I’d like to thank D’Lano Beckles for sharing his basketball journey with me. I was the team manager of The Master’s University Mustangs in Santa Clarita, California in the GSAC in NAIA DI from 2010-14 and Dominique Lanier and Bernard Ireland, Jr. were guards on the Mustangs my senior year. They played for the Hope International University Royals in the GSAC for their senior seasons.

D’Lano is entering his senior season for the Royals. The Royals are coached by Bill Czech. As a junior for the Royals, D’Lano averaged 6.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.3 blocks while shooting 44.6% from the field, 25.5% from deep and 60% from the free throw line per game. He scored 203 points, grabbed 95 rebounds, dished out 45 assists, had 28 steals, blocked 8 shots and made 13 threes.

In sharing his journey with me, D’Lano wrote, “My journey to HIU started out at LA Southwest. I played 2 years at a JUCO, then I transferred to Hope. I was blessed with the opportunity to continue playing & also get the opportunity to get a college degree. It was a grind and a process but I stuck to it & got rewarded for it.

My favorite thing about Hope is that I can get a better relationship with the teachers since it is a smaller campus. It helps me get more into the class and also learn more. I have improved on my relationship with God. It has gotten better since I’ve been at HIU and it will only get stronger. Hope is a great school academically and athletically. Hope gives off that family feeling and the relationships I create here will last for a lifetime.”