The Story of Barret Benson (for now)

“It motivated me, but their success was also a blueprint for me. I pretty much followed my brother’s footsteps and tried to improve upon the foundation he built for me”

He was just a kid from Chicago. He was just a kid from Portland. “Hey how tall are you? How’s the weather up there? Can you dunk? Hey Jacob, who’s your tall friend?” That would be Barret Benson. I first met Barret as my neighbor, the kid who lived across the street from me in the summer up until 6th grade. He was always good at basketball, partially because of his height, but also because of his consistent work ethic and determination to better himself on a daily basis. Barret’s dad, Cliff Benson, was a 6’4 tight end for the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, and Washington Redskins, playing 4 seasons in the NFL. His brother, Brock, was always a little bit taller than him when they were both growing up: a little taller, stronger, and perhaps even better at basketball. His mother, who I never met, resides in Chicago and was also quite the basketball star. It’s this inter-family athleticism that motivated Barret to work as hard as he did.

“Specifically, with my brother, we were always competing. I always wanted to be better than him and he would always make sure I knew I wasn’t quite there yet, so he pushed me to be better”

Brock Benson, who has excelled at Hope College both on and off the court, is a constant motivator for Barret. Brock has found an academic niche, engineering, as well as playing the best basketball of his career at the D3 level. It was this brotherly love, competitive relationship, and perseverance that has elevated Barret to where he is today. As Brock began to excel at Hope College, Barret started to think about college from his perspective at Hinsdale South High School in Chicago, Illinois.

“I never felt like I was pushing for offers, I felt like the program I was in had me focused on winning because it would help everyone else succeed too”

Barret played for an AAU club called the Illinois Wolves, and they traveled on the Under Armor AAU circuit. While Barret admits there was pressure on all of his teammates, not only because of the college implications but also the high level of basketball at which the Wolves competed at. On this basketball tour, Barret masterfully balanced the success of his club team, developing as a player, and ensuring that he could do what he loves at the next level: basketball.

“It’s been a pretty big step up from high school, just learning how to play at this level took a little bit of time. Like you mentioned it’s a lot faster and way more physical but I love the challenge”

Barret chose Northwestern University to continue his education and basketball career. He currently stands at 6’10, an imposing force for any team to handle, and he boasts a rare combination of height, athleticism, soft-touch, and impressive coordination. But off the court, Northwestern made sense given Barret’s focus on academics and his strong work inside the classroom.

“Well my parents made it very clear to me at an early age that academics always came first, so balancing academics and athletics was just something I was expected to do if I wanted to play”

Barret has always taken his grades seriously, and so have his parents. Cliff (who currently resides in Vancouver, WA, and his mother lives in Chicago, IL) constantly reminds me of his policy with Barret: No homework? No basketball. It’s this fairness from the Benson family that have made both Brock and Barret excel in so many ways. Yet what’s scary for both of them, especially Barret, is that his time in the spotlight is just beginning. Tomorrow, Barret and the #8 seed Northwestern Wildcats will face off against the #9 seed Vanderbilt Commodores in the first round of the NCAA Men’s Division 1 Basketball Tournament, also known as, March Madness. Is it a coincidence that in Barret’s first year at Northwestern, the Wildcats made the big dance for the first time in school history? I think not. You might look at his statistics which seem quite pedestrian (2.0 ppg, 1.6 rpg, and 0.6 bpg), and assume that he hasn’t added much to the program. That’s where you are wrong.

“I want to be able to be a positive impact and provide opportunities for people to be successful that wouldn’t usually get a chance”

Barret has the ability to take an ordinary encounter, a normal conversation, or a casual game of one-on-one on a muggy August evening, and make it a special experience. Barret explained to me how basketball kind of sucks in that the only way to become good at it is to practice every single freaking day. But he also added that that’s what makes it so damn special, only the people willing to sacrifice so much will get far on and off the court. Moments like these make him so much larger than his accolades on the court, and the places he resides in. He’s not simply a kid from Portland. Or a kid from Chicago. Or a 6’10 Division 1 center. He’s Barret Benson. He’s here to change the way you think about the definition of “hard work”, and what it truly means to put others before your own. The Wildcats will make history tomorrow with their first NCAA Tournament appearance, and Barret will be a part of that. So fitting for a kid that deserves every second in the spotlight.

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