“Basketball means everything to me.” Said junior shooting guard Braedon Totton. As a child, Totton was surrounded by basketball, growing a passion for the sport. Playing basketball gives Totton a “place to take [his] mind, off anything [he has] going on.” Totton started playing in 4th grade, for the YMCA on the Clippers.
“Growing up my brother inspired me to play basketball, as he played at a young age my dad always coached him” said Totton “so I would go to his practices, that’s when I knew I loved the game” explained Totton.
Watching his brother play basketball encouraged him to become a great player himself. Totton was eventually faced with the challenges of being an athlete.
Underperforming is a common occurrence in basketball, and Totton was introduced to it quickly. “Challenges I’ve faced are shooting slumps, I started the season off slow from the three-point line,” explained Totton. “I got back in the gym, kept working on my shot and gained my confidence back.” said Totton.
Totton has been around varsity basketball since dressing his freshman year, and starting his sophomore, as well as his junior year. Since he was averaging 2.3 points his freshman year, the move from dressing to playing was an adjustment. Totton then averaged 7.5 points per game his sophomore year and is now averaging 8.6 points per game while in his junior season.
He has found that being able to adjust from barely playing to becoming a starter requires your mindset to be right. “I try to keep my headspace free of thoughts” explained Totton. “I have found playing without thinking makes you better as an athlete, so once I have my job. I just think ‘go,’” Totton said.
Totton throughout his whole career has been told things by many different coaches, players, and even teammates. He has evolved and learned from everyone around him. Totton has experienced a lot through basketball and that has taught him lessons about basketball, as well as life.
“One of the biggest things is staying positive and true to yourself. Everyone goes through slumps in their career, even guys and girls in the NBA. Knowing that you’re doing the right thing and staying positive can help get you out of slumps. This also refers to life: sometimes you’re struggling but staying positive helps you understand that something better is yet to come.” Totton closed.
