NEW ULM — Colton Benson is back on the court for the Minnesota State Mavericks after a foot injury sidelined him to start the season.

Benson, who is the all-time scoring leader for boys basketball in the City of New Ulm with 2,207 points, said that going from high school to college basketball is a big step up.

“It is definitely a crazy adjustment,” he said. “It really made me realize that there are levels to this game. I decided to redshirt — I won’t play this year so I get an extra year of college ball. So every day I am going to practice and doing what I can to get better.”

Benson said that going from playing every game for the New Ulm High School Eagles to not playing at all because of the injury and the redshirt has been tough.

“I am sitting on the bench and knowing that there is absolutely nothing that I can do to help my team win on the court other than give my support on the bench kind of stinks. But that is part of the growing process — a growing pain.”

Benson said in college basketball there is more attention to details than there were in high school basketball.

“Everybody is bigger, faster and stronger,” he said. “And you need to make sure that you are doing the little things correctly if you really want to succeed. The players in college basketball are very passionate about the game and how they really do have a true love for the game and it is nice to be around a lot of right-minded people who are just looking to get better each day.”

Benson said in his growing process in college basketball, he has to play to his strengths.

“In high school I had a lot more freedom to do what ever I felt like,” he said. “But here I have to do what I am best at like shooting the ball — I have to get good at what I can do, play to my strengths and let the game come to me.”

Benson has been described by many local basketball coaches as one of the best pure shooters to come out of New Ulm.

Benson said the coaches at MSU now have him at shooting guard and small forward.

“I like it, but I have the mindset to play wherever they want me to do to win,” he said. “I would play 2, 3 or 4 [power forward] — whatever they need me to play — I can do it. I do not have a preference because I think that I can score at all three levels.”

Benson said that it was tough at first to be redshirted.

“But I know a lot of players who have been redshirted, but I think it is honestly what was best for me,” he said. “It is hard to play as a freshman, so I get an extra year of college basketball and take this year to work to get better. The redshirt is a good situation.”