KOBE Paras is in high spirits after a disheartening month and eager to suit up for Creighton University in the Big East.
The 18-year-old Paras admitted he felt down after having to pull out of UCLA, describing it as “a crazy month” but is glad to find a new home in Creighton in Omaha, saying he feels he fits well in the community and not just the basketball program.
“I had dreams that were crushed but … it made so much sense to me that dreams don’t necessarily need to be one dream. One dream can explode to different things,” said Paras in an interview with Balitang America.
“I’m happy that there are a lot of coaches that hit me up after the incident and I felt really loved and it was really crazy how I saw that there’s not just one school out there for me, there are a lot of schools that I could choose (from).”
“I found the perfect fit … I’m happy to be a part of this awesome community.”
[See Kobe Paras commits to play for Creighton Jays in US NCAA after parting ways with UCLA]
Paras gave a shout out to his coaches and fans, saying support on social media helped him cope.
“… you guys showed me love even though I was down … it’s an amazing journey not just from last month, two months ago but from the first day I got here.
Now Paras looks to battle for a spot in the Bluejays, which competes in the Big East against teams such as NCAA titlist Villanova and Butler.
“I can’t wait to be wearing that jersey,” Paras said.
“I want to thank the coaches at Creighton University for trusting me in the process…
[See Kobe Paras forced to withdraw from UCLA Bruins due to 'academic issue']
“They showed me what Creighton’s about and it’s not just about studies, not about basketball, it’s about being one family, it’s about being selfless.”
“It just makes sense that I will fit in the community like that because Cathedral and Middlebrooks Academy is like that.”
“They treated me like family they made sure that even though I had no family around that I could trust people, who’d be there for me no matter what
[See Middlebrooks denies 'SAT scoring issue' caused Paras exit from UCLA]