"I had a strong feeling I was going to get through this." 
 
These words have defined Alabama State guard Isaiah Range and his road to recovery after his devastating lower leg injury during the 2022-23 season. For many, this injury would have been career-ending, but Range is no stranger to adversity. His story does not start with that career-threatening night; however, it starts in his hometown of Cedar Hill, Texas. 
 
Range did not fall in love with basketball right away. Despite his dad taking him to the gym every Saturday from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m., he still was not sold on the sport. He played soccer and football, the latter of which was his favorite. He started taking basketball seriously in 5th grade and started getting pretty good at it as well. By high school, it would be his only sport. 
 
"High school was kind of just laid out for me. Since I first walked on campus in middle school, they told me they wanted me to play varsity. My parents wouldn't let me because they wanted me to have my eligibility and stuff like that. [When I did get to high school,] I was the only freshman on varsity. I was starting. I won state MVP my freshman year, so from then on I was just comfortable, and the sky's the limit after that." 
 
Range credits AAU basketball in Dallas for giving him a competitive advantage due to the wealth of talent on display. The stage allowed him to compete with some of the best. 
 
Despite Range's impressive high school career, he did not receive any Division 1 offers. A "frustrating and emotional" experience for him, Range chose to attend Tarleton State University, a university not too far from home. Another factor that played a part in Range's commitment to Tarleton was his mother's poor health at the time. The proud "momma's boy" wanted to be close enough to check on his mother and make sure she was ok. 
 
"It was also where I feel like God had led me at the time…Of course, it was difficult for me because I put in so much work and I feel like I deserved a chance or a shot and nobody wanted to take it on me. So, I bet on myself and at the time, Tarleton State wasn't even Division 1 yet. It was still a Division 2 program. So, I was like, 'I'm going to just bet on myself and trust my work. I know God is always going to bring light to the darkness.'" 
 
He expected to start at Tarleton, and when he did not, he became frustrated, especially after playing well coming off the bench. At that point, he realized he needed to separate himself from the pack to achieve his goals. A meeting with his head coach helped him understand what would be key to him taking his game to the level: defense. 
 
"I got with an assistant coach, me, and him every day after practice with the black band doing defensive slide drills, just doing little things. I was just always set on the little things to set me apart to get me where I wanted to go."
 
As Range's defensive effort and intensity improved, so did his playing time and interest. Range entered his name in the transfer portal after the season and was recruited by then-head coach of Alabama State, Mo Williams. 
 
Their relationship went back to Range's AAU days when Williams was his coach. Range committed to Alabama State partly due to their relationship and mutual trust. Range, who previously attended a PWI, also wanted to come to an HBCU to learn more about the history of African Americans. 
 
With a roster full of talented guys around his size, Range had to make himself stand out all over again. Relying on the lessons he learned from his days at Tarleton, he knew what he needed to do.
 
 "I knew I could impact the game defensively. I'm going to guard the best player," he said amid another uphill battle. 
 
Range would go on to average 9.0 points per game, 4.0 rebounds per game, and 1.2 steals per game during the 2021-22 season. With one season under his belt, another situation forced Range to adjust, that being Williams leaving Alabama State. 
 
In the aftermath of his coach's departure, Range was candid about his decision to enter the transfer portal and "wanting to see what was out there." It was during the exit interviews at the end of the season that Williams encouraged Range to stay put believing that Alabama State would "do right by you," a point that would be proven true the following year. 
 
In the months that followed, Tony Madlock, former South Carolina State head coach, was tabbed as the program's new leader. Range decided to stay with the Hornets and began to buy into Madlock's system, and it paid dividends immediately. During the 2022-23 season, Range put up career numbers while having the highest usage rates since his high school career. Nothing could stop Range as he made teams pay at all three levels on offense and was a nightmare on the defensive side of the ball as well. 
 
Range was on a roll until one fateful night when all his momentum would come to a screeching halt at home versus the Grambling State University Tigers on Feb. 4. What appeared to be a routine layup followed by a foul ended in an awkward fall and gruesome lower leg injury for the junior superstar. 
 
"It was so fast. I didn't feel it. I didn't hear anything. I just hear my teammate yelling, 'Don't look, don't look,'" said Range. 
 
With his mind and body in complete and utter shock, Range describes his thoughts after witnessing the sight of his injury. 
 
"I wanted to cry, but I couldn't. I was just lost…I'm 22 years old, and I just broke my leg during a basketball game," he said with shock and cloudiness in his mind. 
 
Despite the injury, Range had the support of his family and his teammates, along with all of Hornet Nation as they showered him with love and support during his healing and recovery. He was taken aback at the outpour of support for him during such a rough time in his life. 
 
"I had never seen anything like that. I had always gotten support before…to see the whole university and beyond supporting me….I was really blessed. Even the way they took care of my parents when they came down here. Stuff like that, gets to me. I feel like actions show if you really love and care for someone, not just words. And to see the words and the actions behind it, it was very amazing." 
 
Along with the support of Hornet Nation, Range's time with his mother during his recovery proved invaluable. She stayed with him for two straight weeks as the pair spent time praying and talking which uplifted his spirits. Recovering from injury proved to be more of a mental battle than a physical one as Range recalls having to overcome those mental struggles. 
 
"With this, it was like 'ok, I know I got to put in the work, I know I got to do this.' But I got to fight through the feeling of not wanting to do it, not wanting to get up. Or fight through the feeling of 'man this going to hurt and I'm going to be in pain, or I'm going to be sore.'" 
 
After fighting for months to get back on the court and be with his teammates again, Range was given the green light in the Hornets' Nov. 22 matchup at Samford University. He detailed the full circle moment for him.
 
"I just look at it like I said the little things matter to me. Just being able to put my shoes on and put my jersey on and lace 'em up and go out back on the court, it was just an exciting feeling for me. Like I didn't have a care in the world if I didn't score, if we didn't win, I was just blessed and happy to be back on the court playing basketball." 
 
Fast forward to the present day and with the Hornets in the midst of conference play and Senior Day looming, Range continues to express his gratefulness to Alabama State as a reflection on his collegiate career:
 
"I'm always going to remember the bonds and relationships I grew with people here. And also I'll never forget how much Alabama State was there for me when I went down with that injury. At my lowest time, in my lowest moment…Alabama State was there every step of the way."
 
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