When freshman Luis Nonfon suited up to play basketball for Augusta University against Clemson to start the year, he did so with a special message on his wrist. It was a simple piece of tape with the number 635.  That's how many days it had been since he last played in an organized basketball game.

"I kept reminding myself not to put any pressure on myself and enjoy the moment. I was just playing and kept looking down at my wrist and smiling," Nonfon said.



Rewind nearly two years when Nonfon was dealing with some knee issues and had bone spurs on both kneecaps that caused major inflammation in one of his major tendons. It was painful for him to run or walk and he said the worst thing was dealing with stairs.

When you're 18 years old and there's a prospect of knee surgery, it can be frightening, no matter how minor the surgery. Nonfon, who is originally from Germany, was concerned if he'd ever play basketball again, even at the recreational level. But he went through the procedures to get rid of the bone spurs and now he's close to 100%.

Jaguar coach Dip Metress had seen some of his abilities on video, but recognized Nonfon's knee issues were there. Metress liked his style and reached out to Nonfon about playing for Augusta University. Nonfon was thrilled because he always wanted to play college basketball.

"I was looking for an opportunity to play in college, but it was difficult because of my injury since I hadn't played in over a year," added Nonfon.
He's grateful that Metress took the chance to sign him.

"He basically took a big risk," Nonfon said. "He brought in a kid that hadn't played in over a year. I came here and basically started playing basketball all over again."

Nonfon admits he had to Google Augusta University to find out about the college and obviously one of the first things that came up was the Masters. But he liked what he saw about AU and was ready for his collegiate career to begin.

Nonfon started that first game against Clemson and has been a contributor ever since. His 6'8", 240-pound frame certainly helps as he can be tough to match up with for his opponents. As  far as  the style of the game here in the United States, Nonfon said it might be a little quicker and more physical than in Europe, but he is adjusting well to the changes.
 
But he said there were certain points in the journey where he didn't think he'd get back to this point. However, having his mom as his biggest supporter certainly helped.

"She probably believed in it more than me. She kept on me, kept pushing me and played a big role in the whole process," said Nonfon with a big grin on his face.

There's been times when everything has been a little overwhelming, especially with his family so far away.  Throw in the fact that Nonfon is an athlete coming off an injury, it hasn't been easy.  Even picking up the phone and calling home can be difficult because of the time differences between the U.S. and Germany.

Fortunately, Nonfon has become close with Elías Pálsson who came to AU from Iceland. Nonfon said it's easy for them to compare notes on all the similarities and differences between here and Europe.

"We get to talk a lot about the differences from Europe and to the U.S., in every aspect," said Nonfon. "From people off the court, to people on the court and the way the game is played. We even have all our classes together so that's been a great thing."