It all started back in my junior year of high school when I decided to go to Arizona
Compass Prep. It is a prep school that recruits all the top high school basketball players in the
country. Without that school, my friend and University of Illinois guard Kylan Boswell and I would’ve never met each other, nor would’ve created the relationship we have now. We shared a room at the school’s dorms and that’s what really got us close. He came from a small town in Illinois called Champaign, exactly where the University of Illinois is.
We did everything together, worked out together, went on walks together, talked about our futures and even our family problems. I knew everything about him just as he knew about me. I think we got so close because our humours were just alike, and we had so much in
common. We both have the same drive of wanting to get to the NBA and our competitive nature
made us clash at times, but we truly loved that about each other because I knew if I was not
giving it my all I had someone always checking me, and vice versa. We would stay up all night
cracking jokes with each other, watching movies and playing the Playstation.
Overall if you saw me, you would always see Kylan. We both have amazing families that support us so much, so naturally our parents got close as well. Nights after games we would shoot with his dad. I saw him do this after games that he would have 20 points or a game he wouldn’t play so well in, and that inspired me to want to join. To this day, I’m still one of his biggest supporters. I’ll always be honest with him when I see him not playing to the best of his ability, because all I want for him is to be successful.
I was keeping up with Illinois this whole year, and Kylan told me “Bro if we make it to the final four, you have to come, this is a once in a lifetime experience.” I knew immediately I was going, it didn’t matter if I had to miss class or anything. I wasn’t missing the final four especially since I’ve never been. The date started getting closer, after they won their elite eight game against Iowa (71-59) out in Houston, Texas. I was so excited, I was getting to go watch one of my best friends live out his dreams on the biggest college basketball stage ever.
That experience was like no other. I went to their team hotel hours before the game, and mind you, every final four team has a hotel all to themselves. Thousands of Illinois fans were standing outside chanting; something I’ve never seen before. Honestly I think the atmosphere at that game is like no other. It was played in a football stadium and it was completely sold out. Nothing compares to a final four game, probably besides the NBA finals. It was extremely loud and the most watched televised game going on at that moment.
My standout moment was honestly just being able to see him after his game.
Although they had lost, he still wanted to see me and just catch up because I think the last time we had seen each other was when we played against each other two years ago. That meant a lot to me because I personally don’t know if I would’ve wanted to see anyone after losing the biggest game of my life, but that just shows the humility that he has and our relationship. He was extremely grateful to make it that far and just to be able to play on that big of a stage.
Everything was the exact same as when we were 16-years-old. Cracking jokes and just enjoying one another’s company because we know we won’t ever be able to get this opportunity often. Seeing him on that big of a stage just makes me believe that it is possible, as much as all young basketball players like us dream of just getting a college offer. He has exceeded the
expectations and that drives me to want to get there one day as well.
