How a high school athlete in Ocala overcame adversity to earn seven scholarships to play collegiate basketball

OCALA, FL (352today.com) – Danny Pascuma wanted to be a missionary. That is until he fell in love with basketball.

“I wanted to go around the world and tell people about God,” said Pascuma.

Pascuma attended First Assembly Christian School, and basketball was the only sport that the school offered.

There were several people that encouraged Pascuma to follow his new-found passion, including the athletic director C.J. Forker, who made sure he stayed focused. Travel ball provided Pascuma with greater insight and understanding, playing a large part in his progression and maturation as an athlete.

“Travel ball was really different, coming from First Assembly. I was always one of the best guys on the court – one of the top one or two guys, always getting the ball,” said Pascuma. “But in travel ball, everybody’s that guy. They’re pretty good, and everybody can shoot the ball and do what they’re supposed to do. Once I started playing travel ball and realizing that you’re not always going to be the best on the team, and that you’re going to have to work at the different attributes of your game that everybody else has, it provided me with an advantage when I went back to playing interscholastically.”

Playing in the offseason, allowed Pascuma the opportunity to hone his skills and become more mentally prepared. It helped him make the varsity squad while only in 8th grade.

For Pascuma, travel ball was fun. He forged friendships, traveled to big cities, stayed in hotels and played against elite competition.

“AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) was a huge part of my life, with the guys on my team shaping me and becoming the person that I am today,” said Pascuma. “And then, athletics-wise playing with the best of the best, and then when I got back to school ball, which wasn’t that same competition level, it set me apart.”

That initial year at the varsity level set the tone for his interscholastic career because of its steep learning curve, but the shooting guard was more than up to the challenge.

“You’re kind of a little fish in the big pond,” said Pascuma. “Guys are stronger than you, and when you’re driving to the basket, getting a bump from a 17-year-old is a lot different than getting one from a 14-year-old, when you’re going up for a shot.”

Pascuma knew that as a player of smaller stature, he would have to pass the ball more. As a guard, he would be tasked with having to play defense against the fastest players on the opposing team. 

“I worked on learning my role in 8th grade, and once I did that, I just kept on working on those skills that I knew would translate during a game. That helped me a lot giving me the confidence of what I could do during a game,” said Pascuma.

The following year, Pascuma demonstrated he was more of a complete player.

“My first game of my 9th-grade year, I had 19 points and hit the game winning shot, against a team we had lost to the previous year,” said Pascuma. “It was after that game that I believed in myself completely.”

In the 10th grade, Pascuma was in the midst of having his best year statistically and then the unexpected occurred. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee.

He was texting AAU coaches prior to the injury and looking forward to the summer to play for a higher-level travel ball team. But all of those plans were derailed.

He found himself in unfamiliar territory.

But, his family says his intrepid spirit pushed him through the setback. He worked throughout the summer, going through physical therapy, in preparation for a return to the hardwood.

And, his faith that gave him further direction.

“There was a lot of anxiety because I lost a year,” said Pascuma. “I prayed and I stay close to God, and made sure I was reading my Bible, making sure that he wanted me to do this to go out and play my senior year. I had thoughts of not playing basketball again.”

Being out of the lineup provided Pascuma with extra motivation.

“Everyone in my circle knew what type of player I was, and the only thing that was holding me back was me,” said Pascuma. “I had to get back into the mindset to be myself. I had put in the work. When I play, I have to show what I can do.”

His return was triumphant. Others began to take notice and he received seven college scholarship offers, creating another series of challenges.

“It was actually pretty difficult,” said Pascuma. “One of my best friends who had transferred to First Assembly our senior year, both of our first offers were to the same school, Brewton-Parker College in Georgia. We were both set on playing together in college after this year. But as we received more offers, we decided to go in different directions. Once I got down to my final four, it was what coach wanted me the most, and the school that had the best academic programs.”

Among Pascuma’s choices were Bible colleges. The coach at Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, stayed in contact with Pascuma, texting him nearly every day. Pascuma ultimately decided Moody was where he was called to go.

“If God gave me the strength to play my senior year, and gain everything that I gained, I felt I should give back in a sense,” said Pascuma. “And go to a pastoral school and continue playing basketball, so we can keep going down that path.”