- Slug: Sports- Stanford Humphrey, 490 words
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By JENN BALUCH
Cronkite News
PHOENIX – A classic overachiever, Michael Humphrey worked hard to secure a scholarship at Stanford.
A similar drive will be needed by the Cardinal junior and his teammates next week when they open Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Tournament play in Las Vegas.
“I think Stanford was the right fit for me,” the Sunnyslope High School product said. “It gave me the opportunity to get myself in a new environment and be close enough to home.”
It has been the right fit. The starter is averaging 9.1 points per game and is second on the team in rebounding. He has posted career highs this season in assists per game and free throw percentage. His play down the stretch has helped 14-14 Stanford win two of its last three and nearly upset No. 6 Oregon Saturday.
He also knows winning it all in Las Vegas is the only hope the Cardinal has to advance to the NCAA Tournament.
However this season ends, he is pleased with his decision to go to Palo Alto. He had an idea early the atmosphere would be special.
When he took a tour of the campus, his guide was Condoleezza Rice, the Secretary of State under George W. Bush who is now a professor at Stanford. It opened his eyes to the opportunities Stanford could provide him.
Known as one of the most coachable students at Sunnyslope, Humphrey quickly made a name for himself. Chandler Cole, a close friend who played baseball with him growing up, said Humphrey took advantage of a growth spurt after his freshman year of high school.
“The kid just worked hard and developed skill to work with that height,” Cole said.
Humphrey not only played baseball growing up but juggled basketball and football, too. He stayed focus and maintained a 4.0 GPA throughout his years in high school.
“Off the court, the kid did nothing wrong,” Sunnyslope football coach Damon Pieri said. “Good grades, good family, good parents and never missed a practice.”
Not only did he have local colleges like Arizona State interested in him, but out-of-state schools, including Vanderbilt, pursued him.
Some recruiters questioned his decision to keep playing football in high school. He didn’t care.
“He told me, ‘Coach, I love football. I want to play football, and that’s what I’m going to do,’ ” Pieri said.
His high school basketball coach is glad his did.
“You couldn’t have met one of the nicer guys in the world,” Ray Portela said. “He was a class act on and off the court.”
Portela remembers Humphrey’s competitive nature and said he wished his whole team was made up of “Michaels.”
His standout play in summer tournaments is when colleges started paying attention. He was thrilled.
“It’s a dream come true,” Humphrey said. “I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
That dream includes winning in Las Vegas and advancing to the NCAA Tournament.