Men's Basketball | 11/07/24 | 1:13 PM

HELENA, Mont. - Carroll College Men's Basketball student-athlete Cam Niles, a recent transfer who joined the team this summer, has been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer, and is in need of support from the Carroll community.

A quick glimpse at the top of the Men's Basketball roster shows a bright, smiling, Cam Niles (Fair Oaks, Calif. / JR), a transfer guard from NCAA Division I UC Davis and Yuba College, eager to hit the court for the Fighting Saints this season.

Unfortunately, that opportunity never presented itself.

Three weeks into the season, with the 2024-25 team just starting to gel and put pieces in place, the junior guard fell suddenly ill. Following a quick-hitting fever and stomach pain, Niles went to urgent care before being eventually directed to St. Peter's Hospital.

Initially, all signs appeared that Niles had mono, but his conditions didn't improve, uncertainty surrounded his sudden-illness, and further testing was done.

Following multiple tests and hospital visits at several different medical facilities over the past two months, both in Montana and Niles' home state of California, a clear diagnosis was finally produced.

Last week, Niles was diagnosed with Lymphoma, a type of blood cancer that affects the immune system. Recent scans have shown that the cancer has spread throughout his body, and the promising guard will need to undergo multiple rounds of chemotherapy before he can be re-evaluated.

While Niles only spent a few short weeks on campus this fall, he was welcomed into an ever-loving Carroll campus, immediately embraced just the same as every other student to walk through the halls of St. Charles, Boromeo, Simperman, or the PE Center over the last 115 years.

Now, more than ever, Niles is in need of support from the Carroll community. He has already begun his first rounds of chemotherapy, and a GoFundMe has been established to help him and his family offset medical costs.

"Regrettably, Cam was only part of our family here at Carroll for a few weeks prior to falling ill." said Head Coach Dan Pearson. "Nonetheless, Cam became part of our family and our staff and players have embraced him as one of our own. The fact that someone who you care for is going through challenges that no one at this stage of life should be going through breaks your heart, but it has been energizing for Cam and our group to see the resiliency and community that has rallied around this current situation. Cam has proven his character during every step this past 8 weeks, and it's a character we can be proud to have in our program. We are confident that Cam will beat this and be back wearing a Saints jersey next Fall." 

Both Niles and the rest of the Carroll Men's Basketball team, are prepared to battle this diagnosis head on, and are willing to do everything necessary to see him back on the court as soon as possible.

On behalf of Cam and the Niles family, Carroll Athletics encourages those who wish to contribute to visit the GoFundMe page HERE. 

In addition to the online portal, donations can be made at the Carroll College Athletic Office, as well as at every Carroll Men's Basketball home game this season.

Visit www.carrollathletics.com over the coming months for updates on Niles, and to stay up to date with everything going on in Carroll Athletics.

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