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Mekhi Gray scored 10 points Nov. 8 for the Putnam Science Academy prep basketball team, then went home with his family to Montrose, N.Y., to settle on his college decision.
When he left campus most of his teammates had the impression Gray was going to choose Fairfield University. Gray felt pretty sure of that ,too.
But things changed after he watched a pair of games this weekend involving the two schools he was choosing between. He saw Fairfield lose 62-60 to UMass. And he watched New Jersey Institute of Technology lose 76-47 at Providence.
“I was watching NJIT, and I could see what they were missing and I could see where I fit with them,” Gray said this week. “I was leaning toward Fairfield, but then watching NJIT, I really felt like that was going to be the best place for me.”
So NJIT it is. Gray, a 6-foot, 4-inch, 180-pound lefty guard, called the Highlanders’ coaching staff Sunday afternoon with the news, then made his public announcement Monday.
“Initially, I thought the decision would come easy,” said Gray, who also visited St. Bonaventure and Siena. “I thought I’d make my visits and find it within my heart to have my decision. But it took a little more time, so being able to sit down with my AAU coaches, my family, that really helped me come to the decision I made.
“II was a little nervous when I told them. I was excited about it but it wasn’t really like that. I had to let it cool down, and just going through my regular day, it started to settle in more. I’m definitely thrilled. I’m more than happy to commit to a program, and to be a Div. I player, it’s a dream come true.”
NJIT is located in Newark, N.J., and plays in the Atlantic Sun Conference, which is a far-reaching league that features teams mainly from the Deep South.
Gray and the coaching staff have been honest with each other from the start, which is something he really appreciates. He said his goal remains to play at a high-major school, and NJIT knows that. The coaches have told him that they want to help get him to that level and want to put him in positions to produce over the next year or two.
“Their style of play fits me best,” Gray said. “They’re a team that likes to get in transition and shoot the ball, a lot of freelance. I really feel like I’ll be able to flourish and showcase my talents there. I feel like they’ll let me play through my mistakes.”
Wherever his college game takes him, Gray’s ultimate goal is to play professionally. His fallback plan is to become a sports broadcaster, so he intends to major in communications.
PSA coach Tom Espinosa said Gray wasn’t one of his top recruits and wasn’t expecting much of him when he first arrived. Espinosa thought Gray would have to really battle to be one of the last guys in the rotation.
But Gray started making a name for himself in the preseason. He didn’t miss one workout — not the 6 a.m. ones, not the afterschool ones, not the lifting sessions, not the open gyms. Espinosa said Gray could be the only player he’s had in his 17 years who never missed one.
“So he had probably the best preseason out of anybody,” Espinosa said. “And then, he was just really great on the court. We were like, ‘Wow, this kid is pretty good.’
“We never really expected that. I give him a lot of credit, he’s worked hard for it. The guy loves the game of basketball, he loves being in the gym and getting better.”
Said Gray: “This team around me, they make me comfortable and help me be the guy that I know I am.”
Gray had what could be called a lost year last year at South Kent, then started to hit his stride over the summer playing for the PSA Cardinals (no affiliation to the school). He played there with current teammates Hassan Diarra and Josh Gray (also no relation).
“He’s definitely a focused dude,” Diarra said. “He has a goal and he wants to reach it. Over the summer he was a little hurt. From the summer to now, you can see growth in his game. You can tell he’s been working.”
Everyone who speaks of Gray speaks of his tireless work ethic. That is something of which Gray is proud and that he expects to never go away.
“I am a hard worker,” he said. “I like to stand out, to be the first one in the gym and make my name. It’s helped me get to this point where I have been so blessed, and I hope it will continue to take me to where I want to go.”
Stephen Nalbandian
Sports Information Director
Putnam Science Academy
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