TOLEDO, Ohio — College athletes across the country are having to get creative when it comes to staying in shape. That is certainly the case at the University of Toledo.
Campus is shut down, and there are no facilities open. For a guy like AJ Edu, who was injured and missed all of last season with the men's basketball program, he's having to get creative to get himself back on the court.
"I needed to think outside the box with this one," said Edu. "I'm still able to do home exercises. I wasn't doing much stuff with weights. There's a field nearby that I go do my agility and speed stuff. There's always a way if you really look for it."
It was almost exactly a year ago that Edu injured his knee playing in the FIBA U-19 World Cup. He was forced to miss an entire season with the Rockets. It was obviously difficult to miss that time, but his outlook has remained positive.
"It was kinda tough on me realizing that I wasn't going to be able to play for a whole year," said Edu. "I've kind of taken it as a blessing in disguise. I believe in God, so I think everything happens for a reason. I've taken it as a year to focus on myself and make sure I build my body up and focus on my basketball skills, improve my shooting. I think I've done that so far and there's still a couple months left, I'll continue to do that."
Edu has had a lot on his plate. He is from England, and hasn't been able to return home this offseason because of the coronavirus. He's staying on campus at UT and continues to put all of his focus on rehab so he's ready go next season.
"It's required a lot of discipline for sure," said Edu. "There are some days where I feel like I don't want to do anything. I know the situation I'm in with my knee. I know how important these exercises are. I just try to stay motivated and try to stay focused and try to stay disciplined."
Edu is staying in touch with family on FaceTime almost every single day. He's working really hard to get himself back on the court. He should be an integral part next year of the UT men's basketball program.
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