Captain of the Mountain Lions William Becker now holds the all-time blocking record at UCCS, beating out former UCCS athlete and NBA player Derrick White.
Becker broke the record in an away game against MSU Denver on Jan. 18. Between 2012 and 2015, former record holder White accumulated 136 blocks for UCCS. White plays as a point guard for the Boston Celtics. Becker now holds the record with 148 blocks and 7 games left in the regular season.
“It just felt good to get the recognition and to continue to increase my lead I have now,” Becker said. When playing basketball for Smoky Hill High School in Aurora, Colorado, Becker was never recognized for any statistics since they didn’t do much recordkeeping.
The recognition he did receive, but didn’t expect in high school, was a comparison to his favorite childhood player, former Denver Nuggets player Chris Andersen. One Halloween, Becker donned Andersen’s jersey and trademark mohawk, and the doppelganger comments rolled in. The comparisons led Becker to pay homage to Anderson by wearing the same jersey number, #11.
This season is Becker’s final season of collegiate eligibility. After this season, he hopes to play basketball professionally overseas. “I have a lot of connections all over, especially in European leagues. So, it’d be nice to reconnect with some of those connections and teammates that I’ve played with before.”
Becker is enrolled as a graduate student pursuing a masters in strategic communication, which he will continue to go after while playing professionally. Becker hopes his degree, along with his athletics experience, will land him a job in sports communication.
“Whether that is basketball or football or honestly any sports related team, and … marketing for them or [promoting] them, … I just want to give back to the game,” Becker said.
When he first joined the UCCS team, Becker described himself as “very shy” and a person that “barely talked on the court.” He knew his role and performed but wasn’t confident enough to step out of his role and try new things. Talking and communicating wasn’t his strong suit, but with help from the coaches and his teammates, Becker said he has become more vocal, not just through his play, but as a leader.
Now, being the captain of the team, it’s important for him to be the best possible player he can be for his teammates, just as they supported him throughout his beginning years. “Learning how to lead the team, especially this year, has been a big step for me,” Becker said.
Several injuries have influenced the playstyle of the UCCS basketball team this season. “I think we’ve had about four or five season ending injuries this year, so that kind of hurts when it comes to the depth of the team,” Becker said.
Becker’s biggest goal of the season is to be as organized and efficient as possible with new players coming in and taking on big roles. Piecing together and figuring out how to play at their best with each other has been one of their biggest challenges thus far.
However, even after these setbacks, Becker sees many opportunities in the future for his team. After a couple of losses, Becker said the team is beginning to figure out their mistakes as the season continues. “The more that we bond and buy into the same goal, I think we’re going to have a good shot at the playoffs and make a good run in the playoffs,” he said.
The men’s basketball season record is 14-7 and the RMAC record is 8-5. They are tied for fifth in the RMAC standings. The Mountain Lions next home appearance is on Feb. 15 against Colorado Christian. “I’m excited for the final push,” Becker said.
Forward #11 William Becker blocks New Mexico Highlands on Jan. 23. Photo by Lillian Davis.