Spring Break
Making the most of his time
Senior walk-on Veronick reflects on his first career points
Kevin Duffy
Issue date: 3/26/09 Section: Sports
When top-seeded UConn led ninth-seeded Texas A&M, 90-66, with 43 seconds remaining, half of the Wachovia Center was empty. The other half was probably disinterested. It was the definition of "garbage time."
But for 6-foot-8 senior walk-on Jim Veronick, that "garbage time" will remain with him for the rest of his life.
Sophomore guard Donnell Beverly put up a shot that bounced off the rim and to the left, and Veronick quickly snatched it and rose up for a short jumpshot.
"Actually, when I shot it, I thought it was possibly an airball," Veronick recalled.
Much to his surprise, the ball found the bottom of the net and Veronick cemented his place in the UConn record books with his first career points.
Teammate John Lindner, also a senior walk-on, bear-hugged Veronick immediately after the ball dropped through the basket. After what happened versus Chatanooga in the first round, the two points may have meant as much to Lindner as they did to Veronick.
The setting was basically the same - UConn led 103-47 with 52 seconds remaining when back-up center Jon Mandeldove airballed a short turnaround jumper. Lindner grabbed the rebound and went up strong for a lay-up. The ball rolled around the rim and nearly went down, but Lindner was fouled on the play by Chatanooga forward Dante Harvey. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound senior walk-on from Cheshire was awarded two free throws to notch his first career points.
The white board in the locker room after the game told the whole story. A team manager jokingly scribbled "0-for-2" and the whole team joked about Lindner squandering his opportunity.
"He was pretty upset about it," Veronick said. "The guys messed with him a little bit, but it was all in good fun."
So, when Veronick knocked down that jumpshot versus Texas A&M, Lindner was finally off the hook.
"We have forgiven John Lindner," said junior center Hasheem Thabeet. "After Jimmy made the shot, we will stop talking about John Lindner's free throws. He is forgiven."
But for 6-foot-8 senior walk-on Jim Veronick, that "garbage time" will remain with him for the rest of his life.
Sophomore guard Donnell Beverly put up a shot that bounced off the rim and to the left, and Veronick quickly snatched it and rose up for a short jumpshot.
"Actually, when I shot it, I thought it was possibly an airball," Veronick recalled.
Much to his surprise, the ball found the bottom of the net and Veronick cemented his place in the UConn record books with his first career points.
Teammate John Lindner, also a senior walk-on, bear-hugged Veronick immediately after the ball dropped through the basket. After what happened versus Chatanooga in the first round, the two points may have meant as much to Lindner as they did to Veronick.
The setting was basically the same - UConn led 103-47 with 52 seconds remaining when back-up center Jon Mandeldove airballed a short turnaround jumper. Lindner grabbed the rebound and went up strong for a lay-up. The ball rolled around the rim and nearly went down, but Lindner was fouled on the play by Chatanooga forward Dante Harvey. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound senior walk-on from Cheshire was awarded two free throws to notch his first career points.
The white board in the locker room after the game told the whole story. A team manager jokingly scribbled "0-for-2" and the whole team joked about Lindner squandering his opportunity.
"He was pretty upset about it," Veronick said. "The guys messed with him a little bit, but it was all in good fun."
So, when Veronick knocked down that jumpshot versus Texas A&M, Lindner was finally off the hook.
"We have forgiven John Lindner," said junior center Hasheem Thabeet. "After Jimmy made the shot, we will stop talking about John Lindner's free throws. He is forgiven."
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