Oh, to erase the past four years

By: Marc Gauthier

Posted: 11/14/08

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.

The question is will Majok live up to the expectations? Better yet, will UConn live up to the expectations?

It's been a bitter and brutal four years since UConn last won the NCAA national championship and quite frankly, I don't think there's a single person who follows UConn basketball who would disagree.

But there's reason to believe that maybe, just maybe, this year's team can erase all the horrible memories of the past four years.

For the most part, everyone who played last year is back with a few exceptions. The ones who won't be missed are Doug Wiggins (who transferred to UMass) and Curtis Kelly (who transferred to Kansas State).

That leaves only Stanley Robinson, the athletic 6-foot-9 forward from Birmingham, Ala. The good news about Robinson is that he's expected to return next semester after taking a semester off of college. And as a side note, I've seen Robinson running up and down the steps in Gampel - I think he's ready to play.

The returning players are all products of three or four years in a Jim Calhoun system.

Seniors Jeff Adrien, A.J. Price and Craig Austrie were all a part of the George Mason loss, the San Diego loss and the NCAA snuff.

Coming back as juniors, Jerome Dyson, Hasheem Thabeet, Gavin Edwards and Jonathan Mandeldove now know what it's like being on the bad end of a Cinderella story.

Sophomore Donnell Beverly is, well, Donnell Beverly.

And freshmen Kemba Walker, Scottie Haralson, Charles Okwandu and Majok are just ready to start their collegiate careers.

So, when you put all the pieces together, what do you get? A winning record? A Big East championship? An NCAA championship?

I think for right now, all you can ask for is a humble conversation with Ater Majok.