A Big Move for Our Big Man

If you have ever attended a Boys’ Basketball game at Southern Maryland Christian Academy over the past five years, you would have had no choice but to notice a young man that has NBA basketball size and length. That young man is 6’9” DeAndrae “DJ” Seeden, presently an eighteen (18) year old senior that will be remembered in the SMCA community for years to come.

His experience at SMCA began in the eighth grade when he was an anchor for one of the best Middle School Basketball Teams to compete at SMCA in recent history. The following year, he transitioned to the Varsity level, and early on, you could tell that he was going to be a pivotal component of the program moving forward. After a heartbreaking loss in the Maryland Christian State Finals at the end of his freshmen campaign, Seeden entered the sophomore season a little taller and a lot wiser. As a sophomore, Seeden began to show flashes that he was going to be a special player. After another Maryland Christian State Final Four appearance and several close losses in the postseason, he finished the sophomore year being recognized second team ALL-MISAL. He was also named the team’s most improved player, but his biggest strides were occurring off the court as he really focused in the classroom and under the guidance of his mother. The hard work began to pay off. He was soon inducted into the National Honor Society (NHS) and established the type of grade point average that college coaches would have to notice.

Seeden was approaching his junior season with major anticipation of another championship run and more individual success. Then, the world was completely transformed with the COVID pandemic that changed our normal forever. It definitely was tough for the boys’ basketball program at SMCA as the possibility of another Maryland Christian State championship was within range. Instead, we all discovered that it would be eighteen months before we played another competitive basketball team. In the midst of this, our program graduated six seniors that didn’t get a chance to compete their entire senior year. During the signing, DJ mentioned the feeling that he was somewhat “robbed” of a critical junior year of competition that is usually the foundation for high school players seeking to secure athletic scholarships. With so much uncertainty, Seeden used the time away from playing competitively to make his body stronger so that he would be ready for his return to play.

Of all the college programs that were following Seeden over the years, Virginia Union University (VUU), a NCAA Division II National powerhouse, kept close tabs on Seeden’s development through the Head Coach, David McGlone. “I played in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIAA) as a college player and I always felt that VUU could be a good possible fit for DJ” said McGlone. “I have known Coach Lester Butler for years and one of my former college coaches (Fred Burroughs) is a member of the coaching staff. It is amazing how in the basketball community there are so many connections.” VUU has a rich basketball history touting the names of several NBA players that have been a part of the program including; AJ English, Terry Davis, Charles Oakley, and most recently inducted into the basketball Hall of Fame Ben
Wallace. With such a rich basketball tradition, the only other aspect of the institution that has such recognition and honor is the school Theological Seminary that has equipped gospel ministers throughout the nation for many years.

On Wednesday, May 4, 2022 DeAndrae officially signed a National letter of intent to receive athletic scholarship and attend VUU. “On signing day I felt a rush of excitement and nervousness all at the same time,” said Seeden when asked to describe his feelings about his commitment to VUU. ”The thing that I will miss most about playing at SMCA is the team chemistry from the coaches to the players. I love how every game brought us a new experience and lesson that eventually brought us all closer. The final thought that I would like to leave with my teammates is that no matter what happens,
you have to trust the process and stay the course. God has us in this stage of life for a reason so our struggles are bound to make us stronger in the end.”

-David McGlone, Boys’ Basketball Head Coach & Secondary Teacher