Keith Pinckney is at a better place all together. Off the court, he is maturing into a faith driven individual. On the hardwood, Pickney is evolving into a player who understands how to handle success and adversity.

After seeing where he has been and where he wants to go, the Miller Grove High senior wanted to find a place that would help him grow on and off the court. He found that announcing on Sunday that Tulane University will be his home after high school. Pinckney selected the Green Waves over Western Kentucky and Boston University.

“It was the relationship with the coaches,” he said. “Coach (Ed) Conroy and assistant coach (Shammond) Williams showed me where they can make me a better player, a better man and the school making me a better student. Those three things stood out to me.”

Picking a school was difficult for Pinckney, who averaged 14.3 points and 4.9 assists per game for the five-time state champion Wolverines last season. He prayed for vision and the opportunity to find the best place that would help him grow on and off the hardwood. Once on the New Orleans campus, Pinckney got a clearer picture of what he wanted.

However, the best selling point for him was the relationship with coach Williams. Throughout the entire process the first-year assistant at Tulane talked to Pinckney about his own personal journey with basketball. Those conversations helped Pinckney make a connection and build a relationship that helped influence his decision.

“He kept it real,” said Pinckney of the former NBA star. “His experience and where he’s been that played a big role when it comes to basketball. He was kind of an underdog. We definitely connected.

“I have some of that same fire in me.”

The Green Waves assistant, who played 13 years of professional basketball didn’t have a Division I offer out of high school before getting to North Carolina after a year at prep school. Pinckney experienced some of basketball of adversity this summer. He experienced some of that adversity this summer dealing with various travel teams before finishing with the Upward Stars.

“Those things were out of my control,” said Pinckney of the summer. “At the same time it showed me adversity. At some point in life you are going to have to deal with adversity. It helped me as a basketball player to overcome adversity.”

Currently, he and his teammates are dealing with adversity in the unexpected death of Miller Grove freshman teammate Terrell Coleman. Pinckney said this is helping his teammates become better men and quoted scripture saying, “If thou faint in the day of adversity thou faith is small.”

“This has taught me how to be strong,” he said. “Being able to go through all of this has helped me.”