Armoni Foster Representing Meadville on National Stage; Hoping to Make Career in Basketball

For anyone who knows Armoni Foster, one of the all time great basketball players Meadville High School has ever seen, they know he has a lot of pride in where he comes from. The artwork he proudly displays on his body is a huge indication of the most important aspects of his life; faith, family, basketball, and his hometown roots. His tattoos include a tribute to his late AAU basketball coach Paul Gregor who holds a special place in his mind and in his heart to this day. Gregor lost a battle with leukemia in 2012, but Foster will never forget one of his first ever basketball coaches and the impact he has had on his life.

Foster also proudly displays the 814 to never forget where he comes from, the number three because it is a number he wears playing the game he loves, 11:11 because he always makes big wishes when he sees this time on a clock, and a tattoo each of his siblings and his mother have that reads “Foster, our bond is everlasting”. Foster also showcases several faith related tattoos to showcase his love for God as well as a tattoo of a quote by Martin Luther King Jr. which is “The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” This quote is one many in our country and world could use to reflect on themselves at this time, but Foster has proudly displayed this on his body for some time now.

After learning about the artwork Foster has on his body, it is easy to see that he has a strong support system who have propelled him to chase college and professional basketball dreams. After a standout career at Meadville in which he scored 1,777 points, including 681 in his senior season alone, Foster had many options in terms of where he could continue his basketball career. Almost all of the PSAC schools had been in contact with Foster for him to come play for them, and Canisius, Pitt, Akron, and Robert Morris all expressed some interest in having Foster as a part of their program as well. 

At the end of the day, the Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) offered Foster a scholarship which is a huge accomplishment. The Crimson Hawks are one of the top Division II programs in the nation, and if they offer a player a scholarship, it is one that is tough to turn down. While the program is outstanding, Coach Joe Lombardi is not someone who appears to be easy to turn down as well. He is incredible in his recruiting efforts, and he has brought in some of the best talent from Pennsylvania and various parts of Europe continuously to represent his program. While from the outside it seems like an interesting combination recruiting the entire state of Pennsylvania and picking up many prospects from Europe, the results speak for themselves.

Foster is one of several Western, Pennsylvania natives on the IUP Men’s Basketball team presently, and the collection of talent he has been able to go to battle with is quite extraordinary. Foster has been able to play alongside fellow District 10 alum Dave Morris, Malik Miller, and Ethan Porterfield. He also has played with Pittsburgh natives KJ Rhodes, Chucky Humphries, and Shawndale Jones. In Foster’s two years playing at IUP, the Crimson Hawks have gone 58-5. It is important to note that Foster has been at IUP for three total years, but he was forced to miss his entire first year because of a torn labrum that was giving him some trouble dating back to his high school days.

Foster has helped lead the Crimson Hawks to two PSAC titles, and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season. The Crimson Hawks were a favorite heading into the 2020 NCAA Tournament, but COVID-19 forced the cancellation of the tournament. Foster can recall the moment vividly when their quest for a national championship was crushed. “We were out to eat as a team, and Coach Lombardi’s phone rang. He broke the news to us and my heat just dropped. I really felt for the two seniors we had, and I am glad we could send them out champions of the PSAC.” In his career at IUP, Foster has continued his winning ways just like during his time playing for the Meadville Bulldogs. In fact, Foster led Meadville to the state championship game in his senior year of high school in class 5A as well as a District 10 championship. The Bulldogs featured a great core of talent, and many members of the 2016-2017 Bulldogs team have continued their athletic careers past high school.

“I wanted to play for a winning program,” Foster said. I always was a part of winning basketball throughout my life. IUP has always had winning basketball, and that was a huge reason why I wanted to play basketball there as well.” While Foster has always played winning basketball, there are few moments associated with the game he cherishes most, including being able to suit up for Coach Gregor growing up. He also listed learning about the game from his mom Tammy Foster as one of his fonder memories and sharing that brotherhood with his teammates throughout his life.

Foster is pursuing a degree in criminal justice, and is not sure where he would like to take him presently. His dream is to play professional basketball, and he has been finding ways to stay active and keep the ball in his hands even during quarantine. He has been training with one of his former high school teammates Jack Stevens recently, and he has continued to work on his shooting ability and ball handling most. “I think if you can shoot and take care of the basketball, you can really play at any level. It is a huge part of the game, and that is where I am always trying to improve my game.”Foster has also been working out with his older brother Artrel, a former defensive back for Meadville and Temple University, to get stronger in the weight room.

During his time at IUP, Foster surely has not disappointed. In 63 career games, he has made 38 starts and averaged 13.4 points. This past season, Foster scored 19.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists, He was named First team All-PSAC and Second team All-Atlantic Region by NABC and CCA. Foster also dropped a career high 33 points against CalU in the PSAC quarterfinals. Foster was a perfect 14-14 from the foul line, and knocked down five of his eight three point attempts in the contest. This was surely a breakout season for Foster, and will serve as a sign of what is to come for the remainder of Foster’s time at IUP. He is one of the top guards in all of Division II basketball heading into the 2020-2021 season, and the Crimson Hawks retained a lot of talent from the 2019-2020 team.

Foster wanted to leave readers with a few more comments, including his mother who has been his rock during his life. “My mom has always kept me on the right path. She passed her love for basketball onto me, and she helped organize AAU opportunities for me. She pushed me into basketball even when I was that super shy kid who was too scared to play.” He also wanted to advocated for the level of play in Division II basketball because many Division II players are Division I transfers or players who were missed in playing Division I. “To me, playing Division I or Division II no longer matters. There are some great players I get to play with and against, and pros regularly come out of Division II. People look down on it sometimes, but there is not a huge difference in the level of play.”

Armoni Foster, the once shy kid from Meadville who would go to his basketball games scared to play his best has now taken the PSAC and Division II hoops by storm. A few years from now, it would not come as a surprise to many who know him to see this Western, Pennsylvania native playing pro basketball. With the 2020-2021 season in question, Armoni Foster is going to keep himself ready for play and again will look to improve on an incredible redshirt sophomore season.