Michael Wiggins

Guest Writer [email protected]

He’s waited four years. And fi nally, the wait is over.

Keith Duronslet, a 22-year-old sophomore on the City College men’s basketball team, has overcome circumstances that nearly ended his opportunity to play the game he loves. It has been four years since he last put on a City College uniform, laced up his shoes and hit the hardwood for a game.

After graduating from local John F. Kennedy High School in 2012, Duronslet — known by most as KJ — took his talents to City College and enrolled as a student. At the end of his freshman season on the basketball team in 2012-2013, Duronslet planned to work hard during the summer to be a better player when he returned for his sophomore season in the fall.

That plan did not go accordingly. After Duronslet graduated high school, his mother became unemployed. And when the situation affected the family’s living conditions, doing what he wanted came second to doing what he needed: Find work and make money to assist his mother and family.

Duronslet and his family moved out of their house and into a mobile home after his freshman season.

“I had to work, and that’s just what took over my life,” says Duronslet of the motivating factor that placed the 19-yearold’s basketball career on hold.

During the next basketball season, Duronslet did not play, but continued to take classes to keep up on his academics. But he says it was hard to remain focused in school, and his grades suffered as a result.

“I started taking those classes, but I still had to work. Work was the main focus,” says Duronslet. “I was a student on paper, but I was still working, and I knew that’s what I had to do.”

As a result of taking classes and not passing them for multiple semesters, Duronslet was academically dismissed by City College, which resulted in his inability to register for classes. He also became ineligible to play in the 2014-2015 basketball season.

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Duronslet talked to his mother, and the two had one vision in mind.

“Me and my mom had plans,” says Duronslet. “We knew we didn’t want to be in the mobile home forever. I loved our mobile home and the community. It was home. It was just the idea of living in a mobile home that made us work harder to get out.”

And get out they did.

Duronslet and his family moved out of the mobile home in early 2015 and into a more suitable apartment. With his family in a better position, he says he turned his focus back to his dream: playing college basketball.

Duronslet was readmitted to City College in 2015. Now he could prepare to play.

The 2016-2017 season is here, and Duronslet is ready to turn a dream into a reality. This is the opportunity he’s worked for. And his teammates notice that he has a fi re lit under him.

“Before the fi rst game, KJ had a lot of energy and kept pacing around the room,” says David King, a sophomore guard on the City College team. “His energy and passion toward the game fuels us as his teammates.”

City College head basketball coach Andrew Jones says he hopes Duronslet has learned a few lessons from his ordeal. Jones says he want to see Duronslet return to the court, four years later, as a better player, and more importantly, as a better person.

“I hope KJ has learned the importance of his education, time management and a sense of responsibility and accountability,” says Jones, who notes that Duronslet’s role on this team will be much different than it was four years ago.

“As a freshman, KJ was a spot player,” Jones says. “Now he is the most important player, as he is our best scorer, rebounder and post defender.”

As a man of faith and someone who is excited and thrilled with how far he has come, Duronslet says he owes it all to the man above.

“Everything happens for a reason. This is exactly where I was supposed to be at this exact time,” says Duronslet. “All glory to God.” ♦ “ Everything happens for a reason. This is exactly where I was supposed to be at this exact time. All glory to God.”