Marty Gagne: 6 Overtimes (The Player’s Perspective)

// March 14th, 2009 // 5 Comments » // Uncategorized

On the morning of March 13th, 2009, the entire state of Connecticut dragged itself to work. I would suspect little protest if the legislators deemed this day an official holiday to honor (or memorialize, depending on your pessimism) the epic battle that was previously waged. No lives were lost, but plenty of sleep was. Indeed, last night was a night to remember, and not because of Andy Rautins’ faux hawk.

During the game, I received a text message that offered an astounding, yet accurate, summation of the contest. A friend wrote, “this is the single best basketball game I have ever seen.” That was after the conclusion of the third overtime.

Luckily, I watched the game at home. I can only imagine fans’ disapproval when pubs and sportsbars across the state shut down at 1:00am in accordance with Connecticut laws that govern the operating hours of alcohol institutions on weeknights.

Or imagine the lucky viewer who went to bed before Devendorf’s buzzer-beater was reviewed, only to wake up and discover that they spared themselves the six overtimes that were necessary to determine the same outcome. Moreover, that person should be grateful for two less hours of seeing Eric Devendorf. Hailing from 115 miles north of Detroit, he has earned nicknames of “roundball Eminem” and “8-Mile” from within the Syracuse community. And to be quite honest, it wouldn’t surprise me if his parents received a fine for littering when they threw him on the street. Furthermore, the fact that his miracle shot was cleared from the record books is proof that God works in mysterious ways.

And with Johnny Flynn and Paul Harris both hailing from Niagra Falls High School, Jim Beoheim would be foolish if he didn’t cut a check for the city’s Boys and Girls Club. And Rob Garrison, a high school teammate of Flynn and Harris and former UConn guard, is smiling somewhere in upstate New York.

For all intents and purposes, last night’s game was a tie. There was no winner; only a survivor. The primary starters played themselves to an even draw, leaving the victor to be crowned by second-string role players. If asked last night, I probably would have been an advocate of instituting a shootout rule (in the mold of corporate-sponsored halftime hotshot contests) to determine the winner. I can visualize Jeff Adrien repeatedly shooting from a mid-range hot spot in order to solidify his shooting touch in scout’s minds. Hasheem would be disqualified for attempting more than two lay ups in a row.

In 2006, after we suffered defeat in the Big East tournament at the hands of a Gerry McNamara heave, I can vividly remember the subconscious notion that if we won the big dance, everything would be forgiven. By nature, sports fans have a very short-term memory. If the current team brings home a national championship trophy, images of Eric Devendorf standing atop the scorers table will be a distant recollection, thankfully. To overcome the here-and-now essence of sports, and immediately be written into the history books as true warriors, is a proud accomplishment. Regardless of the season’s ultimate outcome, last night’s performance should certainly warrant the utmost respect and appreciation from fans… and maybe even a state holiday.

Marty Gagne: “Pittsburgh Sports Fan…Go To Hell….”

// February 23rd, 2009 // 3 Comments » // Uncategorized

My previous post, about the necessity of a slashing two guard in the UConn backcourt, seems a little eerie considering Jerome’s injury. However, I don’t think its unreasonable to ask Kemba Walker to fill this void. The kid gets into the paint like he’s a toddler at an acrylic store.

I already know FWG hates all things Pennsylvania, but let me add to that:

As if losing ‘Rome wasn’t enough, losing to Pittsburgh leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I hate the city. Here’s a list of words and phrases that you will never see in a description of Pittsburgh: fun, cool, trendy, nice weather, scenic, upbeat, lots to do. Moreover, the sports fans are no saving grace. Not only did they exhibit obnoxious behavior at the Patriots-Steelers game at Gillette this year, but my past experience with the city’s basketball fans has not been pleasant, either. I can vividly remember distasteful and demeaning comments shouted by their student section two years ago - personal comments that I won’t repeat here. Any child who raised a Pittsburgh sports fan should be put in foster care.

