Excerpt from the Dayton Daily News
By Tom Archdeacon
They stood just a few yards off the court at the Nutter Center talking about the way their son was being made part of Wright State basketball’s Senior Day festivities.
“Everybody here has done so much for him these past few years,” Kim Custer was saying of her 22-year-old son Ryan. “He just feels so much love here.”
At that very moment WSU athletics director Bob Grant walked up and whispered into the ear of her husband George, who turned toward the court and when he saw what was happening for himself, his chin quivered, his lips pursed and the tears began to fill his eyes.
“Big Lou is wearing Ryan’s jersey!” he said quietly.
Soon Kim was in tears, as well.
In front of the Raiders’ bench – at the end of which their son, in his wheelchair, was encamped at his usual spot — Loudon Love, WSU’s muscled 6-foot-8 junior center known to everyone as Big Lou, had removed his warm up.
Instead of his usual No. 11 jersey, he was wearing No. 33.
The last time that jersey was on the court for Wright State was March 5, 2017, at Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. It was the first round of the Horizon League Tournament and 6-foot-7 freshman Ryan Custer was wearing it.
- Read more in the Dayton Daily News
