The Sunflower's
basketball guide monday, oct. 28, 2019 vol. 124, iss. Monday, oct.2128, 2019 thesunflower.com
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LOWER HE SUNF /T N E Y U G KHANH N
Tyson Etienne’s winding journey has him poised to be a breakout star BY MARSHALL SUNNER, SPORTS EDITOR
asketball goes into limbo from late June until the end of October, and not just at the professional level. Basketball in America comes to a halt during that time — or at least that’s what people think. Portland Trail Blazers’ superstar CJ McCollum dribbled up the court in late August. He’s in a Twitter-famous Manhattan gym as part of NBA trainer Chris Brickley’s
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Black Ops open gym runs. Cross, dribble, cross. McCollum had the ball on the string. He took one step back and rose over the 6-1 player in front of him. Swish. Tyson Etienne isn’t a household name across the country — not yet, at least. He’s a Wichita State freshman who hasn’t played a minute of collegiate basketball. Yet, he still got the opportunity to run with the best in the world. Most importantly, he was able to prove that he belonged. He wouldn’t let McCollum’s bucket stop him in his tracks. He doesn’t let
anything stop him — not the death of his best friend, family hardships, or the constant travel that pulled him away from that family. He kept pushing. A few possessions later, McCollum had the ball again. Etienne stepped forward. The superstar backed the freshman down into the paint and turned around with a fadeaway shot. Swish. “Sometimes in basketball, great offense trumps tight defense,” Etienne said. “You can’t let any bucket get to you. You can’t let anything get to you. I mean, basketball is a game. This game, it’s all about the life experiences it teaches you.” ––– Growing up, Etienne went through hell. In eighth grade, he developed the closest bond of his young life with Armoni Sexton. Etienne and Sexton met at school,
the Paterson Charter School for Science and Technology. The two quickly bonded over basketball. “We definitely created a bond together, and he was the closest I have ever gotten with a teammate in my life,” Etienne said. “He’s the best young player I’ve seen. That man was a one-and-done type player, and I’m referencing that when he was an eighth grader.” Sexton was a menace. In eighth grade, he was playing on his high school varsity team, averaging 16.3 points and eight rebounds per game. Sexton was so talented that his head coach was pushing him to transfer to either Oak Hill in Virginia or Montverde Academy in Florida. He was already a nationally ranked prospect. SEE THROUGH FIRE & FLAMES PAGE 12