Posted: February 3, 2010
Often, strict time demands force many collegiate athletes to choose between being a student or an athlete. Lehigh men’s basketball senior forward Zahir Carrington has embraced both roles while also giving back to the community. The 2008-09 season witnessed Carrington’s emergence as one of the Patriot League’s best players, averaging 14 points and 8.6 rebounds per contest, while becoming Lehigh’s first All-District selection since 1988.
Initially, Lehigh wasn’t Carrington’s first choice.
“I hadn’t heard of Lehigh to be honest,” says Carrington. “But after doing a little bit of research I found Lehigh had a good academic history and offered me a chance to compete at a high level.”
Zahir grew up in North Philadelphia and earned First-Team All-Public League honors as a senior at Julia R. Masterman Laboratory and Demonstration School. Not all players successfully handle transitioning from large cities to Lehigh’s relatively smaller campus.
“It was a challenge at first,” says Carrington. “A lot smaller, a lot more homogenous population and it was an adjustment. There are a lot of good people here and a good support system from teachers and coaches so I was able to adjust fairly quickly and I’m comfortable here.”
One member of Carrington’s support system includes current Lehigh men’s basketball head coach Brett Reed. Reed was an assistant coach during Carrington’s freshman season in 2006 and has witnessed firsthand Carrington’s growth on the basketball court.
“Zahir has really blossomed as a basketball player,” says Reed. “He had a lot of raw unrefined talent when he first entered our program. However, you look at his statistics and you can see how far he has come with his production and his performance.”
“His first year he averaged 5.4 points-per-game, his second year that scoring average blossomed at 12.5 points-per-game and even last year continued improvement was indicated by a 14 point-per-game scoring average. In addition, his rebounding numbers improved from 3.4 rebounds as a freshman to 8.6 rebounds per game as a junior. He has worked hard on his individual skills and has really blossomed within our system.” A 2009 Second Team All-Patriot League selection, Carrington eclipsed the 1,000-point plateau for his career earlier this season, in a win over Longwood. His historic basket came on a second half slam dunk.
Carrington’s steady statistical increase reflects the commitment and dedication necessary to improve while playing at the Division I level. Amazingly, Carrington didn’t even play basketball until his teenage years.
“I originally didn’t start playing basketball until 8th or 9th grade,” says Carrington. “I played a lot of sports but basketball came naturally to me. I enjoyed how it’s both a team sport and also individual so there’s some accountability in yourself. I love it.”
It’s unusual to hear young adults express a desire for accountability; however, the trait exemplifies what makes Carrington unique from many of his peers. Carrington is attempting to instill the same attitude in younger players on the team this season.
“A goal we have as a senior class has changed the culture,” says Carrington. “It’s been kind of mediocre and subpar in a sense that we’ve had good individuals and good teams but always haven’t had good results. But we seniors want to change that and leave a winning legacy and teach that to the younger guys on our team. Ultimately this experience is going to be empty if you don’t become a better man and a better person out of your four years.”
Carrington improves himself as a person by volunteering his time in the Strive program. Strive is a program for middle school and high school students in the Northampton area who are struggling academically.
“I like working with young kids and in a lot of areas like the one Lehigh is in, minority kids need a positive model that college is a feasible option for the ones who can do it,” says Carrington. “A lot of times kids need somebody to believe in.”
Carrington’s perspective reflects his background as a sociology and anthropology major. Heather Johnson, Carrington’s advisor and sociology professor, greatly influenced Zahir’s academic direction. Carrington has already completed all of Professor Johnson’s courses and currently acts as a teaching assistant for one of her introductory sociology classes.
“He’s one of my favorite students of all time,” says Johnson. “I think he’s very smart and he stands out to me as someone who is really bright. He’s a great kid and I know he’s going to go far in life.”
Life after graduation looms as a new chapter in collegiate graduates’ lives. Carrington’s post-graduation plan mixes his love of basketball, academics, and children. Carrington ideally wants to play professional basketball overseas while earning some travel and life experiences and ultimately returning to school to practice higher education.
Reflecting on his life up to this point, Carrington says, “I’m making progress. I have some good things in my past and am continuously progressing to be as good as I was the day before. It’s my charge to myself and it’s what I like to do.”
Story written by Reggie Hall '09