Zach Hodskins, a high school guard from Alpharetta, Ga., was born without the lower half of his left arm because of a birth defect, which would seem to make a basketball career impossible.
But not only has Hodskins become a star basketball player -- which would be impressive in and of itself -- he was offered a spot by Florida coach Billy Donovan as a preferred walk-on, Yahoo!'s Prep Rally reported Thursday.
Hodskins' story already has received a fair amount of media attention. As Yahoo!'s Prep Rally reported Thursday, Hodskins was so impressive during the 2013 summer AAU circuit that one recruiting site selected him as the most impressive prospect among some of the nation's top players at the ScoutsFocus All-American Camp in Charlottesville, Va., in June.
It's not hard to see why.
Playing and excelling at the high school level is one thing. Putting your Division I prospect defender in a blender just before whipping a spinning no-look pass to a cutter 35 feet down the floor is another.
The Florida offer doesn't include a scholarship, but it does offer the chance to earn one down the line, plus the opportunity to play at one of the premier programs in the country. And according to Prep Rally, both Alabama-Birmingham and and Birmingham Southern are considering full scholarship offers.
"When I'm out [on the court], I forget my arm isn't there and just play ball," Hodskins told the News-Herald of northern Ohio. "Passion and love for the sport helps me overcome all obstacles. To this day. I haven't come across anything I can't do."