He wasn’t one of those kids who played a sport as far back as they could remember. In fact, his middle school gym teacher had to ask him repeatedly to give basketball a chance.

Yet senior point guard Orlando Mendez-Valdez is prepared to take Western’s basketball team to the NCAA tournament for the second year in a row.

“We need to go further or at least as far as the Sweet 16 again,” said Mendez-Valdez. “A lot of people think we can’t do it but I’m not worried.”

Although it sounds cliché, basketball probably saved Orlando Mendez-Valdez’s life.

“If I hadn’t found basketball, I’d probably be in jail by now,” Mendez-Valdez confessed.

Growing up in San Antonio, Mendez-Valdez, 22, was the youngest of seven raised by his single mother. As his friends started to get into drugs and alcohol at an early age, he had a choice to make.

“I was going down the wrong path, the wrong direction,” Mendez-Valdez said. “I didn’t apply myself. College was never on my mind at all.”

He pulled himself away from the negative influences around him and lost himself in a sport he had never before given a chance.

By his freshman year at Lanier High School in San Antonio, Mendez-Valdez had already become absorbed into the game. By his sophomore year, he was playing for the varsity team.

As a senior, Mendez-Valdez was named Express-News Greater San Antonio Player of the Year.

So where would a player like Mendez-Valdez go to further his goals?

“I was looking for a small town, a community. The support from the fans at Western and my teammates here made me feel right at home really quick.”

His first two years at Western continued to show the ever-increasing potential from his high school years, but it was during Mendez-Valdez’s junior year that he pushed himself and Western’s Hilltoppers to a new level.

With impressive games against Kentucky Wesleyan and North Texas, Mendez-Valdez came into his own as a player and a teammate.

As he prepares to be the first person in his family to graduate from college, Mendez-Valdez is balancing more weight on his shoulders than ever before.

“I’m going to have to step into a bigger role on the team,” Mendez-Valdez said. “They’re going to need me to take a lot more shots and really give it my all.”

Along with his now senior role on the basketball team, Mendez-Valdez is currently pledging Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity.

“I always wanted to join a fraternity,” Mendez-Valdez said. “I think I’m capable now of managing my time effectively. It’s great to make good friends beyond my teammates.”

The theme of brotherhood seems to affect many of Mendez-Valdez’s important life choices.

“There are actually a lot of similarities between being part of a sports team and being in a fraternity,” he said. “Both groups are dependent on trust and loyalty. You’d do anything to help these brothers and they would do anything for you.”

Along with his basketball and fraternity commitments, Mendez-Valdez is consistently focused on the future.

“After I play ball professionally, I could really see coming back to Bowling Green and raising a family here. I think it would be a great place to settle down.”

Those are big words for anyone in college, but above all else, Mendez-Valdez seems naturally competitive and confident.

“I’ve had several amazing accomplishments and I’m really grateful for the chances I’ve had. I’m truly proud of the person I’ve become.”

Reach Aaron Burch at diversions@chherald.com.