Brady Bajema - Led all scorers with 31 points in rare win over Salem State

I was very pleasantly surprised this AM to read online in marvelous Barbados that our Fighting Scots had defeated nonleague Salem State on Tuesday evening at Salem – 95-83.  This was no normal occurance!

I saw them beat Salem State back in the Troy Justice coaching days at the Bennett Center in (I’m guessing) 2001.  Since then…………..a few games have been close like the overtime toughie when Jeremy Martin filled in for Mike Schauer but most games, however, have been one-sided and the Gordon website reported an eight-game losing streak. I’m not sure Gordon has ever defeated Salem State at Salem State before.

But it happened and a check of the boxscore indicates that the “stars were out” on this one.  Brady (31), Aaron (22), and Greg (22), regained their scoring abilities after that nightmare versus Westfield State on Saturday night.

Brady’s third three of the first half was part of a 9-0 run that had Gordon ahead 33-22 with 7 ½ minutes left.  The Vikings narrowed things to 43-39 at the half.

Salem State overtook the Scots at 17:15 on a resounding putback dunk by Brian Clark to make it 50-49.  That lead actually increased to three (56-53 and 58-55) before Brady nailed another three and added a couple of free throws to put Gordon in front 60-58. 

It took the Vikings 2 ½ minutes to regain the lead – 68-66 on a JS layup with 11 ½ minutes remaining. 

The next segment was the game-decider.  Over the next 5 ½ minutes the Vikings were without a point while the Scots turned up 12. 

The key to this winning drive was a, “I’ve got the ball and the shot clock is expiring,” 3-pointer by Timmy MacDonnell from the corner.  (A source at the game captured the drama for me.) That answered prayer started things and later Jeff Derr would add a three under less stressful conditions. 

The resulting 78-68 spread did in Salem State.  The closest they got was 84-79 with two minutes left.  Then things turned strictly to free throws and the Scots dropped in 11 of 12.  Brady had seven of them.

This win was a great way to make thanks giving start early. 

The next opponent for Gordon is long-time rival ENC at the Bennett Center on Tuesday night.  In a 3-1 season where there have already been two major surprises – losing a TipOff Tournament game and defeating Salem State – you hesitate to surmise how any future game could go.

Boxscore

Gordon waits for the presentation of the runner-up trophy for the first time in the six-year tournament's history.

(Wenham) Gordon finally lost a game in its annual Tip-Off Classic.  This was the 6th year of the event and the home-team Scots had won eleven straight games in the two-game annual format.

Westfield State did the streak ending as they held off Gordon, 54-51, at the Bennett Center on Saturday night. 

Brady Bajema and AaronTrigg  made the All-Tourney team but it was the Westfield State team and tournament MVP (Anthony Griffin) who were smiling afterwards. 

Coach Rich Sutter’s teams had reached the finals in 2005 and 2007 and lost but this time rode Anthony Griffin’s 22 points, clutch 3-point shooting in the second half, and terrific interior defense to the win.

The Owls (3-0) took the lead with 12 ½ minutes remaining in this low-scoring game (38-35) on Derek Leab’s only three and never trailed again. 

The Scots didn’t go away thereafter but any semblance of shooting accuracy sure did.  Over the next fourteen possessions, Gordon tallied just seven points but remarkably, this was enough to narrow the Owl lead to 43-41 with less than four minutes left. 

The game was there for the taking for the home team if they could make some consecutive shots.  I was thinking at the time, “This is the Tip-Off tourney and Gordon finds a way to win every year so hang in there and watch it happen.” 

But this time around, the next two baskets were scored by Westfield State as Asa Abbott and Nate Pollard both hit their only 3’s of the game.  This unusual (for this game) instant offense gave the Owls a 49-41 advantage with just over three minutes left. Those dagger 3’s tossed the Scots out of one-possession range for good.  Only Brady’s last-second 3 closed the spread to three (54-51) but there was no time left for a Gordon steal and a tying long shot attempt.

Westfield’s Anthony Griffin (6’ junior) was the tourney MVP and he deserved it.  He put in 22 points with quickness and an assorted shot selection. 

The Scots shot a woeful 28.6% (16 for 56) and missed some easy ones that were a big surprise to the significant crowd that gathered. 

