Aaron Craft competes in Kingdom Summer League while in medical school at Ohio State

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) — Former Ohio State Buckeye Aaron Craft is still the same player on the basketball court—tenacious, pesky and intense.

This summer, those traits are on display at Ohio Dominican University in the Kingdom Summer League.

"I mean I still love competing,” Craft said. “This isn't an open gym. This is something we want a high level of basketball and that draws in guys that want to play and be serious about it."

Craft is serious about a lot of things these days. He’s entering his fourth year of medical school at Ohio State. Residency applications are swirling around in his head.

"Time is my most limited resource,” he said with a smile.

On Sundays, for a couple hours, he’s able to have some time for himself on the court.

"To find a place where I can be settled and feel comfortable and know that I know what I'm talking about is a good feeling,” he said. “[Basketball] is good mental health for me too. It's cheaper than a therapist!”

It's also a chance to bond with his four-year-old son Owen.

The second Craft steps off the court and sits on the bench, the tenacity, peskiness and intensity wash away.

"It's just a lot of fun to share that. I mean, it's what I did when I was young. My dad was a coach. I ran around gyms and got in trouble. Hopefully he doesn't get in as much trouble,” Craft said, said with a laugh. “He loves coming to the gym."

It’s no surprise that Craft's passions, family and basketball, have made their way into his medical school studies. He’s decided to pursue a specialty as an ear, nose and throat (ENT) doctor. Part of the intrigue for Craft comes from the qualities he values on the court: tough situations, teamwork and being detail-oriented.

It’s also something he’s passionate about thanks to an experience with his daughter, Evelyn. At one year old, she still wasn’t speaking, so the Crafts went to an ENT and learned she couldn’t hear.

"They put in ear tubes. A month later, she was talking, mimicking everything, so just going through that experience really got me more involved in it,” he explained.

For now, Craft is going to keep enjoying the few weeks of summer he has left and his weekly Sunday date with Owen, basketball and some old Buckeye buddies like former teammate Jared Sullinger.

"It's fun playing together. It's also fun competing against them again,” Craft said with a grin. “So, excited as it continues to go on and see who has bragging rights."