What could have been the most successful year of his collegiate basketball career turned into a nightmare. Instead of hearing his name get announced for the starting five and walking on to the court, Garfield Turner was forced to watch the entire 2024-25 season from the bench.
After three years of gaining valuable experience at the collegiate level for Odessa College and Drexel University, Turner was ready to make the next step. With Amari Williams and Lamar Oden Jr. entering the transfer portal and leaving the Dragons in the spring of 2024, Turner was set to be a starter and considered one of the key players for the Dragons.
But just weeks before the 2024-25 season opener, the Dragons announced Turner would miss the entire season due to a meniscus injury. “It definitely stung a bit, because I knew that it was going to be my time to step up, start, be a leader and then something like that happens,” Turner said.
Turner took a medical redshirt year in order to gain an extra year of eligibility. It was a new experience for the Maryland native, who had never missed out on an entire season before. But regardless of how bad the situation was, he tried to approach it with the right mindset.
“I told myself: I can either just sit around and feel bad about it, or I can try to still be positive, still have an impact on the team,” Turner said.
“Even if I had an appointment and didn’t hear the news that I wanted to hear, I just tried to stay positive and realized that it could always be a lot worse … I’m still blessed to be able to get a scholarship, get a degree and live in a big city like Philadelphia.”
The injury made him only stronger, especially mentally, Turner said. He started changing his daily habits: eating healthier, sleeping more and embracing his new role in the team.
At the beginning of the season, Turner found himself sitting at the end of the bench, as is usual for injured players. This changed quickly.
“I started noticing that I’m not really tuned into the game … and that I was just waiting for the game to be over sometimes. I went to the coach and asked if I could sit further up the bench and help the team,” Turner said.
The next game, Turner sat next to assistant coach Zach Duffy, helping him to keep track of Drexel’s defensive statistics. On the sideline, Turner turned into a vocal leader, pushing his teammates to perform at their highest level.
“I tried to support Cole [Hargrove], Clem [Edomwonyin] and Ralph [Akuta], and be happy for them. Seeing them grow as players, honestly, overrode that feeling of being sad for me,” Turner said.
On March 31, Turner was medically cleared and set to return to the court for practice. It was the moment he had waited for months.
“Dunking, shooting, or setting screens are things you take for granted. It just felt amazing to be able to do that again,” he said.
However, just four months after his comeback, Turner experienced the next setback and had to undergo another knee surgery due to complications of his previous meniscus injury. Instead of stitching the torn meniscus, this time, the doctor removed a part of Turner’s torn meniscus. A common procedure that requires less time to heal and recover.
The second knee surgery within a year won’t impact his return on time for the 2025-26 season, Turner said. Rather, it was a necessary procedure for him both physically and mentally.
“It was crazy. After the first surgery, I couldn’t walk … I can already tell the difference. Even a day after the last surgery, my knee wasn’t even hurting…it felt way better than before I got surgery,” Turner said.
The graduate student is expected to be back to practice in the beginning of September. Once again, Turner will step into the role as the team leader and has clear expectations for the upcoming season.
“I just want to win, I want to win the CAA. Obviously, I want to play well, it’s nice scoring, but I couldn’t care less. If I have two points, ten rebounds, three blocks and we win the game, I’m happy with that. I really just want to win,” Turner said.