The Star Recruit Who Fought Depression to Find His PurposeThis article was originally published on the Substack Seth Davis Writes Again and appears in InsideHook courtesy of Seth Davis, longtime NCAA basketball sportswriter and broadcaster. It’s a searing and salient profile of former Syracuse guard Kaleb Joseph, who saw his anxiety and depression rise as his performance and playing time cratered in the 2015-16 season. Davis charts Joseph’s journey from star recruit to rock bottom, spotlighting crucial, yet underreported questions that so many athletes must face: What if the dream dissolves? Who am I? What’s left? He turned on the shower so no one could hear him sobbing. It was March of 2016. Syracuse, which had started the NCAA tournament as a No. 10 seed, was in the midst of an unlikely run to the Final Four. It was supposed to be Kaleb Joseph’s dream come true, but instead it was his worst nightmare. The team was winning, but he wasn’t playing. He was disappointed, shocked, confused, and hurt. Most of all, he was ashamed. |