Photo by: Mark Palczewski
Nwosu, Marauders learning and adapting after setbacks
1/10/2020 8:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball, Features
MILLERSVILLE, Pa. - Through blurry eyes, Justin Nwosu woke up to the face of an unfamiliar woman standing over him asking him questions. His roommate Jaden Faulkner and teammates Ryan Davis and Gabe Kier stared at him with concern. Nwosu's mind was foggy. His head spun. He thought he was dreaming. After all, the last thing he remembered was falling asleep. No, he was very much awake. The woman in his room was a police officer, and Nwosu, for the first time in his life, had just had a seizure.
Between 6 p.m. on Dec. 17 and 3 a.m. on Dec. 18, a trying and stress-filled semester came to an unkind culmination for the 6-6 Millersville forward. After a promising freshman season in which he averaged 11.0 points and 4.0 points per game, expectations were sky-high for Nwosu and the Marauders entering 2019-20. But Nwosu spun his wheels through an early-season sophomore slump. He missed the first two games serving a suspension for an uncharacteristic offseason violation of team rules. Then, five games into the season, Faulkner, Nwosu's roommate and good friend, went down with a serious knee injury. With a daunting finals week on his mind, Nwosu's performance earlier that night at Georgian Court felt like hitting rock bottom. Millersville had seemingly lost its way after Faulkner's injury, losing for the fourth time in five games. Nwosu scored four points with three turnovers in a season-low 17 minutes.
Hours later, Faulkner awoke to find Nwosu unconscious, trying to get out of bed but falling, over and over. Frightened by the scene, Faulkner called the police for help. At 3:30 a.m., Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel woke up with his youngest son, glanced at his phone and saw three missed calls and a missed FaceTime request from Faulkner. He had forgotten to turn on his ringer after the game. Something was wrong. When Stitzel finally connected with Nwosu, blood tests and an MRI revealed no serious issues, and the doctor diagnosed the cause of the seizure as dehydration.
"I've never been through a situation like that with a health issue," said Stitzel. "We were so relieved to see that it was a freak thing and not something he would have to be on medication for."
"It was like a sign from God," said Nwosu. "A new year is coming. All the stuff that happened is over and gone. It's time to look in the mirror and step up."
Nwosu left the team and went home to Bowie, Md., for the next two weeks. For three days he did nothing but get some much-needed mental rest.
The suspension, his friend's injury, his on-court performance and the seizure took a toll, but from each setback, he learned something about himself and made a change.
"I learned that I have to slow down," said Nwosu. "I felt like after my freshman season I didn't have to listen to anyone. It made me slow down and humble myself. It showed me the importance of being on the court each and every game. The suspension helped me off the court too. Coach Stitzel didn't have to suspend me but he did it to show me consequences."
The injury to Faulkner presented its own challenges. At the time, Faulkner averaged 23.6 points, 7.0 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game. He made the game easier for Nwosu through shot creation, distribution, defense and communication. As a friend, Nwosu provided support to Faulkner through the disappointment of losing his season and through the surgery.
"They played on the same summer league team. They have been roommates for two years," said Stitzel. "When Jaden first went down, Justin was one of the players who had the hardest time adjusting. There's a connection there. It affected him emotionally. He went through a lot this semester and he looked very beaten up mentally even before the seizure."
In the first four games after Faulkner's injury, Nwosu shot just 14-for-42 (.333) from the floor and averaged 9.5 points per game.
"It was tough for me," said Nwosu. "I played basketball with him every day in the summer. We worked out together before the season, so emotionally it was tough. For the team, too, we had to come together and step up."
Nwosu missed games against Seton Hill and California U following the seizure but soon started running, shooting and watching film. When he returned to the team in the days leading up to the Jan. 3 game at Shippensburg, Nwosu looked and felt reenergized—ready for 2020.
"My family really helped me out," said Nwosu. "My cousin and my dad helped me get my focus right. They told me that it was time to dominate. I came back ready--mentally and physically."
