Being small on the basketball court is something a lot of players struggle to overcome. A tough, hard-working mindset is needed for a player of small stature to succeed.
Sophomore Calvin Betts is the epitome of a hard worker. The 6-foot-3 forward has been facing bigger bodies ever since he was at Rush Henrietta High School, where he averaged 13 rebounds a game as a senior.
"Basically all my life I've been playing against bigger bodies," Betts said. "In AAU and High School I played against bigger guys, so it's not really a big deal anymore, it's all about just who wants it the most."
It's no wonder where Betts got his attitude; as a kid growing up, he looked up to one of the hardest working players in the NBA.
"Kevin Garnett was my idol growing up," Betts said. "The intensity is amazing, and the way he plays makes him best player in the game."
Even though he is only a sophomore, Betts is one of the leaders on his team. He does not feel the need to speak up to his teammates, but instead leads in a different way.
"I wouldn't see myself as a leader. We have a bunch of upperclassmen who have been through it all," he said. "My job is to just play hard for my team and do as well as I can. I try to lead by example. I let my play motivate the other guys on the team."
Many times, Betts is one of the tallest players the Bulls put on the court. This puts him up against guys that can be up to six inches taller than him. But the Bulls see this as an advantage for them.
This year, Betts is averaging 8.6 points and 6.9 rebounds a game coming off the bench for Buffalo. He is leading the team in rebounding and has recently been mentioned as a candidate as Sixth Man of the Year.
Impressive numbers like these do not just come out of nowhere, and Betts credits one thing for his notable rebounding statistics and success this year.
"Hard work, that's what it is," he said without hesitation. "It's who wants it the most. We got great guys on this team who can rebound. Anybody can get it."
The fact that he comes off the bench does not faze Betts. He knows his role with the team, and is concentrated only on doing what's best for the Bulls.
"My job is to just come in and give the team everything I can," Betts said. "Whenever I come in, I make sure I give Coach Witherspoon everything he needs out of me."
Even with Betts' success, the Bulls have struggled so far this season. They just ended a nine-game losing streak where they had numerous leads, but could not pull out a victory.
Although this season's experiences have been tough on the young team, Betts is sure that it will help him, as well as his team, in the long haul.
"We have a saying now, 'You can't have progress without struggles,'" he said. "We've been through a lot of things this year, but we have been learning from the struggles. We just want to learn and take steps forward."
These struggles have also brought the team closer, as they get together outside of Alumni Arena to help build their relationships. Betts thinks establishing a bond between teammates is very important to a team's success.
"We always hang out and chill at each others' houses and stuff," he said. "We do things together, so we have a really good chemistry. It really helps us when game time comes around."
With the chemistry building, the Bulls have now won two straight, and are playing much better.
"The wins have started to come, and we knew they would eventually," Betts said. "We weren't that far off during the losing streak."
And if the hard-working Betts continues to give it his all, not only will the Bulls get more victories, but Betts may win the Sixth Man of the Year award.
Hard work pays off.
Photo: Breadchastick / Wikimedia Commons
