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justen boyd
 
Justen Boyd (Batavia, Ill.) is a three-time All-CCAC selection and been named to the First-Team twice.  He was also the CCAC "Freshman of the Year."  He has picked up NCCAA All-Region honors and has been named the NCCAA "National Player of the Week."  He has scored over 1,000 career points, is 2nd on the all-time career list for assists, and is in the top 10 career list for steals.
By Kaia Hagberg - student writer
 
He grew as the little Californian boy down the street that caused ruckus in the earliest hours of the morning with the bounce of his basketball; he couldn’t help but pick the ball up and shoot some hoops just before school started. Ever since that five-year-old cheered in the stands of the 1991 Lakers vs. Bulls game, basketball took on a serious role in his life. Within a year, his family bought a basketball hoop for the backyard. Then, finally at age six, he was old enough for organized basketball.
 

This point guard and captain of the Judson University men’s basketball team grew up on basketball. With four brothers it became a perfect outlet for brotherly bonding and interaction. And fortunately that relationship carried through for him in college where he now has a close-knit group of teammates that act like a brotherhood, of sorts.

“We have a lot of goof balls on the team,” he said. “The best part of being on the team has to be the teammates, the camaraderie. I could have gone to play basketball for some other colleges but I’m glad I chose Judson because the friendships and good times are something I wouldn’t trade for the world.”

These “goof balls,” therefore, keep some hilarious escapades and harmless pranks in their memories.

“We were in Minnesota and we were supposed to check out and leave at 11 o’clock with breakfast at nine. One of my roommates woke up early while the other was still asleep. He then proceeded to take all the stuff out of the room, both his and the one that was sleeping, set the clock ahead a couple hours, and then went down to breakfast. While we were all downstairs eating breakfast, our other teammate comes running frantically down the stairs yelling, ‘Freddie where’d you put my laptop and my Ipod!’” said Boyd. “He was mad at us the rest of the day but now he can just look back and laugh.”

However thankful he is for his decision to attend Judson University with all the friendly and life changing encounters he didn’t get here without a little help.

“I was recruited by Coach Jim Condel,” he said. “At first, I was going back and forth between Judson and another school. My parents liked the way Judson felt and thought it was better for me.”

Boyd is a 1,000 point career scorer and has been named to the all-CCAC First-Team twice in his career, yet amidst his life and stereotype that goes hand in hand with basketball he also serves in BASIC, works in the fitness center, goes to school, and participates in FCA.

“Being here, at college is more than just for the sport, it’s like picking your life. What you do doesn’t define who you are,” says Boyd.