On the other hand, I love Syracuse fans. Their student section continually displays many of the characteristics necessary for irreproachable crowd participation: cleverness, enthusiasm, competitiveness, and zeal. Year after year, they sustain our intense rivalry in a respectable manner, as opposed to the offensive nature of Pittsburgh fans. Some comments from the Carrier Dome over the years:

“Hey Denham… you’ve been the same player for four years.”
True.

“Hey Gagne… you should be impressed that I know you’re name!”
True.

“Hey Ed… how old are you? Forty?”
Almost true.

“Hey 35… do you even have your name on your jersey? Or do you just have a question mark?”
Somewhat true.

“Hey walk-on…. the water cooler needs filling up.”
Not my job.

“I’d rather be a Syracuse fan than a UConn walk-on.”
Whatever helps you sleep at night.

“Hey 35… I bet Calhoun doesn’t even know you’re name!”
Marty? No. Barfight? Maybe.

Moving on to a separate issue, ESPN is now tracking Hasheem’s “altered shots”. Traditionally, this occurs when an opposing player compensates for Hasheem’s presence by changing his shot attempt. The problem with this statistic is the subjectivity of the measuring standard. Are there two guys in the ESPN trailer arguing over whether it was an altered shot or a killer fade-away?
Here’s another case-in-point: During my senior year, while scrimmaging against the scholarship players, Hasheem was injured and sitting out of practice. I remember going up for a wide-open jump shot, only to see a 7-3 monster in the corner of my eye. I thought to myself, “I wonder where he buys socks?” I completely lost focus and bricked the shot off the front iron. Does this constitute an altered shot?

Furthermore, if Hasheem tells an opponent a funny joke, and that opponent is too distracted to make a play on offense, does that constitute an altered shot? In fact, I propose that ESPN should keep track of the crowd’s altered shots. I’m sure most would occur on free throw attempts, but a good heckler could probably alter another 5-10 shots per game. A Syracuse fan? Maybe 10-15.

During one game at Gampel Pavilion, Rashad Anderson literally shot the lights out. As he went up for a three-point attempt, the entire arena went dark. ESPN had no choice but to credit the facilities manager with an altered shot.

Jokes aside, every time an opponent takes the court for warmups and marvels at his size, Hasheem has gained a mental edge. This psychological intimidation of opponents, which I believe can provide a six to eight point advantage before the game even begins, can also be obtained through crowd participation and fan intensity. While the UConn student section is formidable, opposing teams are given the luxury of warming up at the distant basket. Syracuse and Pittsburgh have the opposite orientation, which allows for plenty of pre-game heckling. But all things considered, teams must gaze into our student section while shooting free throws during the second half. It all depends how you look at it.

Some of the best fans that I had the opportunity to witness were at Indiana University. Nowhere in the country do fans alter their appearance for a basketball game like they do in Indiana (sorry, Dale). Imagine the intimidation factor when you enter an arena and see people dressed as gorillas, Ninja Turtles, and Star Wars troopers. But I suppose if I lived in Indiana, I would probably want to escape reality as much as possible, too.

After all, it’s one step up from Pittsburgh.

Marty Gagne graduated from the University of Connectcicut in 2007, after playing four seasons on the
Men’s Hoops Team.
He hails from Vernon, CT.

MAILBAG! …UCONN BASKETBALL ‘09 IS THE NEW ‘04?

// February 12th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Uncategorized

How does this years team compare with the dominant 2004 team.. as well as the mini pro 2006 team that didn’t quite have what it took to win it all? With all the talent on this team, how to they achieve the 2004 results and avoid the 2006 results.

In 2004 and 2009, the defense was/is anchored by a shot-blocking center. This security allows guards to increase the amount of ball pressure applied to the opposing team. Ball pressure leads to turnovers, and turnovers lead to fast break points. This is Calhoun basketball. Furthermore, teams of this decade have featured lanky, athletic forwards (i.e. Charlie Villanueva, Rudy Gay, and Stanley Robinson). Long arms allows wing players to get into passing lanes and deflect errant passes.

