McKeesport, Pa. – Growing up in East Hills, Pennsylvania, Penn State Greater Allegheny Basketball Player Khari Hicks (East Hills, Pa./Imani Christian Academy) was always pushed to be the best player he could be. In a neighborhood surrounded by violence and negativity, Hicks used basketball as a way to pave his own path to success and change the way people view his community.
“A lot of people think of violence and negative events when discussing my neighborhood,” said Hicks. “I just want to bring a positive spotlight to my community and show how it truly should be labeled. Growing up in [East Hills] gave me the toughness and perseverance to overcome anything, and I am going to keep that mindset to reach my goal of graduating and getting my degree.”
Basketball wasn’t always Hicks favorite sport growing up. He primarily played football until his brother, Neo Fisher, started encouraging him to play basketball. As the two started playing the game more and more, Hicks fell in love with the game, eventually turning it into his primary sport.
“Football was my first sport, but my brother, Neo, was pretty good in basketball, and it persuaded me to start playing,” said Hicks. “He always wanted me to play, so that would make me want to play even more. He always encouraged us to want to win. If we lose, we aren’t doing something right so we would just practice to get better.”
All the hours of training and the motivation of his community led Hicks to Allderdice High School where he started his basketball career. He didn’t play much his freshman year and was looking for somewhere where he could continue to grow on the court. That’s when Imani Christian Academy Head Basketball Coach Khari Wilson approached him with a chance for him to continue playing the sport he loves.
Hicks first met Coach Wilson at summer league in East Hills. Wilson was impressed with Hicks skills and wanted to help lead him on the path to success both on and off the court.
“[Wilson] came up to my neighborhood to recruit me,” said Hicks. “We had a summer league basketball team my ninth-grade year, and he liked how I played. He said he didn’t want me to fall victim to my neighborhood that I was growing up in. Imani was a good path for me to go and he thought that would be the best situation for me so that’s where I went.”
Hick’s basketball career would take off at Imani Christian Academy where he was a three-year player on the basketball team. His best game at Imani came in his Junior season against Oak Hill High school where he put up 15 points and went five for five from the three-point line. Hicks continued the success into his senior year where averaged 18.1 points per game and was named a captain.
After finishing up high school, Hicks wanted to continue on the path to success and use the perseverance and strength instilled in him from a young age to go out and get his degree. After searching around for colleges, it was a small town that he visited several times where he found his perfect match in PSUGA. He fell in love with the campus and knew it would be the right place for him to continue his career on the court and in life.
“I had been to McKeesport so many times, and I never knew this campus existed,” said Hicks. “It looked nice, the people were fun. It was a family environment and everyone cared about you. Then, I learned about the resources offered here and I knew it was going to be a good fit for me.”
Hicks was entering a new situation coming into PSUGA. The program was getting a new head coach, Tyler Care, who was looking to change the culture of the team. When he saw Hicks and his work ethic, he knew that he would be the right fit for the PSUGA Men’s Basketball Program.
“Khari had everything a coach could want in a player,” said Care. “He is extremely hard working, dedicated, tough and very athletic. It was a no brainer that I wanted him to be a part of the GA program from Day 1. He has been the heart of this program, and really, the program would not be where it is today without him.”
Hicks got the chance to shine right away being named a starter in his Freshman season. He put up 463 points that season, averaging 17.8 PPG, and helped the team raise it’s win total from five the year before to an 8-18 record. Every season Hicks was in a PSUGA uniform, the team continued to improve and set the bar higher and higher each season.
“The season before I came here, [the team] only won five games,” said Hicks. “My freshman year we went 8-18 and every year we set the bar higher and higher. My second year here was the first time we made the playoffs, and we lost in the semifinals. Then, we finally won it all in my Junior year. It was a great experience, and I was happy to be a part of it.”
As the years went on, Hicks focused more and more on being a team-oriented player and helping not only himself succeed, but others around him as well. Instead of shooting the ball all the time, Hicks would focus on passing the ball to the open man to allow him to score and put points on the board for his team.
Hicks would make his mark on the PSUGA Men’s Basketball program doing just that as he holds the all-time assist record at PSUGA collecting 386 assists through his four years with PSUGA. He also holds the records for assists in a season, 154, assists in a single game, 17, and games played, 104. Hicks went on to score over 1,000 points in his PSUGA career on November 8th when his team beat Point Park 82-77.
While he was shining on the court, Hicks never lost site of the ultimate goal of getting his degree. He credits the assistance and services offered by Penn State Greater Allegheny as a big reason why he saw his success not only on the court, but in the classroom as well.
“The teachers [at PSUGA] make it so easy. They work with you and help you with everything you have to do as an athlete,” said Hicks. “Miss April [Belback] has been a big help and is basically my advisor, and in the learning center, Miss Lailee, Miss Shevon [Brooks], and Miss Erica [Willis] have been a big help as well.”
Coming into the college experience, Hicks had no idea that PSUGA existed, and it turned out to be the best four years of his life. His message to up and coming athletes who maybe considering playing basketball at the next level is to not worry about the name of the school, but look at the opportunities it gives you to continue and to grow.
“Don’t be so concerned about the name of the school because the name isn’t always the identity of the school,” said Hicks. “There is a lot of big name schools that you can go to where you won’t have a good bond like you do at [PSUGA]. But, when you come here it’s a small school but it’s a Penn State degree and you’ll have fun playing. It is a real good experience and I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Now that Hick’s PSUGA career is coming to an end, the communications major wants to use the tools he has learned to give back to the community that shaped him into the man he is today. He wants to use his talents and gifts to show the people of his community that there is a better path in life and that with drive and determination you can make something of yourself.
“My purpose in life is to guide the younger generation, so one of my life missions is to try and get a community center in East Hills, Pa. just to help the kids stay in the right direction” said Hicks. “I just want to show the younger generation that there is a different path and you don’t always have to be incorporated in violence.”
No matter where life takes Hicks, he will always have the drive and perseverance instilled in him by his community. Whether it is on the basketball court or in real life, he will always try to use his talents to show there is a better way and no matter what your situation, you can make the best of it and keep moving forward.
