“It really just shocked me more than anything,” Niles said. “Hearing that and knowing that, a couple months ago, I was literally just getting ready for a basketball season…

“It really shocked me to realize that your life can change so quickly.”

An affliction no 21-year-old should bear struck Niles in early September, three weeks following his arrival to Carroll College. Niles was preparing for his junior season having earned a full-ride scholarship from first-year head basketball coach Dan Pearson to build upon two years at Yuba College.

Pearson liked Niles’ play, projecting that the 6-foot-6, 190-pound guard would fit into an offensive system that’s already challenged two nationally ranked programs.

“It was fun, those few weeks,” Niles said. “School starting and us doing open gyms every day…

“It was just a fun experience. I didn’t have that college-type campus feel at Yuba since it’s such a small town, so I hadn’t really had that feeling for a couple years.”

It just happened on Sunday, Niles said, recalling a sudden fever and vomiting following a workout. A trip to the urgent care turned into a week in the hospital.

Niles eventually returned to California, but couldn’t escape stomach pain and nagging fever.

Weeks in multiple different hospitals provided few answers until finally, last week, Niles was officially diagnosed with lymphoma, a type of cancer. A scan, posted to his GoFundMe page, revealed cancer all over Niles’ body.

“Sitting there having doctors draw blood every 30 minutes and them doing biopsies and having the results come back clean – it really was getting frustrating,” Niles said.

“I knew if I stayed patient, I would eventually get a diagnosis of something. I didn’t think it was gonna be cancer.”

In roughly two months, Niles said he shed 60 pounds, and while he’s fighting to regain that weight, must overgo two rounds of chemotherapy for the next nine weeks before being re-evaluated.

“My body is still getting used to being out of a hospital bed and being able to do normal stuff every day,” Niles said. “It’s a struggle…

“I just try to rest more than anything and be easy on my body knowing that it went through a lot.”

At the urging of his mother and friends, Niles started a GoFundMe with a stated goal of $7,500 to help cover medical expenses. As of Wednesday, $4,315 of that had been raised by 65 donors, including multiple Carroll basketball players and athletes.

To donate to Niles’ GoFundMe, click here.

“It’s been surreal to me, honestly,” Niles said. “At first, I really didn’t want to start it, but my mom and friends kept urging me and telling me I’ve got a lot of people who love and care about me in Sacramento…

“To see people reach out, even from Montana with the little time I was there – the support I’ve received from there has just been surreal.”

Niles, originally from Seattle, redshirted at NCAA Division I UC Davis following graduation from Del Campo High School.

Niles averaged 15.2 points and 9.9 rebounds as a senior at the prep level, earning two first-team All-League selections. At Yuba, Niles averaged nearly 10 points and two assists per game, helping the junior-college reach the California JC Final Four.

Basketball, Niles said, has been with him through life’s tribulations and believes the sport will be waiting on him once healthy.

“I’ve played basketball my whole life,” Niles said. “It’s always been there for me when I needed it and it’s definitely my passion. It’s always been a love relationship. I’m thankful for it…

“I think I will [play basketball again]. It might be a little bit, but I do think I’ll play basketball again.”

Niles’ No. 0 smiling headshot still leads off the Saints’ online roster, signaling that a Carroll return awaits his successful defeating of cancer. Niles described Helena and the Carroll community as “genuine,” a trait reciprocated in text and phone call exchanges with players and coaches.

“I definitely still feel like I’m part of the team,” Niles said. “The guys and their support and them telling me they’re here for me means a lot…

“I wanna be there for them, as well: watching them, supporting them.”

The unknown unsettles Niles, but instead of a “why me” attitude, he is thankful because his Christian faith describes a God that doesn’t heap tribulations any higher than a believer can overcome, even if the odds of survival hover around 50%.

“There’s gonna be a lot of faith required,” Niles said. “There’s a lot that I don’t know yet. There’s a lot of uncertainties…

“There’s a lot that could or could not happen. Staying grounded in my faith with the Lord is important to me.”

To donate to Niles’ GoFundMe, click here.