Nique Clifford – The Big Bad Buff

Nique Clifford is one the best basketball players to ever come out of Colorado Springs. The Vanguard School graduate has been playing well for the University of Colorado this year. He didn't play much his freshman year but he used the time to learn, "It’s an adjustment for sure. It did suck not playing. But, you’ve got to go through those experiences, and those tough times to get to the light, I guess. I feel more confident being out there this year. Having that knowledge from last year, getting to see the game from a different angle, sitting on the bench, it helped me a lot," says Colorado sophomore, Nique Clifford.

Last year the Buffs went to the NCAA tournament and Clifford got to play in it, but only for a minute and he's itching to get back out there for some real action, "Once you get that taste, you can’t get it out of your mouth," says Clifford.

Nique has his eyes set on the NBA and he's all-in, "Everyone talks about it, but it’s true. You’ve got to stay dedicated to your grind. You can’t take days off. When you’re taking days off, someone (else) isn’t," says Clifford.

For now, he's enjoying the journey. In December, Vanguard retires his number and he's played against his close friend and former Cheyenne Mountain star Javonte Johnson, "It’s really cool to have someone like that to just be with me in the same process that I’m trying to go through to get to our dreams. We’re just going to keep pushing; keep pushing each other, and try to get to our goals," says Clifford.