Anthony Gurley
Focus on What You Can Control
College basketball will forever be a memorable time in my life. I am extremely thankful for my accomplishments and experience playing the game that I love at a high level. I was faced with a lot of adversity throughout my career but found a way to make the best out of my situation. Every student-athlete goes into school with a vision of how they want their careers to turn out. The reality is, everyone's journey does not always go as planned. Throughout my career, I was forced to adjust to new situations, teammates, and coaching. I attended Wake Forest University as a freshman but decided to transfer back home to Umass Amherst after the sudden passing of my head coach Skip Prosser.
I went to Umass with intentions of playing for Travis Ford, once my redshirt season was over he took another job in a bigger conference for more money. Derek Kellogg took the Umass job and he became my third coach in three years. This left me in another situation where I had to make a decision about where I will attend school. I did not want to transfer again so I decided to stay. I finished out my career at Umass playing for a coach that did not recruit me. Once my junior year rolled around and the new recruits joined the team, it felt like I was a freshman all over again. I had to prove myself and earn my minutes. There were times throughout my junior season when I did not start and was limited to spot minutes off the bench. By the end of my career, I was an All-conference performer and put myself in a great position to have a successful professional career. There's no special advice or secret formula I can give to any college athlete in those same shoes. What I can say is that I outworked everyone. I got to practice early, and I stayed late. I sacrificed, stayed in some nights when I had the opportunity to go out. Control what you can control, there are many different variables that play into a collegiate athlete’s career. Focus on what you can control and that's how hard you work, and your overall attitude and approach to your situation.
Anthony Gurley
IG: @anthonygurley2