Triche Ball

Brandon Triche

DeWitt, N.Y. - He made the varsity basketball team at Jamesville-Dewitt High School as a freshman.

Not only did he make the team, he averaged 20 points per game.

Not too shabby.

But 12 games into his sophomore season, Brandon Triche suffered a career-threatening setback.

He tore the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) of his left knee.

It was a given his season was over.

"I felt devastated 'cuz everybody worked so hard for the season," says Triche.

The Red Rams wound up falling short of the state title that season.

Triche returned for his junior season and helped J-D win the 2008 New York Class A State Championship. The team went undefeated.

Even so, there were doubts as to whether or not Triche had fully healed.

The scouts backed off. His ability to play college ball was questioned.

But, that just meant one thing for Triche's senior season:

"I'm trying to go out with a bang try to do it as best as I can," he says.

And, that's exactly what he did. J-D won the state title again Triche's senior season. He averaged 22 points per game as well as 8 assists and 8 rebounds.

He was given two very prestigious awards: 1) Gatorade's New York Boys Basketball Player of the Year and 2) New York's Mr. Basketball.

This fall, Triche will be a member of the Syracuse University Men's Basketball team.

Somewhere, the college scouts that gave up on him are knee-deep in regret.....

NCC Sports' Sean Bell gives us a look at J-D hoops phenom (and future Orange) Brandon Triche: