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(swooshing sound effect)
ANCHOR: When we return, we'll tell you about the inspiring story
of Cal State Northridge's Michael Lizarraga,
the only deaf player in Men's Division I Basketball.
(music)
ANCHOR: Welcome back to College Basketball Today.
A reminder, tomorrow at one o'clock eastern on CBS, #14 Purdue takes on Illinois.
Far removed from the limelight of the Big Ten in the NCAA tournament
is Cal State Northridge. Yet, what the Matadors do have
is one of the most inspirational players in college basketball.
His name is Michael Lizarraga.
And if you heard me say that, you'll appreciate his story even more.
(background noises)
ANCHOR: For those who don't live there, Southern California is but a dream.
The warmth of sunshine in the winter,
the wind through the trees, the sound of the ocean.
The things we don't consider that most of us take for granted.
(music)
CARI: I can remember like it was yesterday.
The doctor came back and said, "Well, your son's deaf. He's profoundly deaf."
And it was like, what do you mean?
I mean, because it was so foreign to us.
TAVO: Of course, Cari always said, "We've been given deaf children,
because someone knew we could handle it."
So we just went forward.
CARI: He was introduced to sports before we even knew he was deaf.
When I went to work at nighttime, he was coaching basketball here in Dixon.
TAVO: I was spending three hours a day with other people's kids,
so I said, what about my kids?
So that's when I decided to throw myself into him.
We joined the youth league. Whatever any other kid was doing, we were doing.
ANCHOR: Michael became a three-sport star athlete in high school,
excelling at the California School for the Deaf in Fremont,
80 miles from his parents' home.
His focus remained on a singular objective,
to play basketball in college.
CARI: He's played basketball for so long,
I don't remember him ever not saying he wanted to play Division I.
COACH: As a freshman, as a young man, he had an opportunity
to be a really good basketball player.
And it never entered my mind it would be an issue with anybody.
I knew we had a National Center on Deafness here,
so I was excited about having the opportunity to coach Mike.
Mike has a keen sense of just watching things and picking up things very quickly.
So he doesn't make a lot of mistakes when he comes on the floor,
because he watches his teammates screw things up a little bit, make mistakes.
He steps on the floor, and for the most part, he does what he's supposed to do.
TAVO: I've been a coach myself, and you get a lot of people who second-guess you.
And I just told coach's wife that I appreciated everything, all the time,
the energy, the things away from home, that her husband had given up
to be with my son. It meant a lot to me. A lot.
COACH: He's been an inspiration for me. And I know he's been an inspiration for our guys.
They adore his personality and what he brings to our basketball team.
Because he's really helped us be successful.
CARI: He's a special young man that just so happens to play basketball
and just so happens to be deaf.
But aside from those two, he's just a special young man.
COACH: Here's a young man, who was probably told from a very early age,
or told a lot of times in his life, that you can't play Division I basketball.
And here's a guy who made a commitment and decided
that's what he wanted to do.
And he didn't use his deafness as an excuse. He just worked hard.
CARI: He's grown up to be a fine young man.
I guess it does my heart good to know that he can stand on his own two feet.
And when I see his face and know that he's so happy,
it just warms my heart to know that he's okay.
TAVO: But we knew he was gonna be. We knew from the get-go.
ANCHOR: Amazingly, Michael is not the only deaf athlete in his family.
His younger sister Natalie was also born profoundly deaf.
She's currently a junior at the California School for the Deaf
and plays both basketball and volleyball.
And just a tremendous job by one of our feature producers,
Elana Campbell, for putting that together.
And Greg, you played the game. Could you imagine how tough that is?
GREG: It's extremely tough, but you know what's more important?
The social fabric that is team sport.
It does not matter what your race, your ethnicity, your creed,
or your religion, or your disability. You're a part of the family.
And the family will always be there to support you.
I tell people all the time, young and old, involve your young people in team sports,
if you want to teach then the most valuable lessons of life.
SETH: And the beauty of it, the three of us are parents sitting up here on the set.
The ball doesn't care if you can see, if you can hear,
how big you are, how small you are.
You make a good shot, the ball goes in.
You can see the self-esteem that this young man
got through sports, and that is why they play the game.
ANCHOR: Unbelievable individual.
When we return, we'll update you on the scores and action... (trails off)