When senior basketball captain Brayde Kuykendall stepped on the foreign court in Memphis, Tenn., a wave of nerves and excitement rushed over him.

“I felt excited, but locked in,” Kuykendall said. “A lot of adrenaline.”

He looked around and noticed the collegiate scouts court side, ready to find the newest talent at the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League showcase in June. He did not realize that his entire basketball career was about to change forever.

Just a day after his first games at a Nike event , Kuykendall received a call from a Santa Clara University scout offering him a Division 1 scholarship to play basketball for the Broncos.

When he signed his official letter on Nov. 12, Kuykendall became the first player in Cal High’s basketball program in 23 years to receive a D-1 offer.

Kuykendall said it was a huge milestone for him.

“I feel really great because I worked my whole life toward it,” Kuykendall said.

One aspect of his game that separates Kuykendall is his scoring ability. The 6-foot-6 forward can score from anywhere on the floor, which is something most players can’t do.

“I’m a three-level scorer,” Kuykendall said.

During his season on varsity last year, Kuykendall averaged 12 points per game, which was fourth best in the East Bay, according to Maxpreps. He scored a total of 348 points last season.

A few days after his Santa Clara offer, Kuykendall received offers from University of Montana, North Dakota State, and UC Santa Barbara.

Kuykendall ended up committing to Santa Clara, where he plans to study business.

“Santa Clara kept following up and laid everything out on the line for me, so I just committed,” Kuykendall said.

Cal varsity assistant coach Chris Torrey believes that Kuykendall’s future in basketball is very promising.

“He’ll make a really good, smooth transition,” Torrey said.

Varsity head coach Steve Ohlmeyer has coached Kuykendall for three seasons and said what makes Kuykendall so unique is he is one of the most goal-driven players he has ever coached.

Ohlmeyer said Kuykendall has grown into a leader by learning from previous leaders in the program. He believes Kuykendall’s ability to learn will help him make the jump to the next level.

“The future is bright,” Ohlmeyer said.

The influence of Los Angeles star LeBron James has inspired Kuykendall to reach his main goal of playing in the NBA.

“LeBron James is my goat,” Kuykendall said.

Kuykendall said what has helped him is getting good, high-quality reps in, not just the same old drills and intensity. He also makes sure to understand what he has to work on to improve, something that many players have yet to understand.

“Work on your weakness and do the things that are going to get you better,” Kuykendall said.

Many athletes struggle with balancing their athletic, academic and social lives, but Kuykendall said he has found a way to do it all. He gives a lot of credit to his mom, who always pushes him to get his schoolwork done early so that he has time for the other activities.

His advice for other student athletes is getting all their homework done during school at lunch or tutorial.

Kuykendall is more than just a basketball player, though. Senior Zak Syed, a close friend, said Kuykendall is determined, hard-working, fun, and enjoyable to be around.

“I would consider him family,” Syed said.

Syed is expecting Kuykendall to continue to succeed in college and is hoping to be flown out to a few games once Kuykendall makes the NBA.

Varsity teammate Logan Weger said Kuykendall makes the most impact on the team beyond his points and rebounds.

“He makes everyone play better and motivates the team both on and off the court,” said Weger, a sophomore.

Even under pressure, Kuykendall is always prepared and ready to perform.

“In big games, he performs well and helps us win,” Weger said. “He never takes it out on us. He only gets mad at himself, that’s leadership.”

Two of Kuykendall’s biggest games last season came against Cal’s fiercest competition, Dublin and De La Salle. He scored 24 and 16 points, respectively.

Kuykendall attributes a lot of his character on and off the court to his coaches throughout the years,

“They’ve been great guides and helpers to push me past my limits throughout the years,” said Kuykendall.

After a receiving his scholarship to Santa Clara, he finally took a step back and let the gravity of the moment sink in.

“I was trying not to cry, and I didn’t cry,” Kuykendall said, “but there were a bunch of feelings, overwhelming me at once.”