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He made Michigan State basketballs fans out of the citizens of his hometown — and all he had to do was make it to the coveted final four.
Colby Wollenman probably thought his basketball career peaked when he led the Big Horn Rams to an undefeated season and a Class 2A state championship his senior year of high school in 2011. He thought wrong.
Deciding to attend college at Michigan State University on a national merit academic scholarship, Colby had no plans of playing basketball at the college level. But before he knew it, he had tried out for the team and been selected as a walk-on by one of the greatest coaches college basketball has ever seen: Tom Izzo.
Flash-forward to April 4th, 2015 – Colby jogs onto the court. The words “Final Four” are painted at half court in a stadium filled with 70,000 raging college basketball fans.
In high school, at 6’6”, Colby used to tower over his opponents. Things change. Colby is tasked with guarding 6-foot, 11-inch, 270-pound Jahlil Okafor. whose wingspan is a whopping 7 feet, 5 inches.
With the same tenacity it took him to make the team in the first place, Colby shuts down Okafor and holds him to a measly 1 point while guarding him. On top of that, Colby manages to get a bucket while being guarded by Okafor, the projected No. 2 overall pick in the upcoming NBA draft.
No pressure, right?
Despite Colby’s success on the court, he has not forgotten about his humble roots in the Sheridan area. He comes back to visit every chance he gets, which unfortunately is not very often. So we were excited at the chance to sit face-to-face (more like face-to-neck) and ask Colby about his experiences as a Michigan State Spartan in this installment of Sheridan Brand’s 5 questions.
1. What do you enjoy most about playing basketball at Michigan State?
The atmosphere. It’s hard to describe the passion and pride of Spartans unless you have experienced it first hand, but it is incredible. Whether you’re a star or stuck on the end of the bench, everyone knows your name and pulls for you. Also, playing for Michigan State has given me the opportunity to experience a ton of new places and see some pretty incredible things. It’s been an amazing ride.
2. What’s the hardest part about being a student athlete?
The hardest part is probably seeing all of your friends getting done with class and being able to relax or go have fun and knowing that you have to go fight through a grueling two- or three-hour practice. It can get pretty tiresome at times. Time management is always tough, too.
3. What’s Coach Izzo like?
I’ve been asked this question a million times and I always answer “intense.” He is unbelievably passionate about MSU, and he’ll let you know if you do anything wrong in his program. And he’ll let you know colorfully. That being said, he is an incredible guy that will do anything in the world for you off the court. He really does have your back at all times, but the goal is usually to avoid his attention on the court, if you know what I mean.
4. What is it about Wyoming that keeps you coming back every chance you get?
Family, first of all. I don’t get to see them more than a few weeks out of the year, so I jump at every opportunity I get to see them. The people, too. Sheridan is a special place with a genuinely kind and close-knit group of people and I really enjoy being around. It is relaxing.
5. What advice would you give to young athletes in Wyoming?
Don’t underestimate your potential. Coming out of Wyoming I didn’t think it was possible for me to play a Division 1 sport. I came to MSU and kind of made the basketball team by chance. Once I started playing, though, I realized that I was absolutely capable of competing at that level and I think a lot of kids from Wyoming are, too, with the proper mindset. Also, take care of the academic side. That’s going to have the biggest impact on your life, and the ability to balance both academics and athletics goes a long way.
