Depending on the day, junior guard Caleb Blackwell\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf it\u2019s one of those games, like New Mexico State\u2026 definitely some [NBA] Youngboy,\u201d Blackwell said.<\/p>\n
That duality, the ability to be \u201cchill\u201d one moment and a \u201cmenace\u201d the next, has defined Blackwell\u2019s first season in El Paso.<\/p>\n
The Buford, Georgia, native has emerged as a starting guard of The University of Texas at El Paso\u2019s (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.<\/p>\n
For Blackwell, the hardest part of redshirting was not the physical toll; it was the view from the sideline.<\/p>\n
\u201cDefinitely knowing that I could be out there,\u201d Blackwell said. \u201cHelping my team\u2026 knowing I was ready for the moment. Having to watch them\u2026but I also think it helped me learn how to just be patient.\u201d<\/p>\n
That patience paid off. Blackwell took his game to South Plains College, where he earned Junior College (JUCO) Second-Team All-American honors.<\/p>\n
When he finally saw his name on that list, he felt a \u201csense of appreciation\u201d for the work that had previously gone unnoticed. It is a period of his life he credits for the \u201cchip\u201d on his shoulder that he carries today.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m going to have to do a little bit extra to be seen, that I am a shorter guard, a smaller guard,\u201d Blackwell said. \u201cTo be successful in this day and age, you have to be spectacular. I think really just the chip on my shoulder\u2026 just knowing that I have to do more.\u201d<\/p>\n
That extra effort was seen on Feb. 7 against rival New Mexico State University (NMSU).<\/p>\n
After suffering a concussion in January that briefly stripped away his \u201cability to play,\u201d Blackwell returned to the floor with a new perspective.<\/p>\n
He utilized the time away to sit back and analyze what Head Coach Joe Golding expected of him.<\/p>\n
The result was a 21-point explosion that silenced the Aggies in a 91-88 overtime thriller.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, that was my favorite experience, I would say, so far in college,\u201d Blackwell said, recalling the I-10 rivalry atmosphere.<\/p>\n
When asked to describe himself in three words, Blackwell did not hesitate: \u201cFun, energetic, a menace.\u201d<\/p>\n
The \u201cfun\u201d comes from his versatility, the ability to dunk on a fast break or pull up from 3-point range. The \u201cenergetic\u201d side is seen in his spirit, celebrating a teammate\u2019s bucket as much as his own. And then there is \u201cmenace.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can get weird times during the game where it gets serious,\u201d Blackwell said. \u201cAnd [with] my straight face, [you know] I\u2019m always smiling.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now a veteran of the \u201cold school\u201d 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.<\/p>\n
\u201cTake advantage of every practice. Take advantage of all the moments that you get,\u201d Blackwell said. \u201cThe 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.\u201d<\/p>\n
Adrian Gonzalez Jr. is a staff reporter for The Prospector. He may be reached at\u202f[email\u00a0protected]<\/a><\/p>\n
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