Gagne: UConn Basketball NOW! (a walk-on’s dream)

// February 10th, 2009 // 2 Comments » // Uncategorized

When Lunn first approached me about doing this blog, I have to admit, I was a bit skeptical and ambivalent. First of all, “fat” and “white” are two words that are rarely associated with the basketball world now that Ed Nelson has graduated. Secondly, nobody (myself included) appreciates a practically unknown figure attempting to hang on to fleeting success through the blog-o-sphere. I’ve never been a huge fan of blogging, but if Kanye does it, it can’t be all bad. Anything to help me sleep at night.

Lastly, I questioned whether I could relate my experiences on the team, which concluded two years ago, to the current state of the team in national championship contention. But this is the beauty of UConn basketball: the faces change, the opponents vary, and the assistant coaches come and go. There’s even a new equipment guy this year (he’s replacing Pat Abbott, a local icon). But through it all, the passion is constant. It’s shown by the fans, the players, and the ultra-competitive nature of the legendary head coach. Hopefully this passion will allow me to draw a connection between my experiences and the season that is currently taking place.

With that said, I had the opportunity to attend the UConn vs. Michigan game on Saturday. I went with two former walk-ons, Osazee Omokaro and Nicholas Forostoski. Osazee’s younger brother, Emmanuel, is currently a safety on the football team. Emmanuel prides himself on his weight-room performances; and therefore, needs an occasional reminder that he is far from reaching his brother’s stature.

Nevertheless, we arrived at the game at the same time as Ray Allen. To avoid a mob-like rush of fans, Jesus Shuttlesworth was given a backstage escort to his seat behind the UConn bench, only seats away. Ray Allen sets the precedent for achieving “big time” status at the University of Connecticut. I can’t recall any other superstar, aside from T-Pain during the Spring Weekend concert, to receive a personal escort through Gampel. Obviously, the staff wasn’t alerted that former walk-ons were attending the game.

Michigan’s head coach, John Beilein, brought his patented 1-3-1 defense with him from West Virginia. This annoying zone gave teams in the Big East fits for years. Thankfully, this irritation now belongs to the Big Ten Conference. Simulating the 1-3-1 in practice was extraordinarily brutal, predominantly because Beilein positions a guard in the backline of the zone. This guard is assigned the task of running from sideline to sideline every time the ball is reversed. Those practices were longer than Hasheem’s biceps.

Changing topics, Charles Okwandu became academically ineligible for the second semester. It should be noted that the basketball program does everything possible to offer the best support to any player who is struggling academically. They offer excellent guidance and resources, and the academic advisor is one of the best in the country. If a player fails to accept this support, there must be some sort of personal accountability. While I can’t speak to this exact situation, I can only hope that Charles put forth his best effort in the classroom.

Moreover, this development may be a blessing in disguise. Because Charles Okwandu will not travel for road games, a seat is made available on the UConn bench for a walk-on who previously did not dress. In my experiences, when circumstances developed in favor of walk-ons, the overall outcome of the team was usually enhanced. We used to call it “walk-on karma”. When Marcus Williams became academically ineligible in 2004, it allowed me to take a seat on the Final Four plane. We returned home with one less seat available on the return flight; this seat was occupied by a bronze beauty known as the national championship trophy. Walk-on karma is very real, and it is a force to be reckoned with.

Introducing Marty Gagne: UConn Basketball’s Finest

// February 9th, 2009 // No Comments » // Uncategorized

Marty will be writing for this site, but unlike other sports-writers, what makes his perspective so unique is that he played hoops for the University of Connecticut. He will be posting from time to time with news on college basketball from around the country, with an emphasis on insider news on UConn Basketball.

Check back often for new posts.
-FWG