MOREHEAD, Ky. - A 6-foot-9, 220-pound senior on the Morehead State basketball team,
Ty'Quan Bitting has exactly zero starts in his two seasons since transferring from junior college.
A center/power forward, he has played in 23 games this season. He's averaging 4.2 points and 2.3 rebounds, with 15 blocks and 70.5 percent field-goal accuracy.
He played in 19 games as a junior, averaging 2.2 points and 0.7 rebounds.
So what's it like for a player who was used to being a standout to now be spending most of one's time on the bench?
"At first it was tough," Bitting said. "But, I mean, you come in here and you've got to work, earn your keep. The season's not over yet, so you never know what could happen. You just get used to it. You support your team. We're still a family at the end of the day, so you want to see everybody succeed and strive for greatness."
Family means a lot to Bitting.
The son of Natasha Bitting and Antoine Partlow, he has one sister – 2-year-old England.
"I just have a real close-knit family. They've been with me through everything," Bitting said. "My parents, they did whatever they had to do to get me where I am today. So they're probably my biggest inspirations."
Bitting is from Winston-Salem, N.C., where he played at Mount Tabor High School.
Basketball-wise, his hometown is known for Winston-Salem State University and legendary coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines. Oh, and a Hall of Fame player: Earl "The Pearl" Monroe. Monroe led Winston-Salem to the 1967 College Division national championship, averaging 41.5 points a game as a senior.
"Everybody knows who he is," Bitting said. "They've got pictures up all throughout the gym."
Bitting describes Winston-Salem as "just a small city," but "a lot bigger" than Morehead. (Winston-Salem's population is about 236,000.) That's where he learned the game, starting at about age 10.
"I actually used to be a video-game head," he said. "I used to play games all the time. And then, one day, somebody noticed I was tall and (said) 'why don't you come and try out for my team?' So I came out and tried out, and just been playing ever since."
He started with AAU and YMCA ball. AAU coaches Mike Russell and Travis Holcomb-Faye were early influences.
As a high school freshman, Bitting guesses he stood about 6-2 or 6-3.
There, he was coached by Andy Muse, whom he's still in contact with.
Bitting completed his senior season at Mount Tabor averaging 13 points, 10.3 rebounds and 6.8 blocks.
From there, he moved on to Charleston Southern.
"I didn't have that many offers coming out of high school but I took a visit to there and a few other places," Bitting said. "I think it was just the best fit for me at the time. And I wanted to play Division I basketball."
He played in 23 games, averaging 3.3 points and 2.0 rebounds. Then he decided to transfer.
"I wanted to be a bigger aspect on the team," he said. "We had a bunch of older guys when I was there and they played more-so though their guards. I felt like, as a big, I needed to go somewhere different. So I opened my recruiting process and decided to go take the JUCO route, which led me to Angelina College."
Bitting averaged 11.7 points and 6.8 rebounds under Coach Todd Neighbors, leading the Texas school to a 21-win season.
Then, it was on to Morehead.
"I took a visit. I got to meet some of the guys. They were all great guys," he said. "Coach (Sean) Woods, Coach Preston (Spradlin), B.J. (Ellis) – those were who I talked to the majority of the time when they recruited me, and they just made me feel at home."
Of course, Woods resigned earlier this season and Spradlin is now interim head coach. Bitting says there are no bad feelings or split loyalties lingering from a mid-season change. Everything is cool.
"At the end of the day, Woods blessed me with the opportunity to come play at Morehead State. He extended the offer out to me," he said. "But Coach Preston's been my guy. We talk. We joke around all the time. He's one of the people I can relate to more-so on the team coaching staff."
Bitting says the Eagles comprise a great group, always ready to work. Team unity is reflected in how Morehead State overcame the coaching change and an early season eight-game losing streak to transform into top-tier team in the Ohio Valley Conference.
"I think we'll be a special team despite the circumstances that happened earlier this year," he said. "We've got through it. It's just a little (adversity) and we've been solid ever since, since we turned the corner."
A finance major, Bitting will graduate in May. He's not certain yet, but he's strongly considering more time in school to earn an MBA. For now, though, his eyes are on basketball.
When he gets his chances, he says his best skills are blocking shots and his go-to move on offense – a right-handed hook shot.
And, if Spradlin calls his number, he vows to be ready.
"I just come in ready to work every day on the court," Bitting said. "Whatever my team needs me to do, I just do it. Get it done to the best of my ability."
Color that attitude "positive."
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