Liam Duffy put pen to paper Wednesday afternoon, signed his letter of intent to attend Rockhurst University in Kansas City, and wrapped up one hell of a month.

Almost exactly a month ago Duffy was standing at half court during the first round of the state “A” basketball tournament wrapped in a star quilt as the 2011 winner of the Spirit of Su Award. Two days later he was holding the state championship trophy high above family and friends, grinning ear-to-ear. He was quickly named to the All-Tournament team, and First Team All-State. Then, with sister Caitlin and a bus full of St. Thomas More students and parents, he found himself ankle deep in mud and shovels in the Central American outback on a mission trip to build a water system in a remote Honduran village. On Monday, he learned that he is a Finalist for Mr. Basketball.

After he signed his letter of intent to Rockhurst, Duffy’s shoulders finally relaxed.

Rockhurst is a Jesuit university in the heart of Kansas City, dedicated to rigorous academics and service. The Hawks are a Division Two school in the Great Lakes Valley Conference, a perennial basketball power conference. Duffy said he will suspend a decision about whether to play as a freshman or red shirt until after fall practice.

Attending a Catholic college was always a priority, Duffy told reporters. He will be following in the footsteps of his brother, Brendan, who is a student at Catholic University in Washington D.C.

Duffy will enroll as a pre-med major. Both Liam and his sister Caitlin describe their trip to Honduras as transformational, and Liam now considers internationally respected NGO projects like Doctors Without Borders as a part of his future as a physician, and a life dedicated to service.

Congratulations, Liam. Relax. Take a deep breath. And let a little senioritis infect you. You’ve earned it. Organic chemistry and the first day of basketball practice are right around the corner.