Going Pro
Fresh off signing a professional basketball contract with Ireland's Sligo All Stars, Brandon Twitty ’16 sat down for a Q&A about his illustrious basketball career.
Brandon Twitty '16 is living his dream.
In the middle of July, Brandon signed a professional contract with the Sligo All Stars of Ireland. Now, he's taking some time to reflect on his illustrious career as he begins training for his next big challenge.
A 1,000-point scorer and a member of the 2015 State Championship Team at CM, Brandon finished sixth all-time in made 3-point field goals at Stonehill and 23rd all-time in scoring. Before the coronavirus pandemic cancelled all NCAA events in March, he had led Stonehill to the Division II NCAA tournament. His team had earned the fifth seed in the East Region with an 18-11 record.
In the middle of July, Brandon signed a professional contract with the Sligo All Stars of Ireland. Now, he's taking some time to reflect on his illustrious career as he begins training for his next big challenge.
A 1,000-point scorer and a member of the 2015 State Championship Team at CM, Brandon finished sixth all-time in made 3-point field goals at Stonehill and 23rd all-time in scoring. Before the coronavirus pandemic cancelled all NCAA events in March, he had led Stonehill to the Division II NCAA tournament. His team had earned the fifth seed in the East Region with an 18-11 record.
Q: When you first arrived at CM, did you ever expect to play at the collegiate level?
A: “Honestly, basketball is my passion. I’ve loved this game since the age of 2. The vision [of going pro] was always there but, as a 14-year-old freshman, I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to make the jump to the college game.”
Q: Who was your biggest mentor in the CM basketball program?
A: “I’d absolutely have to say Coach Denis Tobin. He allowed me to just be myself and gave me the confidence I needed to play the game freely. He was one of the first coaches who really just trusted me to play my game. That, I think, really helped me succeed at the varsity level.”
Q: You played on a team that won three consecutive South Sectional championships (2014-2016). Between those three years, what was your most memorable moment? What made it so special?
A: “I’d have to say the triple overtime [playoff] game against Mansfield during my sophomore year. I’ve never been in a [high school] environment like that. The intensity and back-and-forth nature of it really set the tone for the rest of my career at CM. I’d also have to say beating Newton North during my senior year to complete the three-peat Sectional Championship run with my teammates, who I’ll always call my brothers.”
Q: How did your experience in the CM basketball program best prepare you for your experience at Stonehill?
A: “It gave me my competitive edge. We won back-to-back-to-back South Sectional and Catholic Conference championships. Winning just became a habit and we were always competing in practice. When I first got to Stonehill, I knew what it took to win and what it took to manage the workload of a student-athlete on-and-off the court.”
Q: How long did it take you to acclimate to the college level?
A: “My freshman year was tough. I was coming from a school that had just three-peated, so it wasn’t the same experience I had had in high school. It also took a while for me to learn what I needed to do to better prepare myself for my sophomore season, especially in the spring of my freshman year.”
Q: At what point at Stonehill did you think to yourself, "I might have a shot at a pro contract?" Was there a specific moment?
A: “During my freshman year, I saw [Stonehill's] Ryan Logan, a senior on our team, earn a professional contract in Luxembourg. He was a mentor to me and I used to look up to him all the time. I remember thinking to myself, ‘Wow, I played with him for a year. If he’s doing it, then why can’t I do it?’”
Q: When you first received that contract, how did you react in the moment?
A: “I was in awe, to be honest. It’s just such a dream come true. To put pen to paper and call myself a professional basketball player has always been my dream. I remember watching Allen Iverson play basketball and asking my dad what he does when he isn’t playing basketball. When my dad told me that’s what he does professionally, I remember thinking to myself that that’s what I wanted to do too.”
Q: How do you plan to elevate your game to the next level when you compete overseas?
A: “I want to do my part every day by just working to improve. I plan to keep taking care of my body and improving all the different aspects of my game so that the same hard work I put into playing at CM and Stonehill will pay off in the long run.”
Q: What’s your long-term plan?
A: “My ultimate goal would be to play in the NBA and to play as long as my body allows me to. Until then, I’m going to keep playing, improve my game, and let God handle the rest.”
Q: What would you tell a member of the CM basketball team who dreams of going pro?
A: “I would tell them to believe in themselves and to put God first. Trust each other, have fun, and put the work in. It’s a blessing to play the game professionally, but I also play it because I love it.”
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CM prepares students for the rigors of college and beyond. While here, boys embark on service-learning opportunities, leadership development, and character formation programs inspiring them to become confident, courageous young men motivated to do good in the world.
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Catholic Memorial, the Christian Brothers School of Boston, prepares boys for college, manhood and a world full of unknown challenges, ambiguity and complex problems and the importance of relationships.
