Erik Bjorn has seen it all in what has amounted into a fantastic six-year Worcester State basketball career. Since he played his first game back in fall of 2017, he has experienced a coaching change, pushed through a pandemic and shared the hardwood with dozens of teammates. A career that is about to culminate in Bjorn becoming just the 27th member of the 1,000-point club in WSU basketball’s 70-plus year history. 

This article could very well be a reflection on that defining moment, but with 999 career points and with already 13 on the day, Bjorn fouled out this past Saturday before he could net just one more. Although some people would be unable to sleep on the precipice of such a milestone, the seasoned graduate student provided the contrary opinion. “It has not been on my mind as much as you would think,” Bjorn explains. “Of course it’s a great milestone and incredible accomplishment, but I’ve been more focused on preparing for Bridgewater as they’re currently second in the MASCAC.” 

The 2022-23 Lancers Men’s Basketball team has been on fire under Bjorn’s leadership as one of the squad’s captains. Now 15-5, a win will match the highest record Bjorn has seen in his tenure at WSU, and there’s still five games to go. Not to mention the 7-0 MASCAC record that has Bjorn’s boys seated in first place at the moment. 

A continuation of what has already been a nice season would be the perfect capper to a career that has gone by with haste. “It goes by quicker than you expect,” admits Bjorn. “I’m just trying to enjoy every last minute of my career.” Though he himself is dead-set on taking down the Bridgewater State University Bears on Saturday, when that inevitable first bucket is drained, it will be hard to not think back on what he has done here in Worcester. He has collected the most rebounds in the 21st century at Worcester State, and ranks fifth all-time in field goal percentage at over 50%. Despite all that success, the intangibles will be at the forefront of his memories when he does look back at what he’s done at WSU,as it’s “the relationships I’ve had throughout this program have been substantial and will last a lifetime.” 

Here, at the doorstep of 1,000 points, Erik Bjorn stands ready to etch his name in the history books this coming Saturday at Bridgewater State at 1 p.m. A kid that grew up just down the road in Holden, Mass., has worked his way to a tremendous career in the blue and gold, and his ability to look past the milestone and just focus on the game ahead of him sums up everything you need to know about the man he’s become.

~Chris Wright~