TONI BRYANT Graduate Earns Basketball Scholarship
Toni Bryant leaves in June for the University of Missouri, where he was offered and accepted a basketball scholarship. He hopes to show us what it takes to get to the NBA. Bryant, 19, is a senior at Southeastern Preparatory Academy in Orlando. He graduates this year, although his school work for this year is completed. He chose the University of Missouri out of 60 or 70 schools that offered him a scholarship.
Though tall and apparently good on the court, he is a young man of few words with a thoughtful disposition. At 6’10”, Bryant just barely clears doorways. The future UM Tigers’ basketball journey started rather unremarkably. He began in grade school but didn’t enjoy it and quit in seventh grade. As he entered adolescence, his interest reignited.
“I stopped playing in seventh grade, then picked it back up in eighth grade because I had grown a bit taller,” he explained. “I met my coach, who began training me. By eighth grade, I was eligible to play high school basketball, and I’ve been playing varsity on the high school team ever since.” Bryant plans to major in business management at UM. He wants a fallback option if his basketball dreams don’t pan out, or something to fall back on later if they do.
Yet his ultimate goal remains the NBA. “I want to compete at the highest level,” he said. “And that’s the NBA. I believe I have a shot.” Playing power forward, he doesn’t have a single dream team in mind for the future. “I’d be grateful to land with any team,” he noted. Still, he admires power forwards Kevin Garnett and Pascal Siakam.
Bryant expects to be in Missouri by the first of June. “I’ll have some summer classes to take and can start practicing with the team, plus other activities,” he said, aiming to get there early. For now, he trains daily, lifting weights, and when time allows, he spends a portion of his day practicing guitar. He’s been learning for about a year, mostly through YouTube tutorials.
At the center of Bryant’s apartment sits a Bible, included as a table centerpiece. He says faith means everything to him. “I’m always trying to improve my life. I fall short every day, but I keep striving to better myself.” We wish him continued growth, both spiritually and on the court. ♥
