subscribesubscriber servicescontact usabout ussite mapBuy a Classified
Mon, Nov 23 2009 

Published: November 15, 2008 11:31 pm    print this story  

MEN'S BASKETBALL: Garrison makes local debut in NU opener

By Jonah Bronstein
E-mail Jonah

All Rob Garrison has ever wanted to do was help the team win.

Blessed with enough basketball talent to earn a Division I scholarship, Garrison was a valuable roleplayer — but not a star — for the Niagara Falls Wolverines team that won a state championship in 2005.

Months after his high school career ended, Garrison was set to go to prep school in order to raise his recruiting stock when Connecticut, a team that won two national championships during Garrison’s teen years, invited him to fill a void at point guard.

He played major minutes early on as a freshman, helping the Huskies start 11-0. But UConn had what it felt were better prospects, Marcus Williams and A.J. Price, serving suspensions, and when they returned, Garrison’s playing time dried up.

Connecticut struggled the following season, going 17-14 and failing to qualify for the NCAA tournament. And Garrison barely played at all.

“I wasn’t upset that I didn’t get a chance to play, but I felt that I didn’t get the opportunity to prove that I can play, like some of my teammates,” Garrison recalled. “I felt that I was prepared, and I was never given a chance to show my preparation.”

So Garrison requested and obtained a release from coach Jim Calhoun, and elected to transfer. At the time, he had no interest in coming home to finish his career. But after talking with Tim Winn, the former LaSalle High School star who picked St. Bonaventure over Syracuse, and making a pact with Bilal Benn, a player looking to transfer out of Villanova, Garrison decided he wanted to be a Niagara Purple Eagle.

Players transfer out of elite conferences like the Big East into smaller leagues like the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference every year. Often, they are expected to be the best player on their new team.

And Garrison has added pressure playing at home. He’ll make his local debut at 7 p.m. today when Niagara opens a new season against Towson in the Gallagher Center.

“The magnifying glass is on me even more so now that I’m here,” he said. “And I’m going to take that as a positive. People say there’s a lot of pressure. They say pressure breaks pipes. I say, pressure makes diamonds.”

But Garrison hopes the local community remembers the way he fit in at NFHS, and doesn’t expect him to be a star on Monteagle Ridge.

“I hope they don’t expect me to come out and shoot every time, and score 30 points every night. I don’t have to do that here. I’m surrounded by great players,” he said.

And most of those players are also guards. In addition to Benn, a former point guard who, at 6-foot-5, will be thrust into the frontcourt at times this season, the Purple Eagles return an outstanding backcourt tandem in Anthony Nelson and Rob Garrison.

But coach Joe Mihalich firmly believes in playing his best players as much as possible. So Garrison didn’t have to compete with Nelson, Lewis or Benn for a starting job. When the ball goes up tonight, all four are expected to be on the floor.

“That was a big deciding factor in me coming here,” Garrison said. “I like playing with other guards. It’s a lot easier and it’s more fun to play with players who can think the game as fast as you, and play in constant motion.”

Nelson, who had 149 assists last year, the second-most ever by a Niagara freshman, said he’s looking forward to playing with Garrison.

“Rob makes it so much easier on me,” he said. “We’re interchangeable. Whoever gets it, just pushes it up the floor.”

Added Lewis, Niagara’s No. 1 scoring option, “With three of us out there handling the rock, we shouldn’t ever have a problem making plays.”

GAME NIGHT



Niagara vs. Towson

• WHEN: 7 p.m.

• WHERE: Gallagher Center

• RADIO: 103.3 The River

• TV: Niagara Sports Network (RTN-11, DirecTV 617, Fox College Sports Atlantic, TWSN in Albany and Rochester)

print this story  

Photos


081022 The Art of motion/sports DAN CAPPELLAZZO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Lewiston - With the camera set at a slow shutter speed it? poetry in motion as Niagara University? Rob Garrsion guards teammate Anthony Nelson during a recent practice at the Gallagher Center. DAN CAPPELLAZZO/STAFF PHOTOGRAPH/ (Click for larger image)



autoconx
Premier Guide
Find a business

Walking Fingers
Maps, Menus, Store hours, Coupons, and more...
Premier Guide
Featured Jobs

Warehouse
Warehouse, Assembly
Production & Cleaning
1st, 2nd & 3rd shifts
Sanborn, Grand Island
Amherst & Tona
...>MORE

BILINGUAL PHONE INTERVIEWER
Bilingual Telephone interviewer. Surveys for insurance policy review. Spanish/English a Must. ft/pt & Sat. No sales/coll...>MORE

Maintenance Technician
MAINTENANCE Technician, FT, exp. needed in electrical, plumbing, heating & cooling, Apply in person bet. 9 & 5 at 6751 ...>MORE

Hospitality/Tourism Instructor
Hospitality/Tourism. NIAGARA COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE is seeking applications for part-time instructor to teach hospita...>MORE

Mechanic
MECHANIC: Truck trailer, FT, full benefits. Competitive wages. Contact 875-4980; fax 875-8108...>MORE

Cook
COOK full time.
Apply in person only,
Augie’s Diner,
2470 Military Rd.
...>MORE

Adult Residential Services Administrator
HUMAN SERVICES
Progressive Niagara County Agency serving adults with psychiatric disabilties seeks an Adult Reside
...>MORE

SHIPPING CLERK
Shipping Clerk, p/t, 30-35 hrs. wk., exp. in warehouse environment, knowledge of Word/Excel, data entry, UPS, freight ch...>MORE


INSURANCE - CSR with Personal Lines exp., for Lockport area. $25,000 salary. 433-7504...>MORE

PHONE SALES
PHONE sales, great pay, exp. a plus, nice NT office, FT/PT, hrly. +, Pete or Mike, 694-1251...>MORE

See all ads

Feature Autos

Ford 1998 F150
FORD 1998 F150, standard cab, 4wd, excellent shape, $3495.
716-525-2889
...>MORE

1996 Ford Escort
FORD 1996 Escort 4 cyl, 2 dr, exc cond in & out, no rust, 1 owner, only 61k orig mi, $2195. 523-7102...>MORE

Yamaha 1982, 750
YAMAHA 1982, 750, runs perfect,
low mileage, $895.
716-525-2889
...>MORE

1999 Dodge Caravan
DODGE 1999 Caravan, 33, V6, auto, A/C, 99k miles, good cond., runs great. $1950. 525-7796...>MORE

Ford 1999 Windstar
FORD 1999 WIndstar, LX, fully loaded, 38k miles, $3850. Excellent condition 860-4747...>MORE

Monte Carlo Z24 1998
MONTE CARLO Z24, 1998, runs good, average miles, excellent shape, $1800 , 990-2303...>MORE

Dodge 1993 Dakota 4x4
FORD 1999 WIndstar, LX, fully loaded, 38k miles, $3850. Excellent condition 860-4747...>MORE

Ford 2001 Taurus
Ford 2001 Taurus Station wagon, well maintained, 112,000 miles Siver ext. 4 dr, auto, asking $2800/BO. 716-772-2454....>MORE

See all ads

See all ads


 

Community Newspaper Holdings, Inc.CNHI Classified Advertising NetworkCNHI News Service
Associated Press content © 2009. All rights reserved. AP content may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Our site is powered by Zope and our Internet Yellow Pages site is powered by PremierGuide.
Some parts of our site may require you to download the Flash Player Plugin.
View our Privacy Policy
Advertiser index