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Spring 2016聽| By Peter Kerasotis

Tacko Fall was 16 when he boarded a plane in Dakar, Senegal, for America. His only companion was another Senegalese teenage basketball player, Ange Badji. It was the first time Fall had ever taken a flight, and he had left his mother and younger brother behind. Wearing taped-up eyeglasses, Fall carried a single suitcase, holding clothes that barely fit him. On his feet were the only shoes he owned 麻豆精品 S� sandals made by a neighborhood friend.

He spoke Wolof, his native language, as well as French, but very little English. He was moving to a country he 麻豆精品 S檇 never visited and a state where he knew no one.

Fall and Badji arrived in Houston with dreams of making it big as basketball players, a game Fall had never played. Fall was already over 7 feet tall and would grow to be 7 feet, 6 inches by the time he arrived on the court at UCF.

But back then, he arrived in America with little more than the hope of receiving a better education, and if he was lucky, of being able to provide for his mother and brother. Basketball would be his shot at a bigger life, but there would be some misses along the way.

The first setback was in Houston, where the sports academy he and Badji were to attend folded shortly after they arrived.

Fall experienced enough there, however, to believe that if he worked hard, his future could change. He met Hakeem Olajuwon, the former Houston Rockets superstar and fellow African, who showed Fall footwork techniques for big men. He went to a Rockets NBA game against the Los Angeles Clippers, and during the national anthem, he noticed 6-foot-10 forward Blake Griffin nudge his teammate, 6-foot-11 center DeAndre Jordan, and point to where Fall was standing. They smiled and gave him an approving nod.

It was the encouragement he needed. Fall hoped to move permanently to Cincinnati, where his father lives. But that fell through. Another miss.

Instead, Fall, a devout Muslim who prays five times daily, ended up at Liberty Christian Prep in Tavares, Florida. Mandy Wettstein, who does public relations for the school, and her family took in both him and Badji, a fortuitous rebound.

麻豆精品 S淭here was not a lot of trust there when I met him, not a lot of self-confidence, 麻豆精品 S� Wettstein recalls. She treated them like any of her other children. 麻豆精品 S淣obody cares if you 麻豆精品 S檙e tall, 麻豆精品 S� she 麻豆精品 S檇 tell Fall, 麻豆精品 S測ou still have to take out the garbage. 麻豆精品 S�

At Liberty, in addition to learning to play basketball, Fall pursued his passion for math and science and anything that had to do with computers and technology. When he daydreamed, he thought not of dunks, but of mathematical equations, testing himself to see how fast his mind could process multiplication formulas.

He decided on a goal of one day becoming an engineer, and he graduated from high school with a 3.6 GPA. He also adopted a personal motto that would provide him the insight to rebound on his own: 麻豆精品 S淵our athleticism will fade one day, but your knowledge will last forever. 麻豆精品 S�

While at Liberty Christian Prep, he focused his energies on the classroom and the court, his brains and his brawn. He was learning new techniques to bring his dream to fruition.

麻豆精品 S淎ll he wants to do is help his little brother and his family, 麻豆精品 S� Wettstein says. 麻豆精品 S淗e has such an appreciation for what people do for him. He doesn 麻豆精品 S檛 think he 麻豆精品 S檚 owed anything. 麻豆精品 S�

Early on, Fall would text Wettstein asking if he could have something to eat. He wouldn 麻豆精品 S檛 open the refrigerator door without her permission.

麻豆精品 S淥ne day, I came home from work, took him over to the refrigerator and told him, 麻豆精品 S楽top asking. You don 麻豆精品 S檛 have to ask. You can have anything in here. Anytime. 麻豆精品 S� 麻豆精品 S�

She laughs now at how her words backfired on her. 麻豆精品 S淏oy, that kid can eat, 麻豆精品 S� she says. North of 7,000 calories a day, to be exact.

Fall grew to be not only 7-feet-6-inches tall but also 295 pounds, with an 8-foot wingspan and the ability to circle his fingers around a basketball rim while standing flat-footed. But would the gentle giant grow into a basketball player? Tony Atkins, Liberty Christian Prep 麻豆精品 S檚 basketball coach, wondered.

