6'7" "It’s hard to know why. In the classroom, Speidel earned a 3.40 grade point average through an individually-designed major in the College of Education and Social Services. Credit... Brian Jenkins/University of Vermont "And whenever you need help, ask the people around you because I think there are more people than you think who are there to help you. The story of UVM's Josh Speidel is powerful, and the scene in Vermont on Tuesday night was unforgettably incredible By Matt Norlander "I tell this to people: Always have an end goal in your head and chase after it as hard as you can," Speidel said. "While senior night can't replace a playing career that didn't come to fruition, Speidel can soak in the achievement of earning this moment in front of hometown fans.

"There are days we see him on the sidelines watching every single second of practice. "Josh has always had a knack for working with kids and relating to kids.

"Even now, this is our last go-round, Josh is with us. Duncan said his fellow Indiana native continues to motivate the Catamounts. I just think there’s something that you can’t really explain and you don’t know what it is, but there’s something there — he’s been in some way a big part of it and he’ll always be linked to this program’s history in my mind." Cieplicki spent about a year on the recruitment trail of a rising star from a hoops-crazed state who was fielding more than a dozen D-I offers and had drawn interest from Mark Few of Gonzaga. "But then I realized that I’m yelling at this man for eating bananas. He learned to cook for himself — a crockpot came in handy — and manage his money.And when it came to living off campus, it was Speidel who pushed for it.

"We’ve never recruited a kid harder than when we recruited Josh. He joined the Catamounts several times during the 2015-16 season and sat on the bench for games at Purdue and Florida while experiencing Patrick Gym for the first time in January for a contest against Stony Brook. "His commitment was really special to me and the rest of the staff. “I still have those results in an envelope, but I have yet to open it.”Not long after that, Josh Speidel began an online course at a community college and started seeing noticeable gains in his recovery.“Things really started clicking for Joshua then, it was really amazing,” Lisa Speidel said.Positivity was a must. He said he could write a book of all the things he's been through and learned over the last five years. In a pre-game arrangement, Speidel and Albany, UVM's opponent, will trade baskets after the opening tip. 210 lbs 6'7" "To see him stand on his own two feet and just living his life — it’s just incredible, an incredible story.And more than five years after that accident, Speidel will finally fulfill a dream he's had since he was a little kid: Play in a Division I college basketball game.The Catamounts' senior night on Tuesday has afforded Speidel the chance to suit up and start for the first and only time in his career. "I didn't get to experience my senior night in high school, I didn't get to walk out with my parents," Speidel said. And at the time Josh was leaving them in this little trash can that he had on the right side of his desk. Here's what you need to know about former Columbus North High School standout and University of Vermont basketball player Josh Speidel.

"The next year, Speidel roomed with another teammate, Ben Shungu. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)Josh Speidel gets a hug from his mother Lisa as his father Dave looks on before being introduced prior to the start of the University of Vermont’s game against Stony Brook in Burlington on Saturday.Vermont basketball player Josh Speidel poses for a portrait at Patrick Gym on Wednesday morning February 26, 2020 in Burlington, Vermont.Vermont's Josh Speidel talks to onlookers at practice on Wednesday ahead of the Catamounts' NCAA tournament game at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut.

He’s more a part of this senior class than me or Anthony. There was no room for negative vibes or prognoses that didn’t align with the Speidels’ confidence for a full recovery.Josh Speidel and his parents also relied on their religious beliefs for strength and direction.“Faith has always been instrumental in my well-being and having that relationship with God has always been first in my life,” Josh Speidel said.

He also has a double minor in behavior change and coaching. "You could see the qualities that made him a great player, just really determined and hard-working and competitive," Becker said.