text: April 16, 2015 Updated: April 16, 2015 10:57 p.m.
  1of3Stamford basketball player Kwe Askew signs his NLI to play at LIU Brooklyn. He is surrounded by Stamford coach Danny Melzer, his sister Knadria and father Lorenzo at Stamford High School's Professional Library on April 16, 2015.Scott Ericson/Scott Ericson/Staff photographerShow MoreShow Less
  2of3Stamford basketball player Kwe Askew signs his NLI to play at LIU Brooklyn. He is surrounded by Stamford coach Danny Melzer, his sister Knadria and father Lorenzo at Stamford High School's Professional Library on April 16, 2015.Scott Ericson/Scott Ericson/Staff photographerShow MoreShow Less
  The summer before his junior year, Stamford basketball player Kwe Askew broke his leg playing in a summer league. It was an injury Askew describes as "devastating."
  As downtrodden as Askew was, the day after the injury staring down at his massive cast he swore to himself that he would not only return to the court but would make himself a better player than he was before going down.
  "From the night after I broke it and I was in the cast I knew I was going to get back soon," Askew said. "I knew I would have to work even harder to try and get back healthy. I wanted to come back even stronger than before, so, the next day I started working."
  All of that work paid off as the 6-foot-7 inch Askew built his strength up during junior year, rounding into form by the end of the season. That carried over to this season where Askew led Stamford to the FCIAC and Class LL playoffs, earning first-team All-FCIAC, second team CHSCA Class LL All-State and Hearst Connecticut Media Group Super 15 honors.
  It all culminated Thursday at Stamford High School where Askew signed his National Letter of Intent to play Division I basketball at Long Island University Brooklyn.
  Looking on were Askew's father Lorenzo and sister Knandria as well as Stamford coach Danny Melzer and Athletic Director Jim Moriarty.
  "It means a lot. I have always dreamed of playing Division I and going to college and it is all just so surreal right now," Askew said. "It hasn't really hit me yet, but it will feel pretty damn good when it does."
  Askew is the first Stamford player since Clifton Stephens (Wichita State) and David Fields (Columbia) in 1977 to go directly from Stamford High to play Division I. Chris Evans (2009) is the last Stamford player to play Division I at Sacred Heart University but did a PG year at Taft first.
  Melzer was the freshmen coach when Askew was a freshman and has seen him grow both on and off the court.
  "It is a testament to how hard he has worked for four years," Melzer said. "You could see the potential he had but for him to live up to it and become stronger and more confident and a complete basketball player makes this a very proud moment for me and for this program."
  Melzer said he and Moriarty, who was varsity coach when Askew was a freshman, used to have to drag him into the weight room. It was an intimidating activity for a scrawny freshman seeing large seniors putting up big weight.
  By his senior season, it was Askew chasing younger players into the weight room having experienced the benefits himself.
  After the injury, Askew said he had an epiphany not just in terms of working harder at basketball but also improving himself in the classroom, knowing if he wanted to play in college he would need to be well-rounded.
  "Freshmen and sophomore year I didn't do anything in the classroom," Askew said. "I wasn't really working hard but when I woke up that is when I started working really hard at basketball and at school. It is an even mixture."
  Melzer said the transformation in the classroom is equally impressive to his work on the court.
  "He kind of had a freshman funk which carried over to sophomore year, but last year he did great in school and senior year he finally put it all together," Melzer said. "I just hope that is a sign of things to come because he is just starting to realize how much potential he has and hopefully he picks up where he left off and carries that to LIU Brooklyn. They are getting a great kid, a hard worker and one of the most coachable kids I've ever had. Character is such a big thing in today's college athletics and he is a high-character kid."