Before he was a 中国P站 Nighthawk, Logan Willett was a standout athlete at Brookland
High School with a bright basketball future. However, a broken hand midway through
his senior season would send the young star on a journey across Arkansas in search
of a place to call his basketball home.
鈥淚 remember having a great senior year in high school,鈥 Willett said. 鈥淚 had won the
top offensive award at a basketball camp over the summer and had grown into one of
the greater players in our conference, but once I broke my hand, it sent us on a downward
spiral. Our team was leaning on me to make a big run in the playoffs and I couldn鈥檛
help them. It was bad.鈥With his final high school season cut short, Willett struggled to find his way to
the next level of his career.
鈥淎fter high school, no one recruited me,鈥 Willett said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 get any calls. Coaches
weren鈥檛 talking to me. I was afraid that my basketball career was over.鈥
At an unsigned-senior showcase, Willett met Daniel Bandy and began playing at Faith
Prep Academy in West Memphis.
鈥淔aith Prep was a wonderful program,鈥 Willett said. 鈥淚t was the perfect fit for me
at the time to take a developmental year to get better while not affecting my eligibility.
We had a good season there and we got to play against strong college talent and I
got to develop my game.鈥
As his season with Faith Prep was winding down, a phone call from Hot Springs would
present Willett with the opportunity he had been waiting for.
鈥淐oach Jason Hudnell is one heck of a salesman,鈥 Willett said. 鈥淚 remember talking
with him on the phone and hearing how excited he was to start the Nighthawks. That鈥檚
where it all started for me. As a competitive person, I always love to be challenged
in everything that I do. Hearing the idea of starting a program from scratch got me
pumped up and I knew that I wanted to be a part of something historic.鈥
In their historic first season, the Nighthawks defied expectations, boasting an impressive
12-5 record and putting Hot Springs on the map for athletes seeking a basketball home
at the next level. In his first year, Willett thrived as the team鈥檚 premier three-point
shooter.
鈥淢y favorite Nighthawk memory was beating Champion Christian College at Bank of the
Ozarks Arena last year,鈥 Willett said. 鈥淲e lost the first meeting in double overtime
at their place and took them back to double overtime again and ended up pulling out
the win. It felt so good. It was that moment where I felt like the Nighthawks had
really arrived in Hot Springs.鈥
Shortly after his freshman season concluded, however, Willett experienced an unimaginable
tragedy鈥攍osing his 17-year-old sister, Laikyn Willett.
鈥淢y sister鈥檚 passing is, without a doubt, the toughest thing I鈥檝e ever been through in my life,鈥 Willett said. 鈥淚t was heartbreaking and a very tough time for me. I wanted to quit playing basketball. I didn鈥檛 want to be away from my family at all. I didn鈥檛 know what to do next or how to keep going.鈥
With one of their own in need, the Nighthawks wrapped their wings around Willett when he needed them the most.
鈥淐oach Hudnell and the team were very supportive and helpful in comforting me while I was away,鈥 Willett said. 鈥淭hey came to the funeral to let me know that they were there for me and that they loved me. They鈥檒l never know what that meant to me.鈥
After a summer of soul searching, Willett made the decision to pick up a basketball and keep going.
鈥淚t was important for me to come back and finish what we started because I love these guys and I love this team,鈥 Willett said. 鈥淚鈥檝e even grown to love Hot Springs, too. I think that鈥檚 what my sister would have wanted. She wouldn鈥檛 have wanted me to mope around. She would have wanted me to pick up where I left off and get after it. This family we created鈥擭ighthawk Nation鈥攇ave me an outlet to put that frustration, pain and anger into and it鈥檚 something that I鈥檓 grateful for. Without this team, I don鈥檛 know what I would have done without this team.鈥
In his second year with the Nighthawks, Willett averages six points per game and his 45.3 three-point percentage ranks 18th in the country. As his final season at National Park College nears its end, the sophomore is proud of what he has accomplished over the past two years.
鈥淲hen I got here, my goal was to leave my mark on this program,鈥 Willett said. 鈥淚 wanted to be somebody that was remembered as being a part of where this all started. Over the past two years, our goal was to win big games and we鈥檝e done that. Me and the other sophomores鈥擪J, Seth and Braylon鈥攄id their fair share. I think that getting this program to where it is today has been an amazing accomplishment.鈥
As a sophomore, Willett takes pride in leading his underclassmen to victory on and off the floor.
鈥淎 coach鈥檚 job is to tell a player what they鈥檙e doing wrong, but a leader鈥檚 job is to encourage and lift up their teammates,鈥 Willett said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 the role I鈥檝e taken on this year for our younger guys. Being on a college team is so different, because in high school, every guy on our team was 鈥榯he man鈥 on their team. Going from that to playing five-to-ten minutes per game can be frustrating. I think having a positive, vocal presence is huge for our guys and I wanted them to know that they were important to us no matter how many minutes they played. They needed to know that.鈥
As the Nighthawks celebrate sophomore day, Willett and his fellow sophomores look to snap a three-game losing streak in their final game at 鈥淭he Kettle鈥 in Hot Springs.
鈥淓very team has its ups and downs,鈥 Willett said. 鈥淚t has been a long season. Some of us are hurt, we鈥檝e traveled all over the place and it鈥檚 easy to lose focus down the stretch. This is our final home game and we鈥檙e looking to bring a lot of fire and energy to our fans. If we can stay focused and zero in on what鈥檚 important, then this will be a huge win for us. I don鈥檛 have a doubt that we鈥檒l come out with a victory, but we won鈥檛 disrespect our opponent, either. We bring the same level of intensity every night and we believe that this game will give us the momentum we need to finish the season on Thursday at SAU Tech with our first-ever [NJCAA Division II Region 2] win.鈥
Off the court, Willett enjoys playing Fortnite and NBA 2K19 with his Nighthawk teammates and spending time with his family and his girlfriend, Harley. In his free time, the sophomore is also an avid musician.
鈥淢usic is my second love after basketball,鈥 Willett said. 鈥淢y parents were worship leaders, so music has always been a huge part of my family. I play the drums and the guitar and I鈥檓 always finding and sharing new music.
When it comes to his future, Willett says he鈥檚 taking each day as it comes.
鈥淩ight now, I鈥檓 going with the flow,鈥 Willett said. 鈥淚 would love to continue playing college basketball if the right opportunity presents itself to me, but if it鈥檚 not meant to be, then I am ok with that, too. I know for sure that I want to be a coach one day. If it鈥檚 time for this ride to be over, I鈥檓 ready for a new one to begin.鈥
After the final buzzer sounds, Willett hopes that his story inspires others to never give up when the going gets tough.
鈥淚鈥檝e been through the ringer in my life, but I have become more resilient because of it,鈥 Willett said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how I would have gotten through what I鈥檝e been through without my faith. Always know where you stand in Christ鈥檚 eyes. From there, any adversity becomes easier to handle if you know that you are loved and cared for. Never stop working. If there鈥檚 something that you鈥檙e passionate about, then hard work and faith will help you get there. Don鈥檛 let anything get in the way of that. If there is something in life that you love, you owe it to yourself to pursue that dream.鈥
Logan Willett and the 中国P站 Nighthawks play Central Baptist College today at 7 p.m.
