For former Andalusia High School student-athlete T.J. Crittenden, being able to play basketball at the next level is a “dream come true.”

“It’s a dream come true pursuing my dream every step I get,” Crittenden said in a telephone interview. “(Technical Career Institutes) is in the top 10 in the country in junior colleges.”

Before starting at TCI this fall, Crittenden attended Niagara Falls High School in New York.

In Crittenden’s senior season, he helped lead the Wolverines to complete a 23-2, 14-0 season in 2007, including a run to the New York state championship where Bishop Maginn topped them 68-37.

Crittenden banked 15 points during the championship outing and went 7-for-11from the field.

While in his senior year, Crittenden scored a career-high 16 points, dished out seven assists, grabbed four rebounds and added three steals to help the Wolverines claim an 82-54 non-area win over Jamestown on Feb. 2, 2007.

Crittenden said while at Andalusia, he credits AHS athletic director and basketball coach Richard Robertson for his success.

“Coach Robertson, he’s terrific,” Crittenden said. “He’s very disciplined and he steered me in the right direction. He is everything a player can ask for.”

Crittenden said that he hopes to play for a big four-year school after he get his associate’s degree at TCI.

“At a Division 1 school, basketball’s not at a lower, middle or higher level,” he said. “It’s not about basketball, but I use basketball to get me where I want to go. If I had to choose where to go, I’d go to Niagara University, (University of) Alabama or Alabama State. Those are the three schools I want to go to. I wouldn’t mind Syracuse either.”

On the most important thing that basketball has taught Crittenden, he said that it provides opportunities to see different places.

“It takes you to different places in life,” he said. “It’s taken me all over the country because I am talented at what I do.”

Crittenden is the grandson of Andalusia native Georgia Blue and son of Andalusia native Elmira Blue and his favorite basketball player is Gilbert Arenas of the Washington Wizards.

Crittenden will start playing for TCI in its first game, which is Oct. 31.