I assumed before the game that Westfield State would have the tired legs after a tight game with Baruch the night before, but I was wrong.  They played with plenty of defensive energy.  Gordon may well have been feeling the effects of the long minutes for the starters needed in the tight Husson win on Wednesday.

The lack of a pure point guard plagued the Scots as both Aaron Trigg and Brady Bajema had five turnovers each.  They were heavily guarded and never had much success creating their own offense.  Aaron appeared to get more daylight during the game but his shots (missed five 3’s in the last ten minutes) wouldn’t fall consistently.  He ended up with 15 points but it took 22 shots to do it.

The Gordon faithful saw what happens when a defense shuts down the team’s inside game, specifically Greg Walker.  The 6’7” junior reached double figures 21 times last season and went into the Westfield State game with two straight highly productive outings.  The Owls active defense limited Greg to six shots and he registered just two points.  Lose the inside points and the pressure turns to outside shooting which on this night couldn’t make up the difference.

Gordon returns to action on November 24th (Tuesday) at Salem State at 8PM.  A week from that game (December 1st) the Scots host rival Eastern Nazarene.  I’ll be following those games long range (Barbados) with hopes of seeing the ENC contest on the Gordon website.

I trust that your Thanksgiving gatherings will be blessed events.

Boxscore

(Wenham) It wasn’t a scrimmage but we did get to look at everyone as Gordon (2-0) breezed by Maine Maritime Academy (1-1), 91-59, in the first round of the Gordon Tip-Off Classic at the Bennett Center on Friday night.

The Scots will face Westfield State (defeated Baruch 81-77) in the championship game at 8PM on Saturday night.  Maine Maritime faces Baruch in the 6PM consolation match.

Gordon held its second opponent to the same 59 points as its first opponent (Husson) but the important numbers could well be the minutes of Brady Bajema (23), Aaron Trigg (21), and Greg Walker (20).  Yes, in this blowout they got plenty of rest.  Rest could well be a difference maker versus less rested Westfield State in the big game for the championship. 

This game started well for the visitors from Castine, Maine as they jumped to a 4-2 advantage on a jump shot by Sam Bell and a well-executed backdoor play layup by the Mariner’s tallest player (6-4 Jarred Sternbergh).

Over the next four minutes, however, Gordon put together a 17-2 run on shots from nearly every range.  Ben Gaskill (new haircut) was 4 of 4 from the foul line during this surge.  Mariner coach Chris Murphy went through two timeouts but it was clear that he didn’t have the firepower at either end on this night.

Later in the first half there was a 7 ½ minute stretch with a 22-5 run that turned a 22-12 game into 44-17 and a “how-much-will-they-win-by,” event.  Brady (2) and Garrett Harden (1) connected from long range during the spurt.

There was another nice run of points in the second half.  This time it was eleven unanswered featuring a couple of Mariner turnovers turned into fastbreak layups.  One of them involved a steal by Brady and a save by Ben, which led to a crowd-pleasing David Dempsey old-fashioned 3-point play down the other end.

Greg Walker - Leads Gordon scorers with 15 points on 7-for-10 shooting

The Scot shooting was terrific all night as the boxscore below indicates.  Greg Walker had a nice night inside (15 points) taking advantage of the single coverage inside that Gordon’s strong outside shooting causes. 

There was also an excellent student body crowd on hand.  I wondered about the different colored Pit shirts and learned that some prospective (wannabe?) students were visiting and had been given white shirts to wear at the game.  The so-called Sixth Man will need to be out in force against Westfield State.

We saw our entire team tonight.  I did see two freshmen put up 3-point air balls.  Sometimes doors get left open and the breeze……well, you know! 

I saw former players Mike Herr, David Flight, and Aaron Vogelzang in the house.  Maybe a few more of the “formers” will show up for the championship game.

Boxscore

Aaron Trigg - Hits crucial three in last minute

Okay, we weren’t actually on a rollercoaster but it sure felt like it. 

Gordon opened its 2009-10 season with a last minute rally that led to a 61-59 win over nonleague Husson (Bangor Maine) at the Bennett Center on Wednesday night.

This game had 21 lead changes (11 in the first half/10 in the second half) so there was plenty of uncertainty over how this one would end as the following four paragraphs will explain.

