Alumni Perspective - Dwight Lutz '09

It is always great to catch up with our alums and we recently had a chance to chat with 2009 graduate Dwight Lutz. Dwight was the epitome of a team player during his college career, but even more so, he was the perfect example of what a student-athlete should be. As a top academic achiever (once named San Antonio's Scholar Athlete of the Week), Dwight carried one of the top GPA's in the program each year. His success on and off the court has lead him to a career in the NBA. Asked what he's been up to and to reflect on his Trinity days, Dwight provided the following response.



I graduated with the Trinity Men’s Basketball class of ’09, and I’m already having trouble believing it’s been four years since I was grinding through class and practice, day after day, with my teammates and friends. Anyone who has played team sports understands the bond that is created between teammates. It’s a palpable feeling in the huddle when things are rough, and it feels as though you’re telepathic with your teammates when things are clicking. You learn a lot about each one of your teammates after you’ve just ran your 4th 17 (if you don’t know what a 17 is, let’s just say it involves a lot of running). I’m not the first person to realize that it’s easy to become either best friends or worst enemies with your teammates. At Trinity, you almost always see the group become the closest of friends, which is something us student-athletes take with us for the rest of our lives.

The unfortunate reality of the friendships made in sports is that they often fade after the individuals are done playing. Everyone kind of goes their separate ways. I just recently was able to get together with the other members of my graduating class, which is no easy task since there are six of us and we currently reside in 6 different locations from Austin to Afghanistan. Actually, and quite amazingly, I see each of those other five guys a few times a year. We all stay in touch and try to plan trips to see each other whenever we can. It’s not just us, I hear stories of other Trinity hoops classes doing the same thing, and I frequently see alums from the other classes. I recently spoke with a former Trinity football player who was fascinated by how close of friends our team was a full four years after graduating.

What makes Trinity basketball such a unique situation? Much of it is passed on from generation to generation. I remember being shocked when I got onto to campus as a freshman and all of the seniors asked me what I was doing after one of our first team workouts. I assumed that the seniors thought we were annoying wanted to be left alone by the freshman, but they actually invited us to be a part of their social group. The fellow first-years and I hung out at the senior basketball guys’ house all the time, and it even gave us a little street cred on campus; you can’t put a price on that!

This attitude also starts at the top with Coach Cunningham and his staff. They preach a policy that is simple: buy in to the team concepts, or you won’t play. I’ll use my situation as an example. I was in a career-long position battle with fellow shooting guard Patrick Robinson. We pretty much guarded each other every day in practice for four years, and we knew exactly how to drive each other crazy. We constantly battled for minutes on game day. If Pat played well, I played less. If I played well, Pat played less. Pat and I have joked that we should have hated each other during our college days. However, we always cheered each other on and worked together to get better. Had Pat and I been resentful towards each other, it would have been detrimental to the team, and I’m sure Coach Cunningham would not have put up with it. Pat is one of my best friends today, and we see each other on a consistent basis. I’m sure you’re not surprised to hear that we still guard each other when we play basketball together.

Since graduating from Trinity, I’ve lived in Florida, Virginia Beach, and currently live in New York City. My career arc since graduating is a nice exhibition of the value of a Trinity degree. Immediately after graduation, I enrolled in graduate school at the University of Florida for mathematical statistics. There were very few American students in the program and most of those came from top tier schools. Needless to say, they must have had a lot of respect for Trinity to accept my application. Either that or I just got lucky and they made a mistake. Who knows, but I’m thankful regardless.

After getting a master’s degree from Florida, I worked for a consulting firm for a year as a statistical analyst. The problem was, I still had that competitive itch that only sports seemed to satisfy. At Trinity, we cared about winning so much, and since most of us knew we would pursue other careers after our college basketball days were over, everyone genuinely seemed to care about winning more than their own personal situation. That sounds cliché and everyone says that, but I really believe our team felt that way about one another, especially the six guys in my class. I quickly found out that this attitude is not near as common in corporate America, and I figured I needed a change. Fittingly, there has been somewhat of a statistical revolution in the sports world in the last decade. Professional sports franchises have figured out that the analytical methods used by the likes of Google and Amazon could be applied to sports in creative ways. I saw this as an opportunity to get into the sports industry.

I decided to do some research and write a paper that I could submit to a sports conference. I had no idea where that would go, but I thought it was worth a shot. The paper involved some pretty simple analysis: I grouped NBA players together based on their individual statistics, then I tried to determine which types of players, and which combinations of player types, were most often found on winning teams. My paper was accepted into the conference and published on the conference website. Representatives from the NBA saw the paper, apparently liked it, and reached out to offer me a job. Basically, I got lucky again. If you’re reading this and wondering how my questionable writing got recognized, that’