Former Division 1 athlete lands a home with Kean University

By Layah Lopes | Published November 18, 2023

Junior Brandon Upshaw, a former guard on the court at Fairleigh Dickinson University, has been warmly welcomed by the Kean Cougars Basketball team. 

Seeking a change in environment and wanting to find a campus with a stronger sense of community, Upshaw embarked on an intense search which soon led him to the Kean campus.

After his tour of Kean University, he got a chance to see the sublime campus and what it has to offer. It was from that moment that he and his parents knew this was the place for him.

Upshaw saw the tight-knit community that Kean had and wanted to partake. In contrast to his last academic residence, he felt there was a wealth of events and activities taking place on the Kean campus.

The player sensed that Kean had the best opportunity athletically and academically.

He explained that many FDU practices were intense and long, illuminating that the players would begin training in July for a six-week session, taking a brief two-week break, and then starting back up when the semester began.

Upshaw expressed that he felt like there was a high emphasis on preparation for the upcoming season, with players having an immense amount of stress put on their bodies.

In terms of fitting in, Upshaw is content. He has found a strong connection with his teammates and coaches indicating that the transition has been seamless.

“We’ve been meshing well,” Upshaw said. 

Assistant Basketball Coach William Kilduff seemingly agrees that Upshaw has found his match.

“Brandon fits like a glove, he has an even demeanor and calming influence to his team,” Kilduff said.

Given the loss of two point guards from last year’s team, Upshaw’s skill set has fit in to fulfill that need. Kilduff has noticed that Upshaw doesn’t rattle easily and has been able to adapt to any situation he’s faced with.

He understands that with fitting in comes time and growing pains but he is sure that as the year progresses, a growth in comfort level between Upshaw, his team, and the coaching staff will continue to grow. 

Despite Upshaw’s transition from a Division 1 college, the expectations have remained equally high.

“You have to start with the notion that basketball is basketball, and as coaches we expect nothing different from our players than does a D1 coach,” Kilduff said.

Overall, Upshaw is brimming with excitement for the upcoming season “We have high expectations and we’ve got to live up to it.” he said.

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