The Eagles took a 4-point lead (57-53) on a pair of Jay Uhrin free throws with three minutes left.  Unfortunately, for Husson, they would add just two more points (Matt MacKenzie free throws) the rest of the way covering six possessions.

Meanwhile, your Scots closed out the game with four point-producing possessions in an 8-2 run that clinched Win #1.

The key play?  How many times have we seen Brady Bajema bring the ball up as Aaron Trigg runs the baseline, gets a screen from a big man (Jeff Derr on this occasion) and gets an open look from the corner?  You’re right, often.  Tonight it happened in the last minute and Aaron connected on the three from the right corner to give the Scots a lead (58-57) they would never lose.

Husson did have several chances but poor foul shooting (13-25) cost them as Jay Uhrin missed the front end of a one-and-one with twenty seconds left.  Brady got the rebound, was fouled and hit both shots to give Gordon a 3-point lead (60-57).  Husson missed a three but Matt MacKenzie was fouled in the rebounding effort and made both to make things “interesting” (60-59) but only four seconds were left.  Brady was fouled on the inbound play and made the second free throw.  The Eagles were left with time only for a desperation three from in front of the scorer’s table by Brock Bradford that hit the backboard.  Normal breathing among the faithful then resumed!

So the Tod Murphy era begins on a thriller.  Mike Schauer had the same experience when he won a similarly close one at ENC in November of 2002 to start his seven-year Gordon run. 

The Scots started slowly and found themselves behind 16-5 after six minutes.  Not to panic, the Eagles soon after went through eleven straight possessions with zero points and the Scots put together eleven unanswered points to pull in front, 19-18, with 6:49 until halftime.  The rest of the game the lead changes were numerous and the final result seriously in question.

David Dempsey - Freshman starter gets eleven rebounds

We got our first look at two of the new guys (David Dempsey and Scott Nelson).  David (6’5” from Wallingford CT) earned a starting position and quietly was the leading rebounder with eleven.  Scott (6’ from Oakhurst NJ) played only five minutes but is the closest thing to a true point guard I’ve seen since Justin Kaufman graduated. 

One very impressive Scot stat was rebounds.  They had 52, which tops any game from last season.  The shooting?  Not so impressive.  Too many in-close misses as well as low percentage attempts to suit me.  Their 21 turnovers weren’t too tasty either.  But a win was the result and we all left happy over that.

The crowd was excellent.  Pity the second-half, opponent free throw shooter attempting one as the student body verbally thrashes him.  Credit the crowd for some of the Eagles 12 charity stripe misses.

A great assortment of player parents was on hand.  Besides from Massachusetts, I noticed parents from Arizona, Georgia, Ohio, Kansas, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Illinois, and Vermont.  I find it truly remarkable.

The team is right back on the Bennett Center court on Friday night (8PM) facing Maine Maritime (Castine ME) in the opening round, late game of the TipOff Tournament.  Baruch faces Westfield State in the first game.  All four teams will play again on Saturday night.

One of the Gordon parents is a Maine Maritime grad and his cheering habits will be closely watched during Friday’s game. 

Boxscore

A rare breakout led by TMac, Aaron, and Jeff against Emerson

I got my first look at this year’s team on Tuesday night at the Bennett Center in a scrimmage against Emerson. 

The visitors gave the 2009-10 Scots an end-to-end taste of  irritating man-to-man defense.  Open shots were few and that very active Emerson defense prevented Gordon from cashing in on height advantages at every position very often.  But the Scots did put up 83 points as did Emerson.

Without stats and charting, my mission was to make sure everyone was back and also to check out the new players as well as the coach.

Aaron Trigg’s hair may have been different but his arsenal of shots looked the same. 

Ben Gaskill seemed to spend most of the night frustrated with himself.  He did miss a bunch of shots.  However, he looks bigger and was very aggressive around the basket.  Can he stay out of foul trouble?  He’s gone to the facial hair look.

TMac and Brady

I’ve seen Brady shoot better.  TMac’s intangibles seldom make a boxscore but the first charge taken was his.

The new guy?  Lefty Dave Dempsey is a player.  His quickness is noticeable and he can create his own offense. 