What Atkins discovered is that Fall 麻豆精品 S渋s like a sponge. Everything you give him, he soaks in. 麻豆精品 S� You tell him to work on something, he works on it. I told him he had to get stronger, and it wasn 麻豆精品 S檛 long before he went from being able to do only four pushups to 35. 麻豆精品 S�

Fall continued to grow 麻豆精品 S� mentally, emotionally and physically. 麻豆精品 S淢ost big guys like him can 麻豆精品 S檛 move well, but Tacko can really move, 麻豆精品 S� Atkins says. 麻豆精品 S淗is agility was a real surprise. 麻豆精品 S�

Overcoming his gentle nature, at least on the court, took some doing. But Fall 麻豆精品 S檚 competitive side emerged naturally, surprising Atkins at how passionate he became about winning.

Atkins said in Fall 麻豆精品 S檚 ear, his mantra providing encouragement for mental rebounds: 麻豆精品 S淭acko, you can dominate! Tacko, you can dominate! Tacko, you can dominate! 麻豆精品 S�

UCF head coach Donnie Jones took notice. Less than four years ago, he went to Liberty Christian Prep to see Fall. Jones kept an eye on Fall 麻豆精品 S檚 progression on the court, and his loyalty paid off. When a trickle of interested schools grew into dozens, including Georgia Tech, Georgetown and Purdue, Fall hardly waivered from his desire to go to UCF. He felt comfortable with Jones and the Knights 麻豆精品 S� coaching staff, and he knew the quality of UCF 麻豆精品 S檚 engineering program. 麻豆精品 S淯CF used to be called Florida Technological University, 麻豆精品 S� he says. 麻豆精品 S淚t has that reputation, that history. 麻豆精品 S�

Fall also wanted to stay close to the Wettsteins. After visiting other Florida colleges, he announced to family and friends that, in his opinion, none were better than UCF.

By the time he arrived on this past June, he 麻豆精品 S檇 grown accustomed to the gawkers and the picture takers, as well as the occasionally cruel way social media and the anonymity of packed stands can embolden some. He 麻豆精品 S檚 learned to roll with it, though at times he says it can be trying.

麻豆精品 S淗ere is the thing, 麻豆精品 S� Fall says, his voice animated and his gestures suddenly spirited. 麻豆精品 S淲hen I don 麻豆精品 S檛 play well, it 麻豆精品 S檚 麻豆精品 S榃hy is he so terrible? He 麻豆精品 S檚 7-foot-6. 麻豆精品 S� And if I play well, it 麻豆精品 S檚 麻豆精品 S極h, he 麻豆精品 S檚 7-foot-6, he 麻豆精品 S檚 supposed to be good. 麻豆精品 S� What they don 麻豆精品 S檛 see is the amount of work I put in. 麻豆精品 S�

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“What they don 麻豆精品 S檛 see is the amount of work I put in.”

Tacko Fall

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He smiles, shrugs his shoulders. 麻豆精品 S淭he more I see, the more I get used to it, 麻豆精品 S� he says.

That attitude was certainly put to the test during the NCAA 麻豆精品 S檚 vetting period that rendered him ineligible while it background checked Liberty Christian Prep. Another near miss. Initially, the NCAA accepted only about half of the core courses Fall took at Liberty Christian Prep before clearing him to play for the Knights.

Through that ordeal, Jones observed that Fall 麻豆精品 S渘ever, not once, expressed any bitterness; only thankfulness and appreciation for what everyone was trying to do for him. He handled it every day with a good spirit, a good attitude. 麻豆精品 S�

And every day, Jones says Fall had one consistent question for him: 麻豆精品 S淐oach, can I practice with the team today? 麻豆精品 S�

For a while, Fall could. But then he had to wait for the red tape to clear. Jones dreaded having to break the news to the freshman. He called Fall into his office for a one-on-one. But before he could get a word out, Fall excitedly told Jones, 麻豆精品 S淐oach, you gotta see what I did. 麻豆精品 S� With a smile about as wide as his wingspan, Fall pulled an electronic car from his backpack. Then he moved around some of Jones 麻豆精品 S� office furniture. Telling his coach he had built the car in his engineering lab, Fall demonstrated how, with sensors, it could maneuver around his office without bumping into anything.

