Ivy League hoopsters are Division I athletes on the court and exceptionally accomplished and eclectic humans off it. Ivy Hoops Online presents the latest edition of our Off the Bench series that takes fans inside the stories that you might not otherwise know from the stands or through your screen.
Mateen Rafiq ‘28, a rising junior on the Cornell men’s basketball team, is our next featured player. Rafiq’s humility, discipline and ambitions are outsized (no matter that he is a 6-foot-0 guard), and there’s no doubt he is building toward something bigger.
Mateen Rafiq knows how to get things done.
This summer, across seven basketball courts in Sacramento, Calif., 65 high school teams arrive for the MSR Athletics Invitational, a tournament Rafiq’s family built, from the ground up. He checks in players, answers sideline questions, coordinates officials, updates schedules—and if a court needs cleaning before the next game, he does that too.
The work isn’t glamorous. But it’s something his family has built together for years, and it reflects the values that shape nearly everything Rafiq does.
And it means a lot to him.
“My dad came to America from Afghanistan during the Russian invasion,” Rafiq explained.
Basketball has connected his family across generations, countries and cultures. His father played at Idaho State before finishing at UC Davis, then returned to coach Afghanistan’s national team. Rafiq was raised looking up to his dad’s players. He carries their history with him every time he steps onto the floor.
“Giving back, paying it forward, that’s a big piece of me,” Rafiq said.
It is a family tradition.
Rafiq’s mother immigrated to the United States from the Philippines as a teenager. Both parents earned master’s degrees in the United States and became school counselors before starting their family.
As the oldest of four children, and believed to be the only current Afghan Division I basketball player in the NCAA, Rafiq has a deep sense of responsibility.
“My parents work really hard,” he said. “Being a role model for my younger siblings is the biggest thing for me.”
Rafiq brought his parents’ work ethic to Ithaca. Traveling almost 3,000 miles from Sacramento to Ithaca, he had more than snow to adjust to.
“Your freshman year is chaos,” he said.
Navigating school, Division I hoops, and being far from home for the first time brought some doubt about whether he belonged.
“You need to give yourself a lot of grace,” Rafiq seemed to remind himself as much as he is making a recommendation to others. “Maybe I’m the lowest in the room, but the thing is, you’re in the room. You really are the man in the arena.”
Now entering his junior year, Rafiq has learned to appreciate being surrounded by classmates and teammates for whom he has deep respect. And he knows he has earned his place.
The Big Red’s veterans have reinforced this more confident mindset.
“The older guys really make sure the younger guys know what’s going on,” Rafiq said. “Go here if you need help. Be early. Be on time. Do your best.”
He is preparing to pass along these lessons, and faith has informed his perspective in a big way.
“I fasted the whole month of Ramadan during the season,” he said.
That meant 30 days of practices, games, classes, lifting sessions and weekend travel without eating or drinking during daylight hours. Rafiq’s teammates and coaches never questioned his observance.
“They were curious, and they asked me if I needed anything,” Rafiq recalled, sounding grateful.
The coaches made sure he had food and water ready when it was time to break the fast. He felt supported in carrying out his practice while maintaining his role on the team. He even says he looks forward to observing Ramadan again next season.
“It is not easy, of course, but it is really rewarding,” he said, explaining further, “I feel that my performance while fasting mostly impacts me positively. It is obviously a massive mental and physical challenge. But through a month of cleansing, you’re able to find avenues of mental and physical peace and calmness. Ultimately, I learn about myself. I find inner strength.”
Through hard-earned growth, Rafiq’s role on the team has evolved. Returning as one of the more experienced players on the team, Rafiq knows he has to step up to preserve the program’s culture. “Taking a bigger leadership role” will be a big focus entering the season, Rafiq predicted.
The example left behind by last year’s seniors is never far from Rafiq’s mind.
“Those guys, when they leave, told us, ‘Make sure you do this for the next group of guys,'” Rafiq said.
Some of Rafiq’s earliest memories are of watching his father’s teams. From those teams he observed that leadership is passed through everyday habits, one group to the next.
This summer, the organizational skills he uses running tournaments are now finding another outlet. Complementing his studies in Cornell’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations, Rafiq is completing an internship with Emran Law, getting exposure to contracts, insurance, liability agreements and business operations. The work reinforces his interest in sports law and athlete representation, paths he hopes to pursue after playing professionally—perhaps internationally—for as long as he can.
“I want to continue to do it for as long as it’s attainable,” he said.
Whether that means playing professionally, working in sports law or representing athletes, Rafiq hopes to keep building opportunities for others. It is an impulse that reaches back through his family history, to the tournament they run together, and to the teammates and siblings who look up to him.
Rafiq learned early that leadership isn’t measured by titles. It’s built through everyday acts: checking in the next player, answering a parent’s question, making sure the gym is ready for the next game. One person. One game. One opportunity at a time.
