BURLINGTON, Vt. – After a five-year journey of recovery, University of Vermont men's basketball player Josh Speidel will join the starting line-up for Tuesday's Senior Night home game against the University of Albany. It will be Speidel's first game appearance since the Columbus, Indiana native suffered a traumatic brain injury in a 2015 car accident that occurred prior to his arrival at UVM.
 
Thanks to an agreement between UVM and UAlbany, Speidel—who despite his injuries is graduating on time in May—will shoot Vermont's first basket of the game.
 
"The fact that I get to say I played and scored in a college basketball game, it's been my dream ever since I was a little kid and a goal of mine since I came to UVM," Speidel said. "It means the world to me that Vermont, U Albany, plus head coaches John Becker and Will Brown, have made this happen. I have an immense amount of gratitude and love for everyone involved."
 
"As a former Hoosier, I've been following Josh's progress for some time now," said UVM President Suresh Garimella. "His strength, tenacity and persistence have been an inspiration to all of us, including his teammates. Josh exemplifies the finest attributes of teamwork—drawing strength from one another while providing steadfast mutual support. He deserves tremendous credit for his academic commitment, as well. This is a great moment for Josh, his family, his teammates, their supporters and the UVM community as a whole. We're all tremendously proud of what he has achieved."
 
In the classroom, Speidel earned a 3.40 grade point average through an individually-designed major in the College of Education and Social Services. He also has a double minor in behavior change and coaching.
 
Prior to his arrival at UVM, Speidel was one of the top high school basketball players in the state of Indiana for Columbus North High School.
 
Although the car accident interrupted Speidel's playing career before he could take to the court as a Catamount, UVM preserved his scholarship, and Speidel has been a dedicated member of the team continuing with physical therapy and rehabilitation while supporting his teammates. He has experienced two NCAA Tournament appearances with the Cats in 2017 and 2019. He met current Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens in December 2016 during Vermont's trip at Butler and Stevens invited Speidel to the Celtics' team work out against the Indiana Pacers the following day.
 
Speidel's on-court appearance is part of the team's Senior Night ceremony, which is presented by the UVM Alumni Association and starts at 7 p.m. Fans can watch the ceremonial basket and the game live on ESPN+ and the ESPN app with a paid subscription.
 
About University of Vermont 
Since 1791, the University of Vermont has worked to move humankind forward. Today, UVM is a top 100 research university of a perfect size, large enough to offer a breadth of ideas, resources, and opportunities, yet intimate enough to enable close faculty-student mentorship across all levels of study, from bachelor's to M.D. and Ph.D. programs. One of the first land grant universities in the nation, UVM advances Vermont—and the broader society—through the discovery and application of new knowledge. And by drawing on its location, it provides unique opportunities to explore, challenge ideas, and take on the most pressing issues of our time.
 
National Life Group is the presenting sponsor of the 2019-20 Vermont men's basketball season