I also liked what I saw of freshman Scott Nelson of New Jersey.  He handled the ball well against as tough a man-to-man defense as the team will face.  He was the best natural point guard I saw.

Getting used to the new coach (Tod Murphy) will take a while.  First of all, Tod is at least a foot taller than Mike Schauer.  Also, Tod’s emotions were tightly in check during this scrimmage while those around during the last seven seasons could recall an occasional Mike Schauer sideline eruption. 

New to the 2009-10 staff is Ryan Smith.  He was quite the shooter back in the day.

Jordan Logan was not in uniform. Yes, this is Jerry’s brother.  Jordan told me that he was surprised that his parents weren’t on hand (for the scrimmage) since it was his 21st birthday.  He was joking but said that his parents (from Marietta GA) would be around for the season opener on November 18th.

That season opener (Husson) will be followed by the annual TipOff Tournament on the 20th and 21st.  I am looking forward to that stretch of home games. 

Plenty of good seats were available at the scrimmage

This is what the scrimmage crowd looked like.

Tod Murphy - Gordon men's basketball coach

I got my opportunity to talk to the new coach (Tod Murphy) on August 25th in his Gordon College office.  I already knew a little about him because of several internet stories.

In the interview, he told me that he knew nothing about Gordon before he heard about the head-coach opening.  “I wanted to move into a head coaching position and I wanted to do it in a Christian school,” he said. 

Tod had been an assistant at Cal Irvine but wanted to move away from Division One.  “I became disenchanted with the players’ motivations,” he told me.  “I was sure that at the Division Three level the players play because they love basketball not for any sort of scholarship.”

He had been a finalist for several other head coaching jobs in the last four years in California.  As a finalist in the Gordon job, he admitted that he didn’t know what to expect when he was brought in for an interview.  “I felt good about the phone interview, but I wasn’t sure if they offered me the job I would take it,” he said.  “But after coming here and visiting I realized that it was a no-brainer.  I fell in love with the school and the area.”

He said that he is now just as close to the ocean as he was in California.   He did realize, however, that the water temperatures would not be similar!

I learned that he had been a wingman in high school but suddenly grew 4-5 inches his sophomore year and that put him in close to the basket.  He graduated with the Cal Irvine scoring record and said that his development of turn-around, fall-away jump shot was the key to his scoring – “No one could block it.” 

Things were different at the pro level.  “I became more of a role player and a defensive player,” he said.  “I sat on the weakside and if things broke down on the other side, the ball would swing my way for 18-footers.  I also scored on a lot of offensive rebounds.”

He told me that any success he had in the NBA was due to his willingness to, “work his tail off,” and the fact that he has “a good basketball mind.”  “Larry Bird wasn’t a great athlete but mentally he was two steps ahead of everyone else,” he said.  “I wasn’t two steps ahead, like Larry, but I was a half step, and it made a difference.”

He believes that his basketball knowledge and work ethic will help the Gordon program.

Tod was well aware that Mike Schauer had developed a great program and that “the cupboard was certainly not bare.”  He said that he does not intend to change what’s here into “Tod Murphy’s program.”  “I want to continue what Mike Schauer has set up,” he added.

He did say, though, that the offense might be a little different.  “There will be continuity but I want to do more in creating shots for players like Aaron, Brady, Ben, and Greg,” he said.  He expected to use the man-to-man defense we’ve seen for Mike Schauer’s seven seasons.

He confirmed the good news that freshman David Dempsey ( 6’5” – Wallingford CT) is on campus.  One internet report has him as an excellent perimeter player.  An individual closer to the team says that David is the most athletic player this team has ever had.  

Tod looks to shorten the minutes of key players.  “The first 16 games are important and we’ll be ready for them,” he said, “but it’s 17-25 where we want to be peaking for the postseason.”  The frustrating thing for the Gordon faithful has been the team’s inability to win a semifinal game in the tournament.  Maybe fewer minutes will help to change that.

Tod realizes that recruiting will be a challenge.  He also realizes that with five seniors this team will need some replacements next season.  “I did a lot of recruiting at Cal Irvine but that was for Division One players,” he told me.

