Zach Hodskins has defied the odds not only in high school basketball but now in college ball. The one-handed basketball player was born with a birth defect that left him without the lower half of his left arm.
Despite missing a second hand, the Alpharetta, Georgia high school guard has excelled enough to be given a preferred walk-on offer by Florida coach Billy Donovan.
Speaking about his abilities on the court Hodskins tells the News-Herald of Northern Ohio:
“When I’m out [on the court], I forget my arm isn’t there and just play ball. Passion and love for the sport helps me overcome all obstacles. To this day. I haven’t come across anything I can’t do.”
Zach has repeatedly impressed scouts over his high school b-ball career and was recently named by Yahoo!’s Prep Rally as one of the most impressive prospects during the 2013 summer AAU circuit. Hodskins was among the top players at the ScoutsFocus All-American Camp in Charlottesville, Virginia in June.
While the Florida offer doesn’t provide for a scholarship, it does offer Hodskins a chance to earn one down the road. It also provided him with the chance to play for a premier program.
Florida isn’t alone. According to Prep Rally, offers are also being considered by Alabama-Birmingham and Birmingham Southern. It’s believe those offers will come with full scholarship offers.
Excelling at the college level isn’t easy, but Zach Hodskins has the type of talent that transcends his handicap.
A one-handed star player wouldn’t exactly be something new in professional sports. We have seen several one-handed pitchers excel in major league baseball. Pete Gray and Jim Abbott immediately come to mind. Coleman Shannon, a 14-year-old one handed pitcher in Johnsonville, South Carolina, threw a no-hitter in 2012.
Do you think a one-handed basketball player can rise above the competition at the college level?
