After four years of stellar basketball in a Big Rapids uniform, standout Gabe Njenga announced Sunday via social media his playing days will continue.
The 6’ 8” forward committed to Colby Community College, a rising junior college program in Colby, Kansas. When asked about what made him choose the Trojans, Njenga said they support his ultimate goal: play at the Division I level.
“There were definitely a lot of factors that went into it,” Njenga said. “I went on a visit to Colby in early March and I really liked the coach. They had great facilities and great dudes over there. It's the middle of nowhere, so there's no distractions. I can really put my head down and work towards my goal. It feels like a fresh start.”
Njenga, according to the D Zone recruiting page, had other offers from DII, DIII, and NAIA teams. These included Aquinas College, Alma College, and Lake Superior State University.
This past season, Njenga averaged about 16.7 points per game on 47% shooting from the field. He had a season 30 points against Tri County and scored over 20 points seven times this season. He also added 7.4 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 2.3 assists per game.
The senior has been a cornerstone for Big Rapids’ recent success on the hardwood, earning multiple conference regular season and tournament championships as a Cardinal. He also earned back-to-back All-CSAA 1st team honors over the past two seasons.
“My career at Big Rapids has shaped me the player I am now,” Njenga said. “It definitely had its ups and downs for sure.”
When asked about the key part of his development, Njenga gave props to the weight room; but, not necessarily for strength.
“I would say really getting in that weight room, but not necessarily like to gain weight and build muscle. That's important, but it definitely helped with injury prevention. I had a lot of issues with (health) in my early high school career, and then I really took to the weight room and learned how to learn how to lift correctly. That protected my body through my senior year and most of my junior year.”
The Cardinal standout currently plans to study a major in the finance and business field at Colby. The Trojans finished with a 17-14 record last year, their highest win total since the 2019-2020 season.
Graphic courtesy of Gabe Njenga and AZ Media (Ari Ziska).
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