He said that he grew up a big fan of Jerry West’s.  Nowadays he said that his favorite player is Dwight Howard.  “He’s a tremendous player who works hard and hasn’t lost sight of his Christian faith,” he said.  He admires Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen for the same reasons.  Another player he admired was Kurt Rambis.  “Kurt was similar to me,” he recalled.  “He was a big scorer at Santa Clara but turned into a role player for the Lakers.  He did everything to help that team win games and that’s the kind of player I want to bring here to Gordon.”

Timmy MacDonnell - "He's the type of player I love " - Coach Murphy

Tod has seen some of the game films and not surprisingly, Timmy MacDonnell has caught his eye.  “He is one hard-nosed player,” said Tod.  “He told me that he had already taken one or two charges per game in summer league.”

Similar to thousands of coaches, Tod said he admired the coaching style of John Wooden of UCLA.  “He stressed preparation,” said Tod of Wooden, “and that’s what I’ll do.  This team has talent.  The important thing will be preparation.” 

At the time of the interview Tod was set up in a rented house nearby but without his wife (Kelly), and daughters Annie (6), Lacey (3 ½) and Kylie (22 months).  “I miss them,” he said.  “They’ll be here from California shortly.  It’s the longest we’ve ever been apart.”

So Mike Schauer and his three sons have left as Tod Murphy and his three daughters are arriving. 

In addition, to be noted is that Tod Murphy is a legitimate 6’9” and looks lean enough to be able to show as well as tell his players something. 

Mike Schauer was a serious 3-point scorer at Wheaton.  Tod was a serious in-close scorer at Cal Irvine.  I’ll be curious to see what Gordon’s developing inside game becomes in 2009-10 as Ben, Jeff, Jon, and Greg are coached by someone who knows the inside game personally. 

I will own up to the fact that I’m excited about the New England Patriots as their season is about to start.  I’m now also ready to get just as excited about this year’s Gordon College Fighting Scots team after having met the coach.  Bring on the season!

(This story was in the Salem (MA) Evening News on July 23, 2009)

By Mike Grenier – staff writer

 Tod Murphy wouldn’t strike anyone as a name-dropper, but he did try to get in touch with Celtics assistant coach Tom Thibodeau before he was chosen to take over the men’s basketball program at Gordon College.

It wasn’t like Murphy was grasping at straws. He and Thibodeau go back 20 years, to the days when Murphy was a rookie with the Minnesota Timberwolves and Thibodeau was a hungry young assistant out of Salem State College.

“I was just calling to find out about the North Shore area and Gordon College,” said the 45-year-old Murphy, “and I thought, who’d be better to talk to than a Boston Celtics assistant coach? I’m sure Tom remembers me as an overachiever (in the NBA).”

Murphy never did connect with Thibodeau, who’s been traveling around the country this summer interviewing for an NBA head coaching job, but things still worked out as Murphy hoped they would.

A six-year assistant with the Division 1 Cal-Irvine Anteaters, Murphy is relocating his family from the West Coast in order to coach at Gordon, which went 20-7 last season under Mike Schauer.

“I’m well aware of what Mike did up there,” said Murphy. “He did a tremendous job in his seven years; I hope I don’t screw up what he’s already done. Mike has set me up to have a great year. We’re losing only one player and I feel good about the group we’re going to have. It’ll be a big year for the seniors.”

The logical question, of course, is why would Murphy, with his NBA background and Division 1 college coaching experience, abandon the life he had in California to coach a small Division 3 school in Wenham?

“Well, I just feel like I’m ready to be a head coach,” said Murphy, “and I wanted it to be in a Christian environment.

Over the last few years, I really wasn’t sure that Division 1 was the level I wanted to be. I felt I might be better suited to coach at the lower level.

“The players at Gordon are not going to be pros, but they love to play basketball. That’s the sort of kid I want to coach. Some of these players will probably improve more than the kids in Division 1. And if you’re that good (in Division 3), they’re going to find you anyway.”

Maximizing talent

At 6-foot-9, Murphy will be an imposing figure as he paces the Gordon sideline. He had a tremendous playing career at Cal-Irvine, where he ranks No. 2 in school history with 1,778 points and 837 rebounds. The Associated Press named him an Honorable Mention All-American, and he was inducted into the Cal-Irvine Hall of Fame in 2000.

Murphy knows exactly what he’s getting into at Gordon. The days of dealing with gifted Division 1 athletes are gone, but Murphy doesn’t see that as a negative. He sounds eager to roll up his sleeves and work with the talent that’s available.

