Winning a conference championship and locking up a bid to the NCAA tournament is the thrill of a lifetime for any college basketball player lucky enough to live the dream.
Wright State celebrated its NCAA tournament berth with paralyzed teammate
A Horizon League championship was especially emotional for Ryan Custer and his Wright State teammates.
For Wright State and sophomore Ryan Custer, the experience was extra special.
On the night of April 8, 2017, Custer suffered a freak injury while attending a party just off the campus of Miami University in Oxford, OH. Custer, a 6’7 forward who had just wrapped up his freshman season at Wright State, had attempted to dive through the legs of another party-goer and into a makeshift pool. Instead, Custer’s head hit the other person’s knee, and he wound up laying motionless, face down in the water for 10-15 seconds before being pulled out.
Custer broke his C-5 vertebrae, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Among many other things, it meant his basketball career was over.
Despite this cruel fact, Custer has remained a member of the Wright State team. He was right in the middle of the celebration Tuesday night when the Raiders punched their ticket to the NCAA tournament.
Wright State, which took down Cleveland State 74-57 in the Horizon League title game, will be playing in the Big Dance for the first time since 2007.
See More:
