Former student athlete, Alonzo Ortiz-Traylor, from Culver-Stockton College is currently playing professional basketball in Puerto Rico for the Guaynabo Mets. He began his Wildcat career at the beginning of the 2021 school year when he transferred for his final collegiate season from Georgian Court University, a division two school located in New Jersey.

“My decision to come was simple,” said Ortiz-Traylor,  “Coach Hill gave me an opportunity to continue my career and it was really easy to say yes.”

He added a lot to the basketball program, not only because of his great play, but because he finished with a handful of accolades after the season. Ortiz-Traylor finished the season averaging 19 points per game as well as grabbing seven rebounds.

The awards he won were not only from the school, but from the Heart of America Conference. He won the Heart of America Player of The Week award twice, and was awarded Heart of America Second Team All-Conference. Last but not least, Ortiz-Traylor was named Male Athlete of The Year at Culver-Stockton College.

The awards were not Ortiz-Traylor’s favorite memories during his short time here at Culver. It was playing at home because there was “something different about playing in the Charles Fieldhouse in front of the students and community,” and doing it “alongside my brothers is what made it even better.”

Ortiz-Traylor is enjoying playing at the next level but describes it as “rough.” He has not yet gotten the playing time he believes he deserves, but it is “all about the process” and “staying ready for whenever your name is called.” He says he will be able to stay hungry and ready by getting “one percent better everyday.”

Drive and determination is what makes Ortiz-Traylor such a great player. Always challenging himself to get better and achieve his goals while creating new ones is what developed these great traits of his. “The end goal is to never have an end goal, always have a new challenge to conquer and be happy with whatever the results are,” says Ortiz-Traylor.

You can watch Ortiz-Taylor and his Guaynabo Mets take on the Carolina Giants on May 12 at home. The game starts at 8 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.