Ji'Ri Ash-Shakoor '22 Recruiting Profile

     College for me is all about furthering my aspirations to become a Certified Public Accountant in tandem with pursuing college basketball. During my tenure in college, I aspire to build my character as a young man. I hope to become my father’s legacy under the esteemed Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, where I can be mentored and then mentor young men like myself. While my goal is to be engaged in extracurricular activities, my discipline inside and outside of the classroom is the key to obtaining the goal of earning my place on the Dean’s list.

     When defining what makes me a good candidate for the team, I reflect back to what it was like to be on a team, not getting playing time but constantly being told how great of a basketball player I was. What that allowed me to see is that being on a team was not just about being on the court but being the teammate that my team needed me to be. I care about the spirit of the team on and off the court. My Intelligence Quotient (IQ) expanded and I was not only able to follow the game but also analyze plays of the opposing team. Thus application of what I saw off the court was implemented on the court.

     I was not created perfect. Character is something that is always developing and I aim to improve daily. As much of a leader as I am, I will follow to be taught and gain wisdom. Playing multiple sports and being able to transition between positions upon the coaches requests is invaluable. Understanding what it is to be disciplined, made it important for me to have a schedule to be timely for all games, practices and workouts. Rigorous Advancement Placement and Honors courses have aided in the importance of discipline. My GPA does not maintain itself so I spend long days and nights up studying and completing assignments while my friends maintain a social life.