What can I say?

I had an amazing four years.

Blood, sweat and tears are what I put into the UC Davis men’s basketball program.

Through the ups and downs of the journey, I was able to create lifelong memories that I will cherish forever.

My faith, loyalty and love of basketball were tested countless times in my collegiate career…

There have been times that made me want to give up, quit. There was one stretch where I wanted to transfer — take an easy way out. There were nights where all I could do was cry to my parents in an effort to release my anger and frustration.

But I learned that after every rainy day, a beautiful rainbow appears.

Thanks to all the hard work, I was able to earn a handful of Big West Player of the Week honors, eventually leading to being selected first-team all-conference.

But the crowning achievement my teammates and I accomplished was punching our ticket to The Big Dance, then actually winning an NCAA Division I postseason game — a first in school history.

Who’d ever have guessed I’d help lead UC Davis to the most historic season in its basketball existence?

It’s amazing what a little patience — and faith — can do for someone.

As a skinny 6-foot-4 freshman, I was eager to take on the challenges of attending a top-10 public university while playing high-level basketball. Every experience was brand-new and I was soaking it all in.

Freshman year taught me many valuable lessons that I would later use in my career.

For example, never stay up to party on a Friday night knowing you have Saturday practice at 9 a.m. To think back and realize how naïve I was is quite funny.

I had to mature quickly as a man because I found being a student-athlete was not as easy as I thought it was going to be.

My sophomore year was filled with more personal tests. Thankfully, I had the good fortune to learn and grow under the wings of teammates Corey Hawkins, Avery Johnson, Tyler Les, Josh Richart and Justin Dueck.

Those 2015 seniors set a great example for me and certainly helped build the winning culture of UC Davis men’s basketball.

It was incredible to finish that season undefeated at home. I thought to myself, “how special would it be if I could replicate that same success?”

That year we won a Big West championship for the first time and made it to our very first D-1 postseason tournament.

Even though we won a conference title and went 25-7, not everything was peachy for me individually.

I knew my potential, but I had to make a major sacrifice. That sacrifice was my playing time; I did not play as much as I would have liked. I had to mature as a player on and off the court. Learning to buy into my role and becoming a better teammate not only helped me as a player, it helped me become a better person.

When junior year came around, my maturity as a player took center stage. I no longer could rely on guys like the graduated Hawkins or Johnson. I was now the upperclassman who had to lead the team.

Aggie coach Jim Les always preached that “adversity is coming this year in some shape or form.” As a team, we dealt with different hardships — injuries, losses, miscellaneous setbacks.

Even though I craved a leadership role, being a go-to guy at this level did not come easy.

Despite our challenges, we landed a fifth seed in the Big West conference tournament. Down a key player in the postseason, we took on a very good UC Santa Barbara team. Losing in the conference tournament to the Gauchos left a bad taste.

The very next day, following our Santa Barbara loss, I was ready to get to work for the following year. My junior campaign was a learning period that gave me motivation for my final season.

Going into that senior year was exciting, but nerve-wracking. To think this is your last go-round, a final opportunity to leave your legacy, was overwhelming.

My dad Earl reminded me “diamonds are formed under pressure.” I was ready to have a huge year.

As a team, we played preseason ball in Costa Rica, a bonding experience like no other. During our week in Central America we developed a chemistry that would be unbreakable. I can go on and on about how close we were as a team, but I believe the real value of this team was our ability to individually sacrifice for the greater good — something I knew all too well from my sophomore campaign.

The reason we won 23 games was because every night we made sacrifices for one another. Led by our senior group, we had one goal in mind — make it to the NCAA tournament.

Day in and day out, our goal was to get better every day. We focused on the process and not the destination. Going undefeated at home as a senior was a special accomplishment because we had done it two years before, while I was learning. I wanted it again.

My parents always taught me when you get knocked down, you get right back up.

Well, UC Irvine knocked us down hard (a 79-49 regular-season ending loss). Now, with the conference tourney at hand, how would we respond?

When the tournament rolled around, we were ready to make some noise. Winning two tough games against Cal Poly and Fullerton, we were poised to see our toughest match yet against those same Anteaters who had throttled us the week before. Going back and forth, every possession mattered. I was determined to win — and so were my teammates.

All of my hard work through the years came to light and was on full display. After defeating the Anteaters, 50-47, hearing that buzzer go off, I immediately dropped to my knees and let out a roar. Tears rolled down my face because all of my patience and hard work had paid off. Becoming the first UC Davis basketball team ever to make it to the NCAA tournament as a D-I entry was truly a blessing.

Then seeing our school name on selection Sunday was also surreal.

Hearing our game announced by NBA Hall of Famers like Steve Smith and Reggie Miller was unbelievable. Creating history for our university, community and the Sacramento region was a remarkable feeling. Looking back I thank my teammates and coaches from the bottom of my heart. I love the loyal fans who never gave up on us.

I hope we made you proud.

To my Aggie brothers, I thank you for all your support.

In the end, I’m just a kid from sunny San Diego living my dreams and breaking barriers every step of the way.

I write this to inspire that young boy or girl to keep pushing. Or maybe you’re in college and you’ve been through a lot of obstacles in your life. Don’t quit. You are not alone. This message is to people who’ve been told they weren’t good enough to achieve their dreams.

Often, I was told that I couldn’t make it this far. Many walls were built for me to scale, but through faith and determination I was able to break through.

Everyone’s path is different. Like my mom Pamela would remind me, “Do not go where the path may lead; go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.”

— Brynton Lemar was the leading scorer for the UC Davis men’s basketball team, which he co-captained in 2016-17. The senior communications major (whose minor is writing) is an intern for The Davis Enterprise. He graduates in June and plans to pursue a career in sports law.