Spotlight: Zion Hendrix, Leading the path to Victory

Four years ago, graduate/senior Zion Hendrix was a full-time student at East Carolina University. Hendrix would stay at ECU for only one year. Why? “I really missed playing and I really, really wanted to play again.” 

Looking to get back onto the court, Hendrix was looking for a good Division III school to play basketball for. While he’s from Charlotte, N.C., Zion found Worcester State thanks to a couple key connections. Firstly, Hendrix’s brother and sister-in-law were living in Boston at the time he transferred, and have remained there throughout his collegiate career. The big connection, Hendrix explains, was “Coach (Tyler) Hundley actually went to the same high school as me back home.” After coming to tour WSU, Hendrix was sold. In his words, “most D3s don’t look like this.” 

With a comfortable new home in Massachusetts, Hendrix had a solid first season in blue and gold, playing in 26 games during the 2019-2020 campaign. With the following season washed out due to the pandemic, “It was a big scare for me when we did lose a season to COVID,” Hendrix explains. “I didn’t know if I would get that year back.” 

Of course the year of eligibility did come back, and following a second-place finish last year, Hendrix is back for a fifth year of school in a new role for the Lancers. “I’m coming into my own as a leader and really getting to be able to put my own imprints on how our team operates.” As a captain for what Hendrix calls “probably the youngest team I’ve ever had since I’ve been here,” there is a lot of optimism that his final year could yield great success. 

“I think this group, right now, probably has the best ego I’ve seen since I’ve been here.” He continues “As far as a team, we probably have the best culture.” The great culture looks like it will translate onto the court, with the Lancers coming within one point of a huge upset win of WPI on opening night. That close of a game “seemed like a shock to everybody else probably.” Though for Hendrix and his teammates, it was less surprising. They were confident going into that game, and are even more so now. “Coming out of a game like that, we could really be really good.” 

Hendrix is looking forward to leading this squad the rest of the way, especially after the WPI battle, as it solidifies the belief that “we know we can play with anybody”. Expect Hendrix to leave everything out on the hardwood this season, as he’s well aware this very well may be it. “I’ll never get to play at this level again- can’t beat it.”

The Lancers won the Wheaton Tip-Off Classic this weekend with Hendrix being named to the All-Tournament Team for his performance and leadership over the weekend, just a further testament to what he, and this team, are capable of. The Lancers face their next challenge when they face Williams, who was ranked number 6 in the D3hoops.com preseason rankings.

~Chris Wright