Depending on the day, junior guard Caleb Blackwell’s pregame ritual might involve the smooth R&B sounds of Miguel, but when the stakes are higher, when the rivalry is personal and the Don Haskins Center is vibrating, the 6-foot-1 guard switches to something heavier.
“If it’s one of those games, like New Mexico State… definitely some [NBA] Youngboy,” Blackwell said.
That duality, the ability to be “chill” one moment and a “menace” the next, has defined Blackwell’s first season in El Paso.
The Buford, Georgia, native has emerged as a starting guard of The University of Texas at El Paso’s (UTEP) men basketball team, but his path to the desert was forged in the silence of a redshirt year at Alabama A&M and the grit of the junior college circuit.
For Blackwell, the hardest part of redshirting was not the physical toll; it was the view from the sideline.
“Definitely knowing that I could be out there,” Blackwell said. “Helping my team… knowing I was ready for the moment. Having to watch them…but I also think it helped me learn how to just be patient.”
That patience paid off. Blackwell took his game to South Plains College, where he earned Junior College (JUCO) Second-Team All-American honors.
When he finally saw his name on that list, he felt a “sense of appreciation” for the work that had previously gone unnoticed. It is a period of his life he credits for the “chip” on his shoulder that he carries today.
“I’m going to have to do a little bit extra to be seen, that I am a shorter guard, a smaller guard,” Blackwell said. “To be successful in this day and age, you have to be spectacular. I think really just the chip on my shoulder… just knowing that I have to do more.”
That extra effort was seen on Feb. 7 against rival New Mexico State University (NMSU).
After suffering a concussion in January that briefly stripped away his “ability to play,” Blackwell returned to the floor with a new perspective.
He utilized the time away to sit back and analyze what Head Coach Joe Golding expected of him.
The result was a 21-point explosion that silenced the Aggies in a 91-88 overtime thriller.
“Honestly, that was my favorite experience, I would say, so far in college,” Blackwell said, recalling the I-10 rivalry atmosphere.
When asked to describe himself in three words, Blackwell did not hesitate: “Fun, energetic, a menace.”
The “fun” comes from his versatility, the ability to dunk on a fast break or pull up from 3-point range. The “energetic” side is seen in his spirit, celebrating a teammate’s bucket as much as his own. And then there is “menace.”
“You can get weird times during the game where it gets serious,” Blackwell said. “And [with] my straight face, [you know] I’m always smiling.”
Now a veteran of the “old school” grind, Blackwell has a clear message for the next generation of players currently sitting where he once was, wearing a redshirt, wondering if their time will come.
“Take advantage of every practice. Take advantage of all the moments that you get,” Blackwell said. “The games that you watch on the bench, those are your real-life film sessions. Take that year to become the best version of yourself. All the deficiencies that you have, attack those.”
Adrian Gonzalez Jr. is a staff reporter for The Prospector. He may be reached at [email protected]