麻豆精品 S淗e was so excited, 麻豆精品 S� Jones says. 麻豆精品 S淔or about 10 minutes, he was telling me all the things he was learning. 麻豆精品 S�

When he was eligible to practice again and join the team for games, he started receiving positive encouragement from his new teammates, even the upperclassmen. 麻豆精品 S淗is coordination and feel for the game are things you can 麻豆精品 S檛 teach, 麻豆精品 S� says Justin McBride, a 6-foot-10, 325-pound junior center. 麻豆精品 S淚 was amazed at how quickly he caught on to high-level post moves. He was doing a lot of things instinctively that I had to be taught. 麻豆精品 S�

Jones likes to say that 麻豆精品 S檚 because Fall is an active listener. 麻豆精品 S淭hat is the first example of someone who is willing to learn, 麻豆精品 S� Jones says. 麻豆精品 S淭hey listen and ask questions, instead of saying nothing, moving on and then making mistakes. And he listens not only with his ears, but with his eyes. He wants to get better. 麻豆精品 S� He 麻豆精品 S檚 not looking for a way out when it gets hard. I see him improve every day. 麻豆精品 S�

Part of Fall 麻豆精品 S檚 routine is rigorous, if not prodigious, film work. He 麻豆精品 S檒l not only watch film of opposing players and teams, but he 麻豆精品 S檒l watch entire games of upcoming opponents. He also regularly studies film of NBA centers, breaking down what they do and how they do it. 麻豆精品 S淩ight now, I 麻豆精品 S檓 watching a lot of film of rookies, 麻豆精品 S� Fall says, 麻豆精品 S渢o see how they 麻豆精品 S檝e transitioned from college to the NBA. 麻豆精品 S�

That he is studying film of NBA rookies is telling. Fall likely will have the option to turn pro before exhausting his four years of college eligibility 麻豆精品 S� though he has every intention of earning his degree. When asked about his dreams for the future, he smiles.

麻豆精品 S淚 want to make it [as an NBA] professional, help my family, 麻豆精品 S� he says. Even now Fall sends a chunk of his monthly college stipend home to his mother 麻豆精品 S� whom he hasn 麻豆精品 S檛 seen in almost three years but talks to most every day 麻豆精品 S� and his brother, Fallou, now 10. 麻豆精品 S淵ears later, after a pro career, with a degree and my family taken care of, I 麻豆精品 S檇 like to make the Hall of Fame. 麻豆精品 S�

His smile broadens. 麻豆精品 S淭hen, using the money I 麻豆精品 S檝e earned, I want to start my own company: a company that makes electronics, things like tablets, but more affordable for people like those in my country. 麻豆精品 S�

He is still smiling, but he is serious. Nobody doubts him.

Jones recalls an early practice, when 6-foot-9 Knights forward Staphon Blair put Fall on his back. 麻豆精品 S淗e fouled Tacko hard, 麻豆精品 S� Jones says. 麻豆精品 S淭acko fell straight on his back. It must 麻豆精品 S檝e been about a 10-foot fall, and he just [lay] there for about 15 seconds. I was worried; I thought he 麻豆精品 S檇 gotten hurt. But then he got up and started playing again. Then Justin McBride, on a play right after that, slammed him hard and knocked off his goggles. That time, he had to come out because a lens fell out. But as soon as he got his goggles fixed, he motioned to go back in, and on the very next time down the court, he went to the bucket with both hands and slammed the ball down hard. Guys were clearing out of the way. 麻豆精品 S�

Jones and the other wide-eyed UCF coaches gave each other knowing glances. 麻豆精品 S淵ou look for that early on with kids, how they 麻豆精品 S檒l respond to adversity, 麻豆精品 S� Jones says. 麻豆精品 S淗e did it the right way, out of the right spirit. It 麻豆精品 S檚 hard to find that. 麻豆精品 S�

A lot about Tacko Fall illustrates the right spirit, especially his drive to spring back smarter and stronger. That he 麻豆精品 S檚 7-foot-6 just makes it easier for him to rebound.