CBB: The Very First Offer

How does it feel to be a high school athlete and receive your very first offer from a Division 1 program? Most people will never know. Andres Pinzón, on the other hand, found out earlier this year. On May 29th, 2018, Pinzón received his first offer from Xavier University. The Musketeers are one of the top programs in the Big East and over the last five seasons, have compiled a 125-53 record. In that span, Xavier has reached the Elite Eight and Sweet Sixteen as well, and have made a name for themselves with NBA players like Semaj Christon, Jordan Crawford, James Posey, Edmond Sumner, and David West. Pinzón, a high school sophomore, explained how happy he was when he got the offer: "I felt excited because it was my first offer, my family was excited too," he said. "It's a blessing to receive offers."

The journey to this point began when Pinzón was just five-years-old, when he first played the game he has grown to love. Pinzón was born in Arecibo, Puerto Rico and credits his family with introducing him to the game and helping him grow as a person an a player: “My family took me to all the games, especially my grandparents." After developing his game more and more, Pinzón began to see the talent he possessed. “In sixth grade I realized that I had talent and from there I worked step by step and three years later, a high school in (the United States) recruited me,” he told me. Pinzón also gave a nod to all of his coaches for helping him get to where he is now: “I give credit to all my coaches but one in specific: Omar Orama,” he said.

Unfortunately, it hasn’t always been easy for Pinzón. As recently as last year, he was forced to be sidelined with a torn lateral meniscus. He said that was the biggest obstacle he's had to deal with, and it was extremely difficult missing his freshman season. Pinzón, who can play both guard positions, is back on the court now and is excited to compete alongside his teammates at Lincoln Academy over the next couple of years. He is set to graduate in 2021, and is certainly a name to keep an eye on over the next few years on the recruiting trail. After receiving the offer from Xavier, Pinzón finally achieved something he had been aiming for such a long time. Now, all there is to do is play ball, which is something he excels at.

Photo Credit: Twitter.