Before he was a National Park Nighthawk, Logan Willett was a standout athlete at Brookland
High School with a bright basketball future. However, a broken hand midway through
his senior season would send the young star on a journey across Arkansas in search
of a place to call his basketball home.
“I remember having a great senior year in high school,” Willett said. “I had won the
top offensive award at a basketball camp over the summer and had grown into one of
the greater players in our conference, but once I broke my hand, it sent us on a downward
spiral. Our team was leaning on me to make a big run in the playoffs and I couldn’t
help them. It was bad.”
With his final high school season cut short, Willett struggled to find his way to
the next level of his career.
“After high school, no one recruited me,” Willett said. “I didn’t get any calls. Coaches
weren’t talking to me. I was afraid that my basketball career was over.”
At an unsigned-senior showcase, Willett met Daniel Bandy and began playing at Faith
Prep Academy in West Memphis.
“Faith Prep was a wonderful program,” Willett said. “It was the perfect fit for me
at the time to take a developmental year to get better while not affecting my eligibility.
We had a good season there and we got to play against strong college talent and I
got to develop my game.”
As his season with Faith Prep was winding down, a phone call from Hot Springs would
present Willett with the opportunity he had been waiting for.
“Coach Jason Hudnell is one heck of a salesman,” Willett said. “I remember talking
with him on the phone and hearing how excited he was to start the Nighthawks. That’s
where it all started for me. As a competitive person, I always love to be challenged
in everything that I do. Hearing the idea of starting a program from scratch got me
pumped up and I knew that I wanted to be a part of something historic.”
In their historic first season, the Nighthawks defied expectations, boasting an impressive
12-5 record and putting Hot Springs on the map for athletes seeking a basketball home
at the next level. In his first year, Willett thrived as the team’s premier three-point
shooter.
“My favorite Nighthawk memory was beating Champion Christian College at Bank of the
Ozarks Arena last year,” Willett said. “We lost the first meeting in double overtime
at their place and took them back to double overtime again and ended up pulling out
the win. It felt so good. It was that moment where I felt like the Nighthawks had
really arrived in Hot Springs.”
Shortly after his freshman season concluded, however, Willett experienced an unimaginable
tragedy—losing his 17-year-old sister, Laikyn Willett.
“My sister’s passing is, without a doubt, the toughest thing I’ve ever been through in my life,” Willett said. “It was heartbreaking and a very tough time for me. I wanted to quit playing basketball. I didn’t want to be away from my family at all. I didn’t know what to do next or how to keep going.”
With one of their own in need, the Nighthawks wrapped their wings around Willett when he needed them the most.
“Coach Hudnell and the team were very supportive and helpful in comforting me while I was away,” Willett said. “They came to the funeral to let me know that they were there for me and that they loved me. They’ll never know what that meant to me.”
After a summer of soul searching, Willett made the decision to pick up a basketball and keep going.
“It was important for me to come back and finish what we started because I love these guys and I love this team,” Willett said. “I’ve even grown to love Hot Springs, too. I think that’s what my sister would have wanted. She wouldn’t have wanted me to mope around. She would have wanted me to pick up where I left off and get after it. This family we created—Nighthawk Nation—gave me an outlet to put that frustration, pain and anger into and it’s something that I’m grateful for. Without this team, I don’t know what I would have done without this team.”
In his second year with the Nighthawks, Willett averages six points per game and his 45.3 three-point percentage ranks 18th in the country. As his final season at National Park College nears its end, the sophomore is proud of what he has accomplished over the past two years.
“When I got here, my goal was to leave my mark on this program,” Willett said. “I wanted to be somebody that was remembered as being a part of where this all started. Over the past two years, our goal was to win big games and we’ve done that. Me and the other sophomores—KJ, Seth and Braylon—did their fair share. I think that getting this program to where it is today has been an amazing accomplishment.”
As a sophomore, Willett takes pride in leading his underclassmen to victory on and off the floor.
“A coach’s job is to tell a player what they’re doing wrong, but a leader’s job is to encourage and lift up their teammates,” Willett said. “That’s the role I’ve taken on this year for our younger guys. Being on a college team is so different, because in high school, every guy on our team was ‘the man’ on their team. Going from that to playing five-to-ten minutes per game can be frustrating. I think having a positive, vocal presence is huge for our guys and I wanted them to know that they were important to us no matter how many minutes they played. They needed to know that.”
As the Nighthawks celebrate sophomore day, Willett and his fellow sophomores look to snap a three-game losing streak in their final game at “The Kettle” in Hot Springs.
“Every team has its ups and downs,” Willett said. “It has been a long season. Some of us are hurt, we’ve traveled all over the place and it’s easy to lose focus down the stretch. This is our final home game and we’re looking to bring a lot of fire and energy to our fans. If we can stay focused and zero in on what’s important, then this will be a huge win for us. I don’t have a doubt that we’ll come out with a victory, but we won’t disrespect our opponent, either. We bring the same level of intensity every night and we believe that this game will give us the momentum we need to finish the season on Thursday at SAU Tech with our first-ever [NJCAA Division II Region 2] win.”
Off the court, Willett enjoys playing Fortnite and NBA 2K19 with his Nighthawk teammates and spending time with his family and his girlfriend, Harley. In his free time, the sophomore is also an avid musician.
“Music is my second love after basketball,” Willett said. “My parents were worship leaders, so music has always been a huge part of my family. I play the drums and the guitar and I’m always finding and sharing new music.
When it comes to his future, Willett says he’s taking each day as it comes.
“Right now, I’m going with the flow,” Willett said. “I would love to continue playing college basketball if the right opportunity presents itself to me, but if it’s not meant to be, then I am ok with that, too. I know for sure that I want to be a coach one day. If it’s time for this ride to be over, I’m ready for a new one to begin.”
After the final buzzer sounds, Willett hopes that his story inspires others to never give up when the going gets tough.
“I’ve been through the ringer in my life, but I have become more resilient because of it,” Willett said. “I don’t know how I would have gotten through what I’ve been through without my faith. Always know where you stand in Christ’s eyes. From there, any adversity becomes easier to handle if you know that you are loved and cared for. Never stop working. If there’s something that you’re passionate about, then hard work and faith will help you get there. Don’t let anything get in the way of that. If there is something in life that you love, you owe it to yourself to pursue that dream.”
Logan Willett and the National Park Nighthawks play Central Baptist College today at 7 p.m.
