Spring Break
Oh, to erase the past four years
Marc Gauthier
Issue date: 11/14/08 Section: Husky Hoopla
I suppose I'll always remember the first time I talked with Ater Majok, the mystery man of this year's UConn basketball team.
It was a late night earlier this week, and I needed a photo of the inside of Gampel Pavilion. So, a photographer and I drove out to the legendary dome that encompasses what Storrs is all about.
It was 10:30. We managed to find our way in and the photographer set up his tripod and began taking pictures.
Being inside Gampel without the sound of the crowd, the smell of fresh popcorn or even Dale (the blue-and-white guy) was an eerie feeling.
The humming of the lights overhead was the only thing calming my nerves.
The photos were taken, the tripod all packed away and the two of us headed to the exits. As we walked toward the doors closest to the Co-op, I heard a noise down on the court. I walked back, peered over and saw a tall man dressed in a grey sweat-pant jumpsuit. My gut feeling told me it was Majok.
"Hey, how's it going?" I called out to him; the sound of my voice echoing across the floor. "Are you Ater Majok?"
"Yes. That's me," he replied with a smile. "How are you doing?"
Here I was, standing in one of the greatest basketball buildings in the country, talking to one of the greatest mysteries of the 2008-2009 season. He didn't bother to brush me off or ignore me. Instead he asked how I was doing.
Before that moment, I was doing OK. But shortly thereafter, I was great.
To me, Majok, a Sudanese refugee and an Australian citizen, was a symbol of everything that UConn basketball could be this year.
The scouts are excited to see Majok play. His preseason hype had him listed as the 13th-best prospect in the class of 2008, according to Rivals.com. Some even say that the NBA is undoubtedly in his future.
Much like Majok, all the scouts are excited to see the Huskies play. ESPN.com has UConn ranked preseason No. 2 in the country and many know that the NBA is an option for players like Hasheem Thabeet, Jeff Adrien and A.J. Price.
It was a late night earlier this week, and I needed a photo of the inside of Gampel Pavilion. So, a photographer and I drove out to the legendary dome that encompasses what Storrs is all about.
It was 10:30. We managed to find our way in and the photographer set up his tripod and began taking pictures.
Being inside Gampel without the sound of the crowd, the smell of fresh popcorn or even Dale (the blue-and-white guy) was an eerie feeling.
The humming of the lights overhead was the only thing calming my nerves.
The photos were taken, the tripod all packed away and the two of us headed to the exits. As we walked toward the doors closest to the Co-op, I heard a noise down on the court. I walked back, peered over and saw a tall man dressed in a grey sweat-pant jumpsuit. My gut feeling told me it was Majok.
"Hey, how's it going?" I called out to him; the sound of my voice echoing across the floor. "Are you Ater Majok?"
"Yes. That's me," he replied with a smile. "How are you doing?"
Here I was, standing in one of the greatest basketball buildings in the country, talking to one of the greatest mysteries of the 2008-2009 season. He didn't bother to brush me off or ignore me. Instead he asked how I was doing.
Before that moment, I was doing OK. But shortly thereafter, I was great.
To me, Majok, a Sudanese refugee and an Australian citizen, was a symbol of everything that UConn basketball could be this year.
The scouts are excited to see Majok play. His preseason hype had him listed as the 13th-best prospect in the class of 2008, according to Rivals.com. Some even say that the NBA is undoubtedly in his future.
Much like Majok, all the scouts are excited to see the Huskies play. ESPN.com has UConn ranked preseason No. 2 in the country and many know that the NBA is an option for players like Hasheem Thabeet, Jeff Adrien and A.J. Price.
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