“It’s not going to change for me,” said Murphy, alluding to his comment about being an overachiever. “I’m going to beat the bushes to look for kids who can play at Gordon. After that, it’s about maximizing their talent.

“It wasn’t a tough sell (to make the move from California),” added Murphy. “My kids (three daughters) are young. My wife (Kelly) knows how important it is to me to be a head coach. I was in a secular environment before, and I couldn’t share my faith without wondering whether I was offending somebody. I won’t have to worry about that at Gordon. It’s a wonderful opportunity.”

The Gordon players will be amused when Murphy gets around to telling them war stories from his NBA career. He tends to downplay his ability, but he was a starting forward on the first Minnesota Timberwolves team in 1989 and received the team’s Defensive Player of the Year award while leading the league in fewest turnovers per minute.
Murphy spent five years in the NBA, moving on to the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets and Detroit Pistons after playing in Minnesota. Following his NBA career, he played for teams in Italy, Greece, Spain and Japan.

Link to Air Jordan

One of his favorite memories involved a game against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. This was when Jordan was at his skywalking best.

“Michael started to drive and got by his man, so I came over to provide help-side defense,” recalled Murphy. “I thought I might be able to tip the ball out of his hands or something, but he ends up on the other side of the basket for an unbelievable dunk. I was like, ‘Are you kidding me?’

“I was asked about the play by the media after the game and my comment was, ‘All I saw was the bottom of his shoes.’ It ended up being a national quote.”

Murphy called the NBA “the best job in the world because you’re doing what you like and you’re making more money than you deserve, plus you meet so many great people along the way.”

Coaching at Gordon is about as far from that type of spotlight as you can possibly get, but it’s going to be a huge part of his life for the foreseeable future.

“I’m just grateful to Gordon,” said Murphy. “They’ve put their faith in me.”

Gordon's new men's basketball coach - Tod Murphy

June 15, 2009 – Gordon announcement

I am pleased to announce the appointment of Tod Murphy as the new men’s basketball coach. For the past six years, Murphy has been the lead assistant coach at the University of California at Irvine, his alma mater.  Prior to that, he spent two years as an assistant at the University of California at Riverside. At Irvine, Murphy was also the recruiting director, offensive coordinator, and principal scout. UCI finished tied for third last year in the Big West Conference.

A 6′ 9″ forward, Murphy had a stellar playing career.  At UCI, he set the career scoring record and was an honorable mention All-American.   Upon graduating from UCI with a degree in economics, Murphy helped lead the Albany Patroons to the Continental Basketball Association title, and was selected the MVP of the playoffs. He then became the starting forward on the first Minnesota Timberwolves club in 1989, winning the team’s defensive player of the year award and leading the NBA in fewest turnovers per minute. Over his five years in the NBA he also completed stints with the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, and Detroit Pistons. Following his NBA days, Tod played for several top international clubs, including teams in Italy, Greece, Spain and Japan.

Known as a fierce competitor with high integrity and a humble spirit, Murphy has been praised by his peers as the consummate team player, willing to adjust his game or his priorities to do what best serves the team.  At UCI, he regularly led worship services for players who wished to participate, and he is known for his personal attention and care for the welfare of his athletes.  He, his wife Kelly, and their three young daughters look forward to being a part of the Gordon community.   Pray for them and for the team as we enter this transition together.

Mark Sargent

Additional information I have found about Tod online

(2004 off the Cal-Irvine website)
As for Murphy, players flash a genuine smile and beam when they hear of his name.
‘He’s huge. He just does a lot of the little things and he’s also good off the court,’ said forward Nic Campbell. ‘He often has some of the guys over at his place to eat dinner so that we can get some team bonding going. He’s just a great guy all-around.’
Murphy, a former NBA player, seems to get nothing but rave reviews since joining Douglass’ staff at the end of last season.
‘He’s a unique coach because he goes on the court and scrimmages against us,’ said center Adam Parada. ‘He’s played professionally so he has the experience and because of that, he has the point of view from the big man.’
UCI’s biggest gain from Murphy’s presence just might be his experience from his well-traveled playing career.
‘We’ve always had really good big-man coaches. But he’s different because he brings a different type of coaching style,’ Parada said. ‘He has the experience of being on the court opposed to some of the other coaches we’ve had, who have just been coaching all their lives. He’s been in the team setting for his whole life so he knows what’s going on.’

