MEMPHIS, Tenn. — The highest point of Darius' basketball career was the buzzer-beating bank three-pointer that sent Martin Methodist College to the NAIA Nationals.
After that win, he facetimed his mom to celebrate.
“That was my best friend man, calling her about anything. Converse about anything, talk about anything she was my dog. Everybody thought we were brother and sister but, you know, that was my mom," said Woods.
However, that would be the last call he made to her after a big win.
A year later she died from an asthma attack.
But, it wouldn’t be the last call she made to him.
“My mom came to me in my dream, like seriously came to me in my dream and was like, do something with this word,” said Woods.
That word was "sweven".
“Walking to class and the word of the day was "sweven", and it means a vision seen in sleep or dream.
He put two and two together, using that message from his mom in his dream to birth his business.
That business turned into one of the most popular men's basketball leagues in Memphis. "Keep it Sweven".
“I just put the keep it in front of it because it’s like whatever you’re going through in life you got to keep going keep the vision clear,” Woods explained.
The league attracted top 50 college prospects out of high school like former Louisville stand-out Chris Jones and former Memphis Tiger Will Coleman.
Held in the heart of Whitehaven, Darius says the mission is to give people in the community a good show in a safe space.
“To lower the crime rates around here, really, and give these kids something to do besides being out here committing something they aren’t supposed to be doing.”
With packed crowds showing up every weekend, he thinks, mission accomplished.
“I didn’t think it was going to be this big. I knew it was going to be big but not the way it is right now. I’m blessed about it right now, I’m very blessed, I’m blessed,” said Woods.