Most players who sign to play college basketball see their freshman year as a period of adjustment. Dakota Fortner sees it as an opportunity.
Fortner has signed to play basketball and golf at Central Methodist University in Fayette, Missouri. He heads to college with much less game experience than most college basketball signees, after spending his senior year on a stacked roster that included all-state guard Dylan Bekemeier and sharpshooter Canyon Smith. But Fortner says he’ll use that to his advantage.
“Being as I didn’t play as much in high school as I would have liked, I came in with the mindset that I have to come to practice and work harder every single day than any other person on the team, because I need to move forward…and get that playing time that I want,” he says. “Having that mindset in high school, I feel like that’s going to help me a lot more in college, where I’ll be able to persevere and be able to get more playing time in college.”
Coach Trevyor Fisher says he was proud of Fortner’s positive attitude and work ethic, in a situation that would have prompted many other players to give up.
“Dakota was in a tough spot this year. Obviously we had great success these last two years. We had great players, and…he didn’t get to play as much as he would’ve hoped for, and I would’ve hoped for,” Fisher says. “But the way he handled himself, and the way he approached practice with a team mindset was unbelievable.
“Dakota, anywhere else he probably could’ve played, started, all that stuff. I know he’ll be very successful when he goes up to Fayette and plays for Central Methodist. ”
Fisher says Fortner’s signing at Central Methodist is a lesson to younger players.
“Things don’t always go the way you want them to, but if you keep grinding and keep doing what you’re supposed to do, good things can still happen,” Fisher says.
Besides the basketball program, Fortner says Central Methodist offered other opportunities because of its size and other factors.
“Central Methodist was one of the first schools that really jumped out and showed interest in me. Once I went up there and visited, that’s when I really fell in love with the school,” says Fortner.
“It’s basically the same size as our high school is. Eighty percent of the people up there are athletes that live on campus, so I’ll be really familiar with everybody up there. I like a small-school environment, because that way I can focus more on classes.”
