can come out of it.
Q: When you’re fighting for a bigger role on the team, how do you balance focusing on yourself with what’s best for the team?
I think the team comes first. Being able to dominate your role and do what’s best for the team is more important than individual stats, because when we win, everybody gets the credit.
It’s not just one single person who can do it by himself. So, I think increasing my role is a part of it, but doing what’s best for the team is more important.
Q: How has your mindset changed from last season when you were adjusting to a new program? And how do you help the new guys out, knowing that you were in that position?
Coming into a new team, it’s about slowly figuring out what’s expected and what the coaches want, along with how well I can work with my new teammates. But now that I’ve figured out my role, it’s more about expanding that and helping the new guys gain the confidence they did for me. This year is more of a leadership-type role, being one of the seniors helping the guys.
Some of the mistakes (the new players) have made, I’ve seen myself make them. So staying on them, making sure I’m giving them positive feedback, and making sure I’m encouraging them at all times. I let them know it’s OK to make mistakes, as long as they’re giving energy and effort at all times.
I think with a positive mindset, mistakes are good in a way. So being that leader I once needed is important, and I can see myself in their shoes.
Q: Can you tell me about a moment in your basketball career when things weren’t really going the way you wanted? How did you respond, and what did that experience teach you?
A moment I’ll always take from my career was when I broke my leg. I had a trajectory shift and mindset change since it was a big moment and hurt my recruiting drastically. I had multiple offers, but ultimately lost them all. Staying positive through the hard times and surrounding myself with my family and friends who supported me made me a stronger person.
Now when there are a lot of ups and downs, I’m always able to stay level-headed and keep my focus on the right things.
Q: Who had the biggest influence on you throughout your basketball career, and what advice from that person has stuck with you?
I would say my dad. Through all the ups and downs, he’s always been the one to instill that confidence in me, even when I didn’t have it in myself. Through all the hardships and the injuries that I went through, he believed in me, even when I didn’t believe in myself.
He pushed me to keep going and to continue my journey. No matter what, he always supported me with all the decisions I made. And the biggest one was coming here to Lehigh. The biggest thing he told me was just to be yourself always and to be confident in the decisions you make.
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