LAFAYETTE, La. — For LCA's Christian Bernard, the moment the pen hit the paper made everything official.
Bernard signed his letter of intent to play basketball at the University of Louisiana, choosing the same school where his father, Bryson Bernard, once competed in track and field.
"It's a great feeling. It's a blessing. I've worked my whole life for this," the younger Bernard said. "Not a lot of people at my size get the opportunity to do this, so I'm just beyond grateful."
His father has watched Christian develop since the earliest days of his basketball career.
"He's always been having a basketball in his hands since he was little," Bryson Bernard said. "Nobody can judge your heart, and the amount of work you put in, it all ended up how it was supposed to, man. At the end of the day, it's him being at UL."
For the elder Christian, the decision is about more than basketball. He pointed to Ragin' Cajuns coach Quantnis White as a key factor in his commitment.
"Qantas and the rest of the crew I love it down there. It's like a family. I've been down there working already with the guys, and it feels like home, like I fit in."
His father believes Christian's intangibles will allow him to thrive at the next level, regardless of size.
"Not everybody has a different set of tools. Nobody's tool is more important than the other," Bryson said. "His mental, his IQ, his speed, his work ethic those are things that can trump height or trump size. You just gotta take advantage of that opportunity."
For Christian Bernard, the significance of signing day has not worn off.
"It's just a surreal feeling, because it's just official," he said. "You work your whole life for this. You put in so much work day in and day out, and that little signature just solidifies it."
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