ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION AND AN APPEARANCE IN THIS YEAR'S MARCH MADNESS. CHARLIE EASLEY, A KID FROM LINCOLN, CONTINUES TO KEEP HIS DREAM ALIVE OF PLAYING PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL, BUT NOW OVERSEAS. BUT BEFORE YOU CAN DO THAT, HE HAS TO RECOVER FROM ANKLE SURGERY THAT HE HAD JUST TWO MONTHS AGO. KETV NEWSWATCH SEVEN'S ANDREW OZAKI HAS MORE ON HIS JOURNEY. FROM A STATE CHAMPIONSHIP AT PIUS, THE 10TH HIGH SCHOOL TO A HUSKER WALK OFF. THEN TRANSFERRING TO SOUTH DAKOTA STATE AND HELPING THE JACKRABBITS TO TWO NCAA TOURNAMENT BERTHS. CHARLIE EASLEY'S HOOP DREAMS ARE STILL ALIVE. ABSOLUTELY. IT'S A IT'S STILL GOING ON. I'M GOING TO SPAIN. IT'S JUST AN OPPORTUNITY THAT I DIDN'T THINK I COULD PASS UP. THE SIX FOOT, TWO INCH GUARD SIGNED WITH A EUROPEAN PRO TEAM, BUT FIRST HE HAS TO RECOVER FROM AN ANKLE SURGERY. HE HAD JUST TWO MONTHS AGO. INJURIES ARE PART OF SPORTS AND MOST ATHLETES ARE GOING TO HAVE INJURIES AT SOME TIME OR ANOTHER. SO IT'S A IT'S HOW YOU CAN RESPOND TO THOSE INJURIES. HOW DO YOU FEEL OVERALL? EASLEY TURNED TO A FAMILIAR PLACE WHERE HE'S GONE FOR ALL OF HIS INJURIES SINCE EIGHTH GRADE. MADONNA PROACTIVE OUTPATIENT PROGRAM, THIS TIME WITH PHYSICAL THERAPIST DANIEL CROW. HOLD THERE. BE STRONG, HOLD THERE. BE STRONG. ANY ISSUES THERE? I MET CHARLIE EIGHT WEEKS AGO. HEY, MAN, I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GONNA PLAY PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL OR NOT, BUT THAT'S MY GOAL. THAT'S MY DREAM. I NEED TO BE READY IN 3 TO 4 WEEKS. I'M LIKE, WHOA, WHOA, WHOA. YOU JUST HAD SURGERY, RIGHT? CROW HAS WORKED WITH SEVERAL PROFESSIONAL AND COLLEGE ATHLETES. FIRST, HE HAD TO CONSULT WITH EASLEY'S SURGEON TO COME UP WITH A PLAN. I PUSHED HIM TOO HARD, TOO SOON. WE'LL DISRUPT THE REPAIR. NOW CHARLIE IS GONE FOR A WHOLE NOTHER YEAR. CHARLIE HAD TO BE HONEST WITH HOW HE WAS FEELING SO THEY COULD BUILD BACK THE MUSCLE. BUT ALSO DO EXERCISES TO HELP PREVENT FUTURE INJURIES. FORCING MY ANKLE TO DO THE RIGHT MOVEMENTS. SO, LIKE I, I KNOW LIKE MY KNEES OVER MY FOOT, WHICH IS WHAT WE'RE GOING FOR. THEN RAMPING UP TO GET BACK EXPLOSIVENESS. NICE. THEY ALSO WORKED ON THE PLAYERS SPECIFIC MOVES. EASLEY IS KNOWN FOR BREAK IT DOWN TO HIS SPORT RIGHT AND THINK THROUGH IT. THEN DEVELOP DRILLS THAT HE NEEDS AND ALSO WORKING WITH CHARLIE. WHAT MAKES YOUR SKILL SET UNIQUE? WHAT MAKES YOU THE BEST AT WHAT YOU DO? CHARLIE SAYS HE'S READY AND CREDITS MADONNA. THEY'VE BEEN A BIG PART OF ME GROWING AS AN ATHLETE. I'M BLESSED TO PLAY BASKETBALL FOR MY JOB, FOR ANOTHER YEAR AND AND THAT'S REALLY EXCITING FOR ME. AND IT'S SOMETHING THAT I'M NOT GOING TO TAKE FOR GRANTED. AND IT'S IT'S EXCITING. IN LINCOLN ANDREW