LAKEWOOD, CO- For Colorado Christian University senior Pierce Bazil, basketball has always been more than just a game. From his beginnings in Lincoln, Nebraska, to his time competing at Houston Christian University, and now at CCU, his journey on and off the court tells a story of faith, growth, and finding purpose beyond performance.

Basketball has been part of Bazil's life for as long as he can remember. "I've been playing basketball since I was seven years old, which was second grade," he says. "I started playing just 'cause my buddies were and my dad was really good when he played." But what began as a way to spend time with friends soon became a passion that shaped his path through school, competition, and personal growth.

Reflecting on what the sport has taught him, Bazil says the lessons reach far beyond the court. "Playing basketball in college has taught me a lot," he explains. "I would say one of the things that it taught me was that my identity is not in my sport. I had a pretty good freshman season at my previous school and had coaching changes the following two years and didn't have as good on-the-court years as far as basketball went". It was during this uncertain season of his life where he chose to lean into and rely on his faith and relationship with God. He revealed "it provided me with a community to plug into and to dig deeper on the question of who am I and what I want to do with life. So, it has definitely served me in that way."

Those experiences brought depth to his understanding of both himself and his faith. "My faith played a big part," Bazil says. "It's taught me and shown me kind of more about who I am when things aren't going well. Basketball provided me a struggle the past two years, something that wasn't going super well in my life, when up to that point things just generally went pretty well, and my faith helped me to find purpose in what felt like purposeless struggle." As Pierce looks back, it is clear to see how God used the struggles within his life to shape him and transform him into the type of man he is today. A man that puts the Lord first and chooses to serve him in all areas of life.

For Bazil, faith and sport are inseparable. Basketball became not only a test of discipline but also a platform for ministry and an opportunity to use his gift for kingdom purposes which he credits to God. "My sport gave me a platform to share my faith with my teammates," he explains, "and I've seen a lot of guys in the past few years being impacted by the gospel, so praise God for that."

Another unique part of his journey has been sharing the court with his brother. "Yeah, it's been amazing," Bazil says with gratitude. "Not a lot of people get to do that, and I'm super thankful. It's been super cool to have somebody to wrap your arm around no matter where you're at, no matter your social group, but someone that you know is there for you and is trying to do the same thing as you—work hard and succeed in a sport and have their identity also in Christ. Always someone that you can go to for advice or whatever wisdom you need, so it's been great and it's super fun to play with him."

Pierce's younger brother, Porter, previously played with him at Houston Christian University and made the switch to CCU alongside him this summer. 
He appreciates not just the bond of brotherhood but also the way their styles fit together on the floor. "I think he's really talented, and our games complement each other well, so it's been awesome," he adds.

As his college career nears its close, Basil is thoughtful about what comes next. His dreams for the future are a mix of athletics, ministry, and service. "My aspirations after college—I would love to play professional basketball if the Lord provides that," he says. He isn't exactly sure what that would look like but is open to the idea of moving overseas if the opportunity presented itself. 
At the same time, he feels called toward ministry, especially among younger generations. "I think I would love to go into ministry, specifically high school youth/young adult ministry, just because I feel like that's the age group I'm most gifted to reach and impact," Basil shares. "I would love to do that."

No matter what direction life takes, he wants to keep serving and giving back. "I would love to also serve in a church." he continues, "if it's not being a youth pastor or young adult pastor, I would love to work something part time and still serve in whatever way I can". It is clear to see God's calling in his life, as well as his submission to follow wherever God guides and leads him.

Bazil closed by telling us his aspirations to have his own family and ultimately "be a good, active member of the community, whatever that looks like."
Through every challenge and change, Bazil's journey has stayed grounded in faith, family, and the sport that first drew him in as a kid playing with friends back in Lincoln. The lessons learned along the way have shaped not only the athlete he's become but the man of God he continues to grow into.

As he reflects on everything basketball has brought into his life—friendship, perseverance, purpose—one truth stands out clearly in his story: for Pierce Bazil, identity is found not in statistics or wins, but in faith that endures long after the final buzzer.

Colorado Christian University's Athletic Department, home of the Cougars, competes in NCAA Division II as part of the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference. Rooted in faith, CCU Athletics strives to develop student-athletes spiritually, academically, and athletically while honoring Christ through competition.
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