(From the UC Irvine website) Tod Murphy, one of the most prolific players in UC Irvine history, is in his sixth season as an Anteater assistant coach in 2008-09.
Murphy graduated from UCI with a B.A. degree in economics in 1986. He was the CIF 4A Player of the Year at Lakewood High School in 1981-82 and then competed at UCI from 1982-86 under Coach Bill Mulligan. Murphy ranks No. 2 in UCI history with 1,778 points and 837 rebounds. He was first team All-PCAA (now Big West) as a junior and senior, and he was named to the All-District 15 team in 1986. Murphy, who earned Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American honors at UCI, was inducted into UCI’s Athletic Hall of Fame in 2000.
Murphy was selected by the Seattle Supersonics in the third round (53rd overall) of the 1986 NBA draft. After sustaining an injury, he subsequently played for the CBA-champion Albany (N.Y.) Patroons in 1987-88. Murphy played in Villalba, Spain, during the 1988-89 season, then joined the NBA-expansion Minnesota Timberwolves in 1989. He was a member of the Timberwolves’ original starting five against Seattle Nov. 3, 1989. During that season, Murphy scored 24 points in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers and he pulled down 20 rebounds in a contest versus the Los Angeles Clippers.
He was traded to the Houston Rockets for the 1992-93 season, then returned overseas to play in Italy, Spain and Japan until 1998.
Murphy returned to his alma mater as an assistant coach in May 2003 after serving two years as an assistant at UC Riverside.
Murphy and his wife Kelly have three daughters, Annie, Lacey and Kylie. His brother, Tim, is an assistant coach at Big West rival Cal Poly.

http://athletics.wheaton.edu/news/2009/4/29/MBB_0429092958.aspx?path=mbball

Mike Schauer has accepted the head coaching position at Wheaton College.

It was the announcement we hoped we’d never see. (Click on the link above to read the details on the Wheaton site.)

But it has happened.  I think I had the same sensation when I was attending a Sunday morning service at Hamilton Congregational Church when Harold Bussell said he was leaving to serve in California. 

I am sure for Mike  the choice to leave wasn’t an easy one but not one that is a total surprise.  Mike is from the Midwest, played at Wheaton, and was an assistant coach at Wheaton before going to Eastern and then to Gordon. 

And what’s not to like about what Mike’s coaching style brought to Gordon’s basketball program during the past seven seasons?  His first year here he inherited some great seniors and the team was 20-5.  Impressive, to me, was what he did after the major pieces of that team graduated after the season.  We learned that he was a terrific recruiter because as players graduated new ones came along who could compete successfully in the CCC.  There was never a losing season!

The year-after-year successes were bound to catch the eye of other programs in the country sooner or later.  My take is that other offers were received but never considered.  His eye was always on the Wheaton job and the longer Mike coached at Gordon the better his resume became. 

The Wheaton basketball program has been very, very successful.  I can’t imagine that not continuing with Mike as the head coach. 

Where does that leave those of us left behind?  Imagining the future is very difficult. Some of us have gotten very attached to the winter activities at the Bennett Center and there is a very good team in place for the 2009-10 season.  

How does Gordon go about getting another coach?  Without an athletic director the search could be real difficult. 

BUT GOD!  God is in control and for those of us who have prayed for the Gordon basketball program for years there is great consolation in that fact.  Uncertainty has a way of drawing us closer to Him and this is surely a time of uncertainty. 

I have followed the team regularly for all of Mike’s years here.  I think, in fact, that Mike is the only one who has seen more of Gordon’s games during the past seven years than I have.  I’ll miss him a lot but at this point I’m prepared to press ahead and see what God has in store for the team’s future.  I’ll also be keeping my eye out for Wheaton scores to see how he does.

Psalm 33:20-22 “We’re depending on God; he’s everything we need.  What’s more, our hearts brim with joy since we’ve taken for our own his holy name.  Love us, God, with all you’ve got – that’s what we’re depending on.”

I hope to get over to the college and do a brief interview with Mike before he leaves.

