Loretto, Pa. – Saint Francis junior guard Andre Wolford (Willowick, Ohio/Saint Ignatius) has always flown under the radar.
 
Wolford attended high school at Saint Ignatius in Cleveland, Ohio, one of the premier high school programs in the state. With so many talented players in the program, Wolford had to work tirelessly just to make the varsity squad.
 
As a freshman, Wolford played on the freshman squad. As a sophomore, he played junior varsity.
 
He grew anxious as friends and teammates from the AAU circuit became featured players on their varsity programs as freshmen and sophomores, but his patience was rewarded as he landed on the varsity team as a junior.
 
Wolford solidified himself as a valuable asset to the varsity squad almost immediately. As a junior, he broke the school's single game record for three-pointers made with eight in a win over Cleveland Heights. As a senior, he nearly tied the school's single season record for three-pointers made, falling a few short.
 
Still, Wolford remained out of the limelight, averaging a modest 13.0 points per game. He received offers from numerous Division II and Division III programs, but didn't hold a single Division I scholarship offer.
 
He attributes his lack of recruitment to his team-first attitude playing under head coach Sean O'Toole.
 
"At Saint Ignatius, it is all about the team," said Wolford. "Each player had a role on the team and it was our job to play that role."
 
Wolford watched as local players from other high schools were given free reign to put up 20 or more shots a night. Players he knew he was better than garnered Division I offers while he waited. Despite the frustration, he remained committed to his dream of playing Division I basketball.
 
"In my heart I knew I was a Division I player," said Wolford. "Most people advised me to play Division II. They said I wasn't good enough for DI. That motivated me. I love proving people wrong."
 
Wolford's brother Shawn came in contact with Saint Francis assistant coach Eric Taylor late in his senior year. Saint Francis had a previous relationship with Saint Ignatius, recruiting former players Tom Fox (00'), Pete Fox  (02') and Rahsaan Benton (06') to Loretto.
 
The Red Flash staff liked what they saw in Wolford enough to offer him a spot on the roster as a preferred walk-on. Wolford spurned the Division II and Division III scholarship offers to chase his dreams at the Division I level, joining the Red Flash for the 2015-16 season.
 
"Andre's willingness to take a risk speaks volumes of his character," said Krimmel. "We didn't promise him anything. He could have played immediately at the Division II and Division III level but chose to play for us. He is a patient kid who knows how to persevere and work for what he wants."
 
Although Wolford knew he was good enough to play at the Division I level, he struggled with confidence as a freshman.
 
"In my heart I knew I could play with these guys, but when so many people tell you that you don't belong, it settles in the back of your mind. I am mad that I used to listen to those critics because it affected my confidence."
 
Wolford began to grow comfortable towards the end of his freshman year, and his play on the court reaped the benefits. He credits part of his turnaround to former Saint Francis Associate Director of Student-Athlete Academic Services, Dasha Cherkasov.
 
"I had a meeting with Dasha and she really opened my eyes," said Wolford. "I was trying so hard to prove myself to everyone that I was forgetting to have fun. She asked me why I played basketball and if it was something that I loved. A light bulb went off and I realized that I just needed to work hard, enjoy myself and things would fall into place."
 
Things did fall into place for Wolford as a sophomore, despite testing his patience early in the season.
 
He didn't play in Saint Francis's season-opening loss at Saint Bonaventure and only saw garbage time action in a loss at Duquesne. He showcased his offensive abilities in the game with five points in two minutes.
 
In Saint Francis's next game, Wolford had his big break through, scoring a career-high 17 points in a win over Chatham on 7-of-10 shooting. He added seven points in 11 minutes in the following game, a win over Longwood, and for the first time in his career, began to feel like he truly belonged.
 
"I trusted in myself and coach Krimmel, "Wolford explained. "He pulled me aside after an early season practice and assured me that my hard work wasn't going unnoticed. He told me that my time would come and I was ready when it did. I am so thankful that he believed in me because not a lot of other people did."
 
Wolford played in 31 of 34 games in 2016-17, averaging 4.7 points per game. He shot 39.4% from three-point range, knocking down three three-pointers in four different games.
 
When called upon to make his first career start, he responded with 13 points in a win vs. Bryant on Jan. 19. He was named the MVP of the Hugh Durham Classic following Saint Francis's win at Jacksonville in the first round of the CIT, the first win for the Red Flash in a postseason tournament since a 68-64 win over Holy Cross in the 1955 NIT. Wolford went 5-for-8 from the floor and 3-for-5 from three-point range to score 13 points in 17 minutes.
 
"Andre is as consistent as they come," said Krimmel. "Whether he is starting or playing two minutes, his attitude and approach doesn't change. He doesn't have bad days. I think that is a credit to his upbringing. From day one, he has represented himself and this program in a first-class manner."
 
When asked about his ascent, Wolford's modest demeanor was on full display.
 
"I couldn't be where I am today without the support of my teammates," praised Wolford. "They were constantly in my ear telling me how good of a player I was and calling me a 'bucket'. The guys on the team are off the charts. I have never been closer to a group of guys. I trust them with my life."
 
Wolford looks back on his days at Saint Ignatius and says the same selflessness and team-first attitude that  perhaps negatively affected his recruitment, has paid off for him at the collegiate level.
 
"College coaches shied away from me because I was quiet, reserved and didn't crave the spotlight," said Wolford "At Saint Francis, it has helped me find a niche on this team. My coaches and my teammates know that I will do whatever it takes to help this team win and that has made it easier for me to be accepted. The team never looked at me as a walk-on in that sense because it knew that I was 100% bought in."
 
Wolford's resurgence helped the Red Flash to its best season in 19 years. When the season ended on Mar. 18 with a loss at UMBC in the second round of the CIT, coach Krimmel sensed the team was a little bit down. He didn't want the season to end on a low-note and figured it was the right time to do something that he had been planning on doing since midseason. When the team got back to campus, Krimmel broke the news. Quiet, often overlooked Andre Wolford (Willowick, Ohio/Saint Ignatius) was a Division I scholarship athlete.
 
"That was one of the best days of my life," beamed Wolford. "The team was so excited for me. Everyone ran up to me and tackled me when I was sitting in my locker. It was a great feeling." (See video at top).
 
"The guys' reaction said it all," said Krimmel. "I didn't expect anything else because of how well he is respected in our locker room. He is such a humble kid so it was really neat to see him show some emotion. He earned it."
 
Wolford's first call was to his mother Lisa, his biggest supporter.
 
"I called my mom as soon as I could. I love Saint Francis with all my heart but financially I didn't know if I could put my mom through four years here. As soon as I told her the news she started screaming. I was so proud to be able to reward her for believing in me when nobody else did."
 
Wolford enters his junior season as a key cog to a team with championship aspirations. Now a scholarship-athlete, he insists nothing about his approach to the upcoming season will change.
 
"I am just going to keep my nose down and continue to work hard," said Wolford. "I love this team and think we can do great things. Whatever coach Krimmel asks me to do to help this team win I am going to do."
 
Wolford may be hesitant to deflect praise on himself, but his coach isn't. Krimmel sees big things in store for Wolford over his final two seasons.
 
"He hasn't changed one bit since he received the scholarship," said Krimmel. "We know Andre is going to do big things because of his work ethic. It's never been about Andre Wolford (Willowick, Ohio/Saint Ignatius) and it never will be. His ability to buy into a team concept is a coach's dream. He is going to keep working as hard as he did to earn his scholarship and continue to improve."