"When he went home, dealing with everything, it makes you realize that the game can be taken away like that," said Stitzel. "Justin came back hungry and more aggressive. That week leading up to Shippensburg was his three best practices of the year. When he's playing like that it makes us a much better team."
In the three games since returning to the lineup, Nwosu has averaged 17.3 points while shooting 55.0 percent from the field and sinking four 3-pointers—three more than he made in his first eight games of the season. In his second game back, he scored 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting, helping Millersville to its first win over East Stroudsburg in eight tries. The Marauders have won two in a row, and a revitalized Nwosu is a big reason why.
"It's crazy to say this because you would think someone who had just had a seizure would come back cautious, but it was the opposite," said Stitzel. "He was like a new kid. He looked fresher mentally and physically. His hunger, effort, intangibles were off the chart. That's what made him good last year."
Nwosu believes the difference in his play is increased confidence and aggressiveness. Now adjusted to a game without open looks created by Faulkner's penetration, Nwosu is confidently pulling the trigger on pick-and-pop 3-pointers and driving to the hoop off the dribble. He's changed his game, but he and the Marauders are better for it.
"I'm attacking more," said Nwosu. "Before, I was more in the background and could go with the flow because Jaden would dish it to me. Now I have to be aggressive because the team needs me to score more."
After losing three of four in the wake of Faulkner's injury, the Marauders have started to correct course, winning three of the last five with the losses coming in double-overtime and on the road against division-leading Shippensburg. Despite a first half of the season that saw Millersville play at full strength in just three of its 14 games, the team is in a four-way tie for third place in the East at 4-4. On Saturday, the Marauders begin a run with four of five games on the road—a daunting challenge that may very well determine the outcome of the 2019-20 season. In 2019, Millersville's players faced plenty of adversity, Nwosu chief among them. A few road games don't seem so intimidating now.
"Failure is a big part of getting to where you want to get to," said Stitzel. "Not just on the court, but off the court. Justin dealt with a lot of failure in the first semester. A lot of kids would keep that going all year, but he is mentally tough. Last year, he would never have two bad games in a row. I know if there is anyone who could bounce back from the semester he had on and off the court it is Justin. You are starting to see that eye of the tiger in him. He's a good kid. He does well academically. He has great parents. He's not somebody who can't handle being challenged. Coming back, it's cool to see him have success, and we are going to need him moving forward."
Between 6 p.m. on Dec. 17 and 3 a.m. on Dec. 18, a trying and stress-filled semester came to an unkind culmination for the 6-6 Millersville forward. After a promising freshman season in which he averaged 11.0 points and 4.0 points per game, expectations were sky-high for Nwosu and the Marauders entering 2019-20. But Nwosu spun his wheels through an early-season sophomore slump. He missed the first two games serving a suspension for an uncharacteristic offseason violation of team rules. Then, five games into the season, Faulkner, Nwosu's roommate and good friend, went down with a serious knee injury. With a daunting finals week on his mind, Nwosu's performance earlier that night at Georgian Court felt like hitting rock bottom. Millersville had seemingly lost its way after Faulkner's injury, losing for the fourth time in five games. Nwosu scored four points with three turnovers in a season-low 17 minutes.
Hours later, Faulkner awoke to find Nwosu unconscious, trying to get out of bed but falling, over and over. Frightened by the scene, Faulkner called the police for help. At 3:30 a.m., Millersville head coach Casey Stitzel woke up with his youngest son, glanced at his phone and saw three missed calls and a missed FaceTime request from Faulkner. He had forgotten to turn on his ringer after the game. Something was wrong. When Stitzel finally connected with Nwosu, blood tests and an MRI revealed no serious issues, and the doctor diagnosed the cause of the seizure as dehydration.
"I've never been through a situation like that with a health issue," said Stitzel. "We were so relieved to see that it was a freak thing and not something he would have to be on medication for."
"It was like a sign from God," said Nwosu. "A new year is coming. All the stuff that happened is over and gone. It's time to look in the mirror and step up."
Nwosu left the team and went home to Bowie, Md., for the next two weeks. For three days he did nothing but get some much-needed mental rest.
