You Don’t Have to be a Division 1 Player to Succeed by Lauren Beasley
At one point the Wayne State 6-foot-6 wing Bryan Coleman was prepared to go play Division 1 basketball but before he knew it he was playing Division 2 basketball and he says, “It’s the best thing to ever happen to me.”
Coleman attended and graduated from Southfield Lathrup (Mich.) in 2010. He earned three varsity letters. He averaged 22 points and 8 rebounds per game. He was named to the 2010 Associated Press Class A honorable mention all-state team. Lastly he was ranked 89th among small forwards by ESPN in the class of 2010.
However Coleman says while things were going well on the court, things weren't going the best in the classroom which caused some things to change for him as far as college.
“I was receiving division 1 college interest from schools in the MAC, Big Ten, Horizon and more.” Coleman said. “However, when I received notice that I didn’t qualify to play division 1 basketball by the NCAA Clearinghouse, I was forced to look into other options which was either Prep School or Division 2.”
As you probably already guessed, Coleman chose Division 2, which is when Wayne State University entered the picture.
“Wayne State coaching staff always had interest in me; they attended a couple of my games during the season.” Coleman replied. “I went on a visit there and was very impressed with the school along with the staff and team, so I decided to commit to there.”
Now while Coleman was an elite player coming out of high school, he still had to earn his dues at a Wayne State just like he would have had to do at any division 1 program.
“My freshman year, I was definitely a role player. I knew my role and did what I could to help my team.” Coleman said. “There are plenty of talented hard working players on this team so everybody has had to put in hard work to get where they want to be.”
Well Coleman’s hard work is definitely paying off; he will be entering his junior season this year and says that his role has definitely changed for the better.
“My role has changed significantly. I have been asked to be more of a leader to this team than in the past.” Coleman replied. “I also will more than likely start and be asked to score more and be more productive.”
When asked if he is up to the challenge that his coach has given him, his answer was simply, “I am definitely ready for it, no question about it.”
Now while Coleman definitely has had success on the court and will continue to succeed on the court, he is also handling his business in the classroom. Coleman is majoring in Sociology and hopes to one day become a social worker and help his community and possibly start his own business.
However, Coleman does have big plans after college to hopefully play basketball overseas.
“I definitely want to play overseas and hopefully make a nice living playing the game I love.” Coleman replied. “I have the skill set and body to play well there and I am fortunate enough to have connections with people who can help me get overseas such as Coach Greer (Head Coach of Wayne State Boys Basketball Team) and my coaches from my AAU team: The Family. However, if I don't get the opportunity to play ball overseas, I am fortunate to have my degree to fall back on.”
As you can see, Coleman is a well-rounded young man; he is an outstanding player on the court and more importantly a good student in the classroom.
Coleman says he is regularly asked does he regret going division 2 instead of going to prep school then going to division 1. Coleman’s answer is always, “No.”
“There is nothing wrong with Division 2.” Coleman said. “Division 2 is great and very competitive. Players’ biggest mistake is not understanding their skill set and where they fit when it comes to picking a college. I have discovered I fit well here (Wayne State) and it made me a better player.”
Coleman says he wants more student athletes in the future to analyze their skill set and college options better instead of picking a school because of its division or status. Coleman’s main advice is “pick the school that fits you in every way not the school that you want to fit you or people say fit you.”
Coleman is certainly a good wise young man who I expect will do great things in this world on and off the court.
Coleman attended and graduated from Southfield Lathrup (Mich.) in 2010. He earned three varsity letters. He averaged 22 points and 8 rebounds per game. He was named to the 2010 Associated Press Class A honorable mention all-state team. Lastly he was ranked 89th among small forwards by ESPN in the class of 2010.
However Coleman says while things were going well on the court, things weren't going the best in the classroom which caused some things to change for him as far as college.
“I was receiving division 1 college interest from schools in the MAC, Big Ten, Horizon and more.” Coleman said. “However, when I received notice that I didn’t qualify to play division 1 basketball by the NCAA Clearinghouse, I was forced to look into other options which was either Prep School or Division 2.”
As you probably already guessed, Coleman chose Division 2, which is when Wayne State University entered the picture.
“Wayne State coaching staff always had interest in me; they attended a couple of my games during the season.” Coleman replied. “I went on a visit there and was very impressed with the school along with the staff and team, so I decided to commit to there.”
Now while Coleman was an elite player coming out of high school, he still had to earn his dues at a Wayne State just like he would have had to do at any division 1 program.
“My freshman year, I was definitely a role player. I knew my role and did what I could to help my team.” Coleman said. “There are plenty of talented hard working players on this team so everybody has had to put in hard work to get where they want to be.”
Well Coleman’s hard work is definitely paying off; he will be entering his junior season this year and says that his role has definitely changed for the better.
“My role has changed significantly. I have been asked to be more of a leader to this team than in the past.” Coleman replied. “I also will more than likely start and be asked to score more and be more productive.”
When asked if he is up to the challenge that his coach has given him, his answer was simply, “I am definitely ready for it, no question about it.”
Now while Coleman definitely has had success on the court and will continue to succeed on the court, he is also handling his business in the classroom. Coleman is majoring in Sociology and hopes to one day become a social worker and help his community and possibly start his own business.
However, Coleman does have big plans after college to hopefully play basketball overseas.
“I definitely want to play overseas and hopefully make a nice living playing the game I love.” Coleman replied. “I have the skill set and body to play well there and I am fortunate enough to have connections with people who can help me get overseas such as Coach Greer (Head Coach of Wayne State Boys Basketball Team) and my coaches from my AAU team: The Family. However, if I don't get the opportunity to play ball overseas, I am fortunate to have my degree to fall back on.”
As you can see, Coleman is a well-rounded young man; he is an outstanding player on the court and more importantly a good student in the classroom.
Coleman says he is regularly asked does he regret going division 2 instead of going to prep school then going to division 1. Coleman’s answer is always, “No.”
“There is nothing wrong with Division 2.” Coleman said. “Division 2 is great and very competitive. Players’ biggest mistake is not understanding their skill set and where they fit when it comes to picking a college. I have discovered I fit well here (Wayne State) and it made me a better player.”
Coleman says he wants more student athletes in the future to analyze their skill set and college options better instead of picking a school because of its division or status. Coleman’s main advice is “pick the school that fits you in every way not the school that you want to fit you or people say fit you.”
Coleman is certainly a good wise young man who I expect will do great things in this world on and off the court.