Central Michigan University Athletics
Nelson Chooses Basketball Over Golf
2/11/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Feb. 11, 2003
by Joel Lauritzen, Sports Information Student Assistant
Golf or basketball.
This was the decision Kevin Nelson had to make before choosing where to go for college. Nelson, who has played golf since age six, spent most of his summers traveling the country competing in golf tournaments until the middle of his high school career.
Finally, during his junior year a decision had to be made.
Coming off a golf season in which he placed third in the regional meet and 11th at the state meet, Kevin went into the basketball season knowing he had to choose what sport he wanted to play in college.
The decision was made after the season opener his junior year.
Nelson scored 27 points and hit five three-pointers in the second quarter en route to defeating a cross-city rival.
"That game made the difference between playing basketball and golf in college," Nelson said. "I realized that I had a better chance to get recruited in basketball than golf."
Nelson left Detroit Country Day as the record holder for most three-pointers in a season (83) and career (161).
Kevin ended his golf career earning all-state honors and was the No. 1 golfer for a tough Detroit Country Day program.
Now that Kevin was down to one sport, he had to choose from the likes of Central Michigan, Akron, North Carolina State, and Central Florida that were recruiting him.
"My decision came down to Central, it's one of the first schools that recruited me," Nelson said. "I wanted to go to a place that I could get playing time and the fact that they recruited me after winning the 2001 MAC Championship also played a part in it."
With his career focused on basketball, golf has taking a backseat.
"When I got up here, I didn't have enough time to play," Nelson said. "But, I look at golf as something I do to get away now."
