LOS ANGELES — As Texas A&M walked off the court at the Staples Center for the last time this season, senior center Tonny Trocha-Morelos said goodbye to a team and program that he said has changed him.
“Playing at Texas A&M has honestly been the greatest thing that I’ve ever done so far in my life,” Trocha-Morelos said. “A&M has given me a lot of good memories and a lot of bad memories too, but I’m always going to remember the good memories.”
Trocha-Morelos came to Texas A&M in the fall of 2015 from Cartagena, Columbia as a four-star recruit. Trocha-Morelos played for the U18 national team and had played on an international stage, but nothing initially scared him more than coming to Texas to play.
“As an international student, I was worried about the change of culture and what to expect, how people were going to react to situations,” Trocha-Morelos said.
However, as Trocha-Morelos walked through the Texas A&M campus as a recruit, he said he couldn’t help but feel welcomed by the people in Aggieland.
“A&M made it so much easier for me that’s why I chose to there,” Trocha-Morelos said. “The moment I went to go visit there, it just felt like home. The people at Texas A&M are so friendly and willing to give without you asking.”
When it came down to make the decision, Trocha-Morelos said A&M’s ability to welcome him with open arms and ease his transition into American culture was what made him chose to be an Aggie.
“That kind of stuff made it easy for me to not to miss home as much as I would have if I went to a different school,” Trocha-Morelos said.
Throughout his four years, Trocha-Morelos appeared 132 games and played 2549 minutes and for Trocha-Morelos none of those moments were taken for granted.
“It felt good every time I put on the white or maroon uniform, doing it for the 12th Man and doing it for the people that always supported me,” Trocha-Morelos said. “It was such a blessing and I felt lucky every time I got the chance to play for A&M. if I could do it one more time, I would without a doubt. I don’t care if I’m fat or slow, I would still do it because just the fact that I am wearing a Texas A&M jersey — it just means the world to me.”
During his freshman year, Trocha-Morelos said he was challenged a lot on and off the court. He did say if he could go back and tell his younger self one thing it would be to understand the importance of patience.
“I would just say, ‘Work harder and be patient, let things come to you,’ I felt like back then I was frustrated by not playing and trying to do things great, like for people to see me. Not even for myself but for other people,” Trocha-Morelos said.
Following graduation, Trocha-Morelos plans to marry his fiancée Megan this summer and hopes to have the opportunity to continue to play basketball.
“I’m getting married in July so that’s going to be awesome,” Trocha-Morelos said. “Hopefully play some pro basketball. If God gives me the ability to keep playing basketball I will take it. All I have to do is trust him. He has put me in such a great situation and I have to trust him because he has done some great things trough me. I owe everything to Him.”