Special: Hungry and Humbled

Junior forward Tymell Murphy says that coming to FIU, without much knowledge of where it was or who was heading the program, was the greatest decision he's ever made in his life.

Tymell Murphy/Men’s Basketball junior forward  

“Coach Pitino just got the job at Florida International, Tymell, I’ll call him up and tell him about you.”

Those were the words of my junior college coach Hank Plona. I said “Who, coach Rick Pitino from Louisville?” He said no, his son. I laughed it off. I went to Google to look up coach Pitino and FIU because I had no idea this school existed to be honest.

Next, I got a call from coach [Mike] Balado and he told me about FIU and the situation. I then spoke to every [FIU] coach on that same phone call.

“I’M COMING COACH!!” I told Pitino.

Man, I think that was the greatest choice I made on my own in my whole entire life. After I committed basically with no visit or knowledge of where this place is in Florida, I found out that it’s in Miami. I laughed again. Even better I tell myself, Miami-living for the Brooklyn boy.

My time here has been nothing short of wonderful. I got great teammates and a great coaching staff. People in the community care about the athletes and want us to succeed both on and off the court, but this season has been a blessing for me.

I learned so much under coach Pitino, who is my hardest critic besides myself. The guy really wants to see me do well and I love him for that.

This season, I accomplished something that I will remember for a long time. A game, 24 points and 20 rebounds. What made this game a lot more special to me was that for a couple days I had to live with the fact that I didn’t record a single rebound the game before against Middle Tennessee. I came out that game and was just relentless. I went after everything.

Also a great accomplishment was being named first team All-Conference, being the first FIU player since the ‘04-’05 season to do so. I think I elevated my game a lot this year, but I know I’m nowhere near finished.

My first year in Miami going to school and playing here at FIU has been a great experience for me. As of now, the season is over and I’m just focusing on getting my schoolwork done and finishing strong in the classroom and getting better as a basketball player in this offseason, preparing for the challenges ahead of me.

Just thinking about my life a couple years ago: I almost dropped out of high school and went for a GED. A friend by the name of Peyton Mullings, however, didn’t allow me to do that. He told me about a school named Brooklyn Academy, which was an alternative high school that allowed me to play high school basketball right away, even if you were a fifth-year guy. In all,  I did six years of high school and got some experience in playing organized basketball under guys I still talk to and have big influences on my life today.

Kenneth Fair, Kevin Tucker and June Fraizer. All those guys taught me about hunger and being true to people and working my tail off for the things I wanted in life. They gave me my second shot at the game I so desperately loved and they are forever with me in my journey wherever it may take me. I did it because I wanted to graduate high school and make my mother proud.

People are always coming after you and if you’re good, then you get everyone’s best shots. It was so much fun just being on the court playing ball, sometimes there would be fights, kicking and punching, everybody let their anger out on the court. But it was all fun to me, it made me tougher and trust me, I got my fair share of beatings on the court.

Now I’m here at FIU grabbing 20 rebounds and being first team all conference. The game of basketball has been good to me and coaches Pitino, Balado, Mark Lieberman, Kimani Young and Casey Stanley have been very good to me. I just want to do the best and play the best on the court while being a truly good person off of it.

And where better to do then right in the warm likes of Miami?