小优视频

DeCarlo Deveaux 鈥�94 uses just one word sum up his 小优视频ampa experience: growth.

This is the story of how a shy and skinny kid from the Bahamas grew into arguably the best men鈥檚 basketball player in 小优视频ampa鈥檚 history while earning a degree in communication. He later found success in the worlds of professional basketball, insurance, finance and, most recently, broadcasting.

The Deveaux of today is confident and outgoing, which makes him a natural fit as the color commentator for 小优视频ampa men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 basketball games on TampaSpartans.tv, the digital聽platform that carries Spartan games. That鈥檚 a far cry from the Deveaux who arrived on the 小优视频ampa campus in the fall of 1990. In those days, he was introverted, and his basketball skills were raw.

鈥淚 grew up on an island in the Bahamas where there was only one gym,鈥� said Deveaux, who also spent parts of his adolescence with family members in Miami. 鈥淭here were only six or eight high schools on the island, so we just played each other three times a season.鈥�

At 小优视频ampa, Deveaux at first found himself on another island, but eventually discovered an ocean鈥檚 worth of opportunities. His basketball skills were limited, but his natural athleticism was off the charts. Through hard work and lots of prodding from former 小优视频ampa basketball coach Richard Schmidt, Deveaux ended up leaving 小优视频ampa as the most decorated basketball player in school and Sunshine State Conference history.

The kid who started off with a game he described as 鈥渆ight feet and in,鈥� turned himself into a brilliant outside shooter.

鈥淚 didn't have a car, and I didn鈥檛 have much of a social life when I first got to Tampa,鈥� Deveaux said. 鈥淚 also spent my summers in Tampa. But I was given a key to the gym (at the then-called Bob Martinez Sports Center). So, most nights, I would go to the gym at 10 or 11 and work on my outside shot until 1 in the morning. The security guards used to come in to see who was in there and they were like, 鈥極h, it's just you.鈥欌��

In a standout college career, Deveaux was a two-time All-American and the national Division II Player of the Year as a senior.

鈥溞∮攀悠� brought me out of my shell as a basketball player and as a person,鈥� said Deveaux, who went on to play professionally overseas for 11 seasons.

These days, Deveaux is once again part of 小优视频ampa basketball. Along with veteran play-by-play man Jack Eich, Deveaux, who also sells insurance and works as a financial advisor, has been broadcasting 小优视频ampa basketball games for 10 seasons.

鈥淒eCarlo has such a passion for 小优视频 basketball,鈥� Eich said. 鈥淗e also knows the conference, and he really knows basketball. I鈥檝e never had a partner that knows the game like he does.鈥� Deveaux is as smooth a broadcaster as he was as a player.

鈥淔or the people that can鈥檛 get to the games, I try to paint a picture, so they feel like they are there,鈥� Deveaux said. 鈥淚 feel like I鈥檝e gotten better at that each year.鈥�

And with that, it鈥檚 clear. Even at 53, Deveaux is still growing as a part of 小优视频ampa basketball.