田径| 新闻| 学生2024年4月19日

Second Recruiting Class for Gibson Starts with Local Talent

作者:伊恩·西尔维斯特

University of Arkansas – Fort Smith men’s basketball head coach Zane Gibson has his mind dialed into making his second season at the end of the bench a success. 下 Gibson’s direction, the Lions finished the 2023-2024 season, their last in the Lone Star Conference, with a record of 7-21 (5-17). Although it wasn’t the ending the team 希望, 吉布森的回归 to UAFS sparked a resurgence of excitement throughout the program.

Year two is already underway, and it began with the commitment and signing of Pocola (Oklahoma) High School star point guard Garrett Scott.

At 6’3”, Garrett is a multi-sport athlete, competing in football, basketball, and track. He said that while he loves playing football and running track, basketball 一直是他的激情所在吗. Playing at the next level was a dream come true.

“I’ve always considered being a Lion,” he said. “I grew up going to their camps and 游戏. I always loved coming, going to the gym, and watching them. 我一直想要 to go there, and I’m really excited to play for Coach Gibson.”

Being a Lion also runs in the family. Garrett’s mom attended when the university still went by Westark, and his half-brother is a recent graduate.

Gibson and Garrett have been linked for some time. Gibson was close to Garrett’s dad when the senior Scott was an assistant coach at Northside High School in Fort Smith during Gibson’s first stint on the UAFS coaching staff. 在那之后的几年里，吉布森 watched Garrett finish his high school career with 1,633 points – averaging 21 points per game in his senior season – and lead the Indians to a state runner-up finish.

Despite the connection to Garrett, Gibson understood that recruiting and luring him to play in Arkansas required him to overcome the Oklahoma Promise. 这个奖学金 program pays Oklahoma high school graduates full tuition to attend a two-year college 或者四年制大学. Gibson’s pitch came down to two main factors.

“It’s important to keep good talent home. If they’re good enough, we wanted to keep the best players in the River Valley, in the River Valley,” Gibson stated.

“The thing that we always stress to anybody we’re recruiting is fit. 适合度可能是 老实说，这是最重要的事情. … We want to do things for the right reasons; your college 选择不应该是不同的.”

Gibson referred to a statistic that stands out to him as a coach: only 3% of all high school basketball players play at the next level. Whether it’s at “Division One, Division Two, Division Three, JUCO, NAIA, it’s only 3% of the whole country,” he emphasized.

Gibson said Garrett should be proud to have earned a scholarship to play at UAFS from 俄克拉荷马州的一所小型高中. It’s an accomplishment that also gives players like Garrett hope that they, too, can one day achieve their goals.

“I’m proud of myself, but I know that the job’s not finished, and I still have a lot 还有更多工作要做，”加勒特说. “但这显示了领导力. 它表明，只要 you put your mind to it, put in the work, and don’t give up, you can play at the next level no matter how big or small you are.”

加勒特的签字是有道理的. He’s a local player with a solid connection to the high school he will soon graduate from, and he knew UAFS was the perfect fit. 与加勒特 being an all-around athlete, Gibson knew he was getting a winner with his second recruiting 类的第一次提交.

“When we find a guy that plays another sport, it gives them another check because that means they’re multi-dimensional. … It’s something we (as a staff) love, and I 比如喜欢竞争的人. Garrett has no reason to run track right now other 他只是在竞争. 他只是想赢.”

狮子队将搬到 Mid-America Intercollegiate 体育运动 Association今年秋天，美国国际航空管理局(MIAA)也将加入. Gibson said that the move would be a challenge to adjust personnel-wise, but with seven returning players and newcomers like Garrett slotting in, Gibson is confident in the team's direction. 加勒特完全同意.

“All the teams we’ll be playing are huge, and it’s a great conference. 这是 最艰难的会议. We’re going to have to work hard and work on our game and 在这个过程中保持锁定. 如果我们这样做，我们会很伟大. 我们可以做大事， 当然，”加勒特说.

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• 篮球
• UAFS田径