Asim Khan, a senior guard on Johnson State College’s (JSC) men’s basketball team, has been selected as one of two student-athletes of the week for the first week in February.

In a thrilling one point victory over Maine Maritime Academy on Feb. 5, Khan led the Badger’s with 20 points and also chipped in 8 rebounds.

Then, in an upset win over the number one team in the North Atlantic Conference (NAC), Husson University, Khan scored a team high 27 points, while also contributing 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 steals.

Growing up in Torrance, California, Khan didn’t start playing competitive basketball until he was a freshman at Torrance High School.

Upon graduation, he took a hiatus from the sport.

Eventually, Khan missed the game of basketball and wanted to revive his career at the next level. “I went on d3hoops.com and started hitting up a bunch of coaches to see where I could play,” he said.

Khan’s primary choice of school was Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where a close friend of his was already on the basketball team. It didn’t end up being a match for him, so Khan was left with a decision: attend a college where he couldn’t continue his athletic endeavors, or go play at a small college in Johnson, Vermont ,that he had never heard of.

Now, nearing the end of his final season for the Badgers, Khan knows he made the right choice.
“I’m glad I came here. Everyone is so nice and it feels like a great community,” he said.

Although Khan and the Badgers have been playing exceptionally well of late, already clinching a spot in the playoffs, they have fought through a lot of adversity to get where they are. “At first, it was a rocky start, not gonna lie. We lost our first ten games and I ended up getting hurt in the second and missed the next five,” he said.

In his four years at JSC, Khan has had three different head coaches. Such turnover at the primary leadership position makes it very hard for anyone to succeed.

But he thinks JSC has finally found the right guy for the job in Miles Smith, whom he attributes with turning around their season.

“We’ve got to give our coach a lot of credit,” he said. “He could have given up on us when we were 0-10. He has already come in and made an impact.”

Khan, while very appreciative of winning student-athlete of the week, deflects the attention he’s received for it and maintains his team-first mentality. “That award is for my whole team,” he said.
“Being hurt and coming back, I didn’t have the best confidence. But we’ve gotten really close and I think that is why we’re winning.”

While the Badgers’ complete turnaround this season has been impressive, Khan in not complacent.
“It’s a great accomplishment, but it’s only a stepping stone for what we are trying to achieve as a team,” he said.

Khan also added that he and his teammates have their sights set on making school history. “Our goal is to win out the rest of our games and get past the first round. That would be history for Johnson,” he said.

A Health and Exercise Sciences major, Khan plans to go to graduate school back home to become and occupational therapist once he completes his education at JSC.

When asked if he would be continuing his basketball career after this season he said, “I’m not sure yet. Whatever may happen, may happen.”