Murray State University Athletics
Nine Racers Trade Uniforms For Caps, Gowns
5/6/2004 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
They'll enter the Regional Special Events Center on Saturday as former Murray State basketball players and they'll exit the building they called home the last four or five years as college graduates.
After capping their playing careers with an Ohio Valley Conference Tournament championship and a trip to the NCAA Tournament, nine Racer seniors will receive degrees from the university. Six will graduate this summer while three more will receive their degrees after completing their student teaching assignments this fall.Murray State contacted the NCAA this spring to determine if any other Division I program had graduated as many as nine players off of one team and, though they don't keep complete records in that area, the NCAA could not recall a nine-member graduating class.
“What a great accomplishment for our program, as well as our department to graduate nine guys,” said Racer head coach Mick Cronin. “Graduating nine players in the same year is a direct reflection of the athletic department's commitment to academics and the quality of academic support the athletes receive at Murray State.”
Senior forward Antione Whelchel spent five years in the program, redshirting his first season, but said the experience seemed much shorter.
“Once I got here it went by pretty fast,” said Whelchel, a health and physical education major from Gainesville, Ga. “It seemed like just yesterday I was sitting down and trying to figure out which school I was going to attend, now I'm getting my degree.”
Working in academics along with practices, road trips and off-season conditioning takes its toll on college athletes, but it is well worth it, according to Whelchel.
“It got tough at times and sometimes I had to ask myself if it was worth it,” he explained. “But I pushed through it. Nothing worthwhile comes easy, so that will make the graduation ceremony that much better.”
As for post-graduation plans, Whelchel will explore professional basketball, most likely overseas, as will fellow senior Cuthbert Victor.
Both, however, have plans after basketball. Whelchel will pursue a career in college coaching while Victor, a business management major, hopes to start his own business. Petar Roncevic, a junior, is foregoing his senior season because he has already earned his degree in international business, and will return to Europe to pursue a career in business.
Seniors Nathan Akin, Tim Haworth and Rick Jones all have goals of coaching on the high school level, while Chris Shumate, Andi Hornig and Kevin Paschel will explore options in the business sector.
Their former coach has no doubt that all nine seniors will be successful.
“These guys have been thinking about life after college for a long time and they knew they would expand their options by getting a degree,” said Cronin. “I don't have to worry about any of those guys being successful, because they've proven it in the classroom and on the floor.”