The suspension, his friend's injury, his on-court performance and the seizure took a toll, but from each setback, he learned something about himself and made a change.
"I learned that I have to slow down," said Nwosu. "I felt like after my freshman season I didn't have to listen to anyone. It made me slow down and humble myself. It showed me the importance of being on the court each and every game. The suspension helped me off the court too. Coach Stitzel didn't have to suspend me but he did it to show me consequences."
The injury to Faulkner presented its own challenges. At the time, Faulkner averaged 23.6 points, 7.0 assists and 6.4 rebounds per game. He made the game easier for Nwosu through shot creation, distribution, defense and communication. As a friend, Nwosu provided support to Faulkner through the disappointment of losing his season and through the surgery.
"They played on the same summer league team. They have been roommates for two years," said Stitzel. "When Jaden first went down, Justin was one of the players who had the hardest time adjusting. There's a connection there. It affected him emotionally. He went through a lot this semester and he looked very beaten up mentally even before the seizure."
In the first four games after Faulkner's injury, Nwosu shot just 14-for-42 (.333) from the floor and averaged 9.5 points per game.
"It was tough for me," said Nwosu. "I played basketball with him every day in the summer. We worked out together before the season, so emotionally it was tough. For the team, too, we had to come together and step up."
Nwosu missed games against Seton Hill and California U following the seizure but soon started running, shooting and watching film. When he returned to the team in the days leading up to the Jan. 3 game at Shippensburg, Nwosu looked and felt reenergized—ready for 2020.
"My family really helped me out," said Nwosu. "My cousin and my dad helped me get my focus right. They told me that it was time to dominate. I came back ready--mentally and physically."
"When he went home, dealing with everything, it makes you realize that the game can be taken away like that," said Stitzel. "Justin came back hungry and more aggressive. That week leading up to Shippensburg was his three best practices of the year. When he's playing like that it makes us a much better team."In the three games since returning to the lineup, Nwosu has averaged 17.3 points while shooting 55.0 percent from the field and sinking four 3-pointers—three more than he made in his first eight games of the season. In his second game back, he scored 21 points on 9-of-12 shooting, helping Millersville to its first win over East Stroudsburg in eight tries. The Marauders have won two in a row, and a revitalized Nwosu is a big reason why.
"It's crazy to say this because you would think someone who had just had a seizure would come back cautious, but it was the opposite," said Stitzel. "He was like a new kid. He looked fresher mentally and physically. His hunger, effort, intangibles were off the chart. That's what made him good last year."
Nwosu believes the difference in his play is increased confidence and aggressiveness. Now adjusted to a game without open looks created by Faulkner's penetration, Nwosu is confidently pulling the trigger on pick-and-pop 3-pointers and driving to the hoop off the dribble. He's changed his game, but he and the Marauders are better for it.
"I'm attacking more," said Nwosu. "Before, I was more in the background and could go with the flow because Jaden would dish it to me. Now I have to be aggressive because the team needs me to score more."
After losing three of four in the wake of Faulkner's injury, the Marauders have started to correct course, winning three of the last five with the losses coming in double-overtime and on the road against division-leading Shippensburg. Despite a first half of the season that saw Millersville play at full strength in just three of its 14 games, the team is in a four-way tie for third place in the East at 4-4. On Saturday, the Marauders begin a run with four of five games on the road—a daunting challenge that may very well determine the outcome of the 2019-20 season. In 2019, Millersville's players faced plenty of adversity, Nwosu chief among them. A few road games don't seem so intimidating now.
"Failure is a big part of getting to where you want to get to," said Stitzel. "Not just on the court, but off the court. Justin dealt with a lot of failure in the first semester. A lot of kids would keep that going all year, but he is mentally tough. Last year, he would never have two bad games in a row. I know if there is anyone who could bounce back from the semester he had on and off the court it is Justin. You are starting to see that eye of the tiger in him. He's a good kid. He does well academically. He has great parents. He's not somebody who can't handle being challenged. Coming back, it's cool to see him have success, and we are going to need him moving forward."
Players Mentioned
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