NAMPA, Idaho – Erin Jenkins, Jordan Pinson, Gabe Murphy and George Reidy all came to Northwest Nazarene for the same reason: to play basketball.

The four freshmen have graciously given NNUSports.com permission to follow their collegiate journeys – through the ups and downs, on and off the court – to give fans an inside look at the life of a college athlete.

We picked these four because they are all from out of state, they offer a diverse perspective and they had no previous connection to NNU.

Look for updates every few weeks throughout the school year and hopefully for the next four years.

You'll know there is an update when you see Fresh Eyes at the start of the headline.

We hope you enjoy this as much as we think you will.

Now, let's meet the athletes.
 
Erin Jenkins

A wing player from Lompoc, Calif., majoring in psychology.

Jenkins came to Nampa because NNU made her feel the most welcome and made her feel wanted.

She lived in Rigby, Idaho, until she was in eighth grade before her family moved to California near Santa Barbara for work and to enjoy the weather.

"(Lonpoc) is a small town like Nampa," she said. "Living in Idaho before I already had a feel for what it was going to be like weather-wise."
 
Jordan Pinson

A point guard from El Paso, Texas, majoring in undecided.

Pinson came to Nampa because NNU wanted her more than the other schools she was talking to.

One negative to NNU is the distance from West Texas.

"I was worried about being so far from home," she said, "but that was the only negative. I can deal with distance rather than going to a school where the negative was basketball or academics."
 
Gabe Murphy

A post player from Tracy, Calif., majoring in computer science.

Murphy came to Nampa because he loved the campus on his official visit. He quickly committed one week later.

Living in Idaho hasn't been too bad for Murphy. He attended a private Christian high school and grew up in a rural setting.

"The transition from there to here isn't too big of a difference," he said. "Mostly the demographics here and California are a lot different, but that wasn't too big of a concern for me. I wasn't worried about the type of people who lived here. Everyone was very nice to me (when he visited)."
 
 
George Reidy

A guard from Edmonds, Wash., majoring in youth ministry.

After talking to coach Paul Rush and building a relationship with the coaching staff, Reidy still wasn't sure where he wanted to go to college.

He was in an airport and was at his gate getting ready to fly to Boise. He was praying and asking God about where he should go to school when suddenly there was a gate change. He looked up and he was sitting at a gate with a flight to Boise.

"That is a pretty legit sign," he said. "I said I would listen, so now I'm here. And I'm loving it."