By Mallory Mattingly
Illinois basketball player Ben Humrichous shared the unlikely story of how he started his college career in the NAIA but ended up in the Final Four of the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament.
Last Sunday, Illinois played UCONN where the Fighting Illini lost 71-62.
Despite the loss, Humrichous expressed his gratitude for his journey to the Final Four, saying it was all God.
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“When the buzzer sounded, all I wanted to say was praise God for the gift that this was, you know,” the grad student said after the game in the locker room. “By God’s grace. I was an NAIA kid, and I had an incredible experience surrounded by incredible people, where I was blessed to grow and be challenged and to do that. And it’s unlikely a guy would transfer up to Division I at the time, and being able to do that, and God’s sovereign hand being in that by providing me a home through Evansville.”
“And then He did so many incredible things as He was working for me to grow and to do big things and got me here at the University of Illinois,” Humrichous continued. “And so sure, I could get a lot of credit. And so much of it was a lot of growing and an understanding and knowledge of who God is in the path that He had for me and understanding what was important every step of the journey, and then God’s grace just supplying what I need for that.”
Throughout his time in Illinois, Humrichous leaned on head coach Brad Underwood for guidance on finding his purpose outside of basketball.
“He developed the desire to win so much, but above all, what he did is he taught me that winning is finding what’s important, and then dedicating your life to what is important,” the athlete said of Underwood, according to The Daily Illini. “So, for me, my faith is what’s first. I’m gonna dedicate my life to growing a relationship with Jesus Christ…taking care of my wife and my family. And then finding an avenue of work that’s important, and dedicating your life to that…that’s the core of what coach Brad Underwood taught me while I’m here. I’m incredibly indebted to him, and grateful for him.”
Humrichous ended his basketball career with a run in the Final Four, and even though the Illini lost to UCONN, he is grateful for God’s grace that guided him throughout his five years of college basketball.
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