 The Scots lost 72-54 exiting from the Commonwealth Coast Conference tournament in the semifinals for the fourth straight season as a result.  Gordon was the lone returnee from last season’s Final Four.

Meanwhile, Colby-Sawyer moves on to the finals at UNE on Saturday night.  The UNE pressure gave the Chargers trouble in a regular season loss. 

The Gordon lax team attired at Colby-Sawyer with TMac goggles and Brady arm pads - photo courtesy goggle wearer's mother

The Gordon/CS game was played Thursday night in New Hampshire before a crowd that included a busload of Gordon students.  The kids came and made plenty of supportive noise throughout but the team just didn’t respond.

Aaron sandwiched by Jon Chaloux (#12) and Matt Lemieux (#3) - photo courtesy Ron Harden

Jon Chaloux (23 points /7 rebounds) and Matt Lemieux (18 points /7 assists) led the (20-6) Chargers.  Jon, the 6-6 junior, caused similar damage (26 points) in the first meeting at the Bennett Center.  Someone needs to figure out how to guard him before next year’s game. 

The Scots were cold early and it was four minutes in before Ben Gaskill took his only shot of the game and scored after receiving a nice pass from Brady Bajema.  Meanwhile, the Chargers already had six points thanks to Jon Chaloux. He took one of Matt Lemieux’s seven assists and dunked and also hit a couple of jump shots.  This was a game in which we had trouble scoring and they didn’t, most of the time.

Before the half was over the Chargers had put together a run of seven straight, and three runs of six and led 33-17 at halftime.  An optimist at halftime could certainly note that we weren’t down 48-26 as we were at halftime in the 90-64 loss and that this time around Aaron Trigg hadn’t scored yet.

Gordon got off to a much better start in the second half.  After a couple of Ben Gaskill free throws, the Scots made their next five shots and cut the deficit to 39-30 after 3 ½ minutes played.  Plenty of time left.

But Matt Lemieux (5-8 senior) put a damper on the optimism with his own personal run of seven points and in a little over a minute the Chargers were up by sixteen (46-30). 

CS, wisely kept the ball in Matt’s hands most of the second half and spread the floor to give him plenty of room to show his ball-handling skills. 

CS never let go of that double-figures lead the rest of the way, using the clock and ending most of their lengthy possessions with points. 

In the twenty wins Gordon ended up with this season, we’ve seen them do the same thing with a lead.  It sure is a helpless feeling to see your team on the wrong side of that strategy especially when your team’s defensive arsenal doesn’t include trapping or pressing.

Brady Bajema - Paced the Scots with 24 points including 17 in the second half.

Even in the loss, we did see quite a second half, shooting show from Brady.  He tossed in seventeen second half points and ended up with 24 points for the game. 

Brady became the go-to guy in that second half as Aaron never got untracked and for the first time in 53 games didn’t make at least one three.  The defense was good but not that good.  This was truly one of those rare outings when the talented junior from Kansas had his shooting touch nearly abandon him entirely.  But again, let me repeat, no one player ever loses a team game!

Closer to the basket things didn’t go that well either.  Greg (6 points) had trouble getting the ball, and when he did get it was faced with extra defenders.  Ben (4 points) took only ONE shot the entire game (He had 14 points on Tuesday night) and because of foul trouble watched 18 minutes of the game from the bench.

Enough of that negative stuff.  Gordon ends with twenty wins and a lone graduate (David Flight) whom we wish well.  Trust me, the 2009-10 team will be favored in the preseason CCC poll.  The target will be on their backs with so much experience returning.  We are destined for another season of very good basketball I suspect.  I would like to believe that next year’s team is capable of winning the conference and securing homecourt throughout the playoffs in 2010.  Can they (finally) win the tournament?  Why not?

A closing thanks to the friends we’ve renewed with this season and to those added along the way.  The tremendous sacrifices that parents of players make just to attend games always amazes me.  Any player reading this article needs to remind their parents repeatedly that they are appreciative of their support.

I am thankful for the opportunity that God has given me to cover seven seasons of Gordon games.  My wife, Julie, has been a wonderful source of encouragement and I thank her for that.

Lord willing, I expect to follow the team during the 2009-10 season. 

Thanks for being part of the readership.

Box Score