'I thought the best thing for me to do was to move on'

In college athletics these days, the transfer portal has become a hot topic. Whether its high-profile athletes leaving for other schools for more NIL money or just a change of scenery, it's certainly not always a negative thing. Despite all of the increasingly negative views about college athletics and what it's become with the transfer portal, it really does allow for a fresh start.That's what the decision came down to for Logan Beaston.Beaston, the all-time leading scorer in Columbian basketball history, spent two seasons at Hillsdale. After redshirting his first year, he averaged 22.7 minutes last season as a starter in 30 games for the Chargers (20-10, 13-7 G-MAC). He averaged 6.5 points per game, along with 1.7 rebounds and shooting .367 from 3-point range. He scored in double figures in nine of the 30 games, including three 18-point games in the first month of the season. However, the Chargers hit a rough patch towards the end of the season. They started 15-3, but ended the season losing seven of 12 games, including a disappointing 58-55 loss to Malone in the second round of the G-MAC Tournament.After every season, an athlete has some time to reflect."It was a really tough decision for me because I was so close with all the guys that were there. Those were 13 of my best friends and I'm still hanging out with them all the time this summer," Beaston said about his decision to transfer. "I just had to look at how the last two years went on-the-court-wise … you know not how I would've liked them to go, certainly didn't play as well as I should've. "Looking at the whole picture, that redshirt year really put me in a good spot to get a master's degree, which Hillsdale doesn't have master's programs, so that was always going to be an option for me. After many sleepless nights and countless hours thinking about it, talking to my parents, family, AAU coach … I thought the best thing for me was to move on. I enjoyed my time there and I can't thank those other 13 guys in that locker room enough for being my brothers and some will be in my wedding because some were my best friends, but I'm very excited for a new opportunity and a fresh start."That fresh start is a new place technically, but also one Beaston had some familiarity with – Indiana Tech.The Warriors were actually Beaston's first college offer and were also the first contact Beaston had in the transfer portal."They were in my Top 5 and they were my first offer. That was the hardest phone call I had to make," Beaston said. "That was a phone call I didn't want to make, so I started with other schools, but that phone call was tough. But they treated me really well the whole time and told me even when I said I wasn't going there, that I'm a heck of a player and that they're always in my corner and they'll be rooting for me and they'll be waiting for me if something happens down the road. It just so happens … here we are."The Warriors went 23-8 overall and 18-2 in the Wolverine-Hoosier Athletic Conference last season and fell in the opening round of the NAIA Tournament.But in 2022-23, the Warriors went 32-5 and lost 73-71 in the NAIA National Championship game. They've only had two under .500 seasons since 2005 and current head coach Ted Albert is 168-64 in seven seasons."Yeah, they're very good. They lost in the national championship game in 2023 and were loaded again in 2024, but lost some guys and were decimated with injuries within the first eight games of the season, so they had to battle," Beaston said. "They went 18-11, which to their standards isn't good and even their coach said they had a down year. "You win the league, you make the national tournament, so like 99% of programs in America that's a successful season, but with them the expectations are high, the standard is to be in the national tournament. I'm hoping I can go in there, earn my spot … it'll be tough because they have some really good guards, so I'm gonna have to play well to earn my spot. Obviously, I believe in myself in doing that and hopefully I can help our team get back to the national tournament and make another deep run."