“People thought my basketball career was over after I had my daughter,” Anthony Wright-Downing, senior and small forward on the men’s basketball team, said after reaching 1,000 points in his basketball career.
Anthony Wright-Downing scored 1,000 career points which is one of the highest achievements for an athlete to reach. He is a senior majoring in black studies with two minors in criminology and history. Downing had his daughter when he was a junior, just a few weeks before the season started but had a goal.
“Go even harder and prove them wrong,” Downing said. Downing ended that year receiving MVP of the championship game.
“What got him to 1,000 career points is that instinct and passion he plays with day in and out and what we call ‘that dog’ in him that he displays on the floor on both sides of the ball,” Anthony Linder-Creo, senior business management major and human resource minor and center on the men’s basketball team, said.
Downing also keeps his focus on the game even off the court; his teammates see him go over scouting reports or watching films for next games to get a stronger knowledge of how to improve each and every day.
“Not only can he do all of this with the ball but without the ball, he is constantly hustling or when he’s on the sideline he’s constantly coaching the other guys and helping them get to the right spots and do the right things. Ant [Downing] is a phenomenal player on the court but he is also a down to earth guy who cares about the success of others more than himself off the court,” Creo said.
Downing and Creo have been playing together on the team for two years.
Downing has been playing basketball at Cabrini for three years now. He transferred from Raritan Valley, a school in New Jersey. Teammates describe him as a brother to all players, including past and current teammates.
“Scoring 1,000 [points] means a lot to me because that’s a huge achievement for me. Scoring 1,000 [points] in college and I also scored 1,415 in high school was huge for me,” Downing said. “I just have a lot of love for the game of basketball this is my life this is all I know for the last 15 years.”
When it comes to practicing, Downing focuses in on tactics that are going to make the game easier such as taking fewer dribbles for him to score and finding easier ways to get things done on the court.
“I think I spend an equal time between being an athlete and being a student especially in my senior year,” Downing said.
“Ant is a fierce competitor. He is just one of those players that can not only keep up with the guards but can also be a force down low with the bigs… He’s a good player but also a great teammate as well. Whether it’s giving tips or pointers to others on the team or making sure our team as a unit stays positive and reach our full potential. On the court he communicates, leads and works hard consistently day in and day out,” Creo said.
One of Downing’s main goals is to play professional basketball overseas within the next few years after college.
