Kim English isn't your average college student

Its a tired cliche:

College basketball players are dumb; they get their work done by their tutors; the only reason they pass is because their professors want them to win. It would be inappropriate to consider that the norm, but after hearing about scandals like the one orchestrated by the Harrick's at Georgia, or the issues with Derrick Rose and his SAT scores, or the fact that any player heading to the NBA doesn't have to attend class during the spring semester, it would be tough to blame any one that thought that way.

English averaged 14.0 ppg in the Big XII, came off the bench to hit a game-winning free throw in the 2009 NCAA Tournament, and quotes Rudyard Kipling.
(photo credit: Zimbio)

That said, there are quite a few college basketball players out there that are also students, and I'm not just talking about the Ivy and Patriot Leagues.

Enter Kim English, a rising junior that led Missouri in scoring as a sophomore. Now, I spend hours on twitter every day, but the number of players that I follow is quite low. Why? Because I don't need to know the inner workings of every 19 year old's life.

English, whose twitter handle is @englishscope24, is not your average college basketball player. He's a gym rat to the fullest, literally sleeping in the locker room at Mizzou Arena so he can workout in the morning before class. That's a big reason why he went from a role player as a freshman to a 14 ppg scorer as a sophomore.

But his tweets are about more than just hoops. Take this series of tweets from July 8th, comparing "If", a poem by Rudyard Kipling written in 1910, to basketball:

"If you can keep your had when all about you Are losing theirs...." -stay poised and be your teams calming force in a tough time.

"If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you" - Game winning free throws in NCAA sec round, with 5.5 secs left and ur 65% on the year

"But make allowance for their doubting too" - after you make them, be humble and don't throw their doubt in their face.

"if you can wait, and not be tired by waiting" -You play little minutes as a freshmen, but you stay true to the game, come early, leave late

"..Or being hated, dont give way to hating" -only intake info crucial to your teams success, reject all other information. you dont need it.

"And dont look too good, nor talk too wise" -fundamentals are best, trash talk is never necessary. let you game do your talking.

"If you can dream, and not make dreams your master" -Dream of the NBA, but never allow that dream interfere with the teams success.

"If you can think, and not make thoughts your aim" -You just loss, all you think about is the rematch. don't lose focus on the next 8 games

Impressive, right? There is a reason Kim English is one of the only college hoopers I follow on twitter. He's a baller with a brain. If you are on twitter, and you aren't following him, than you are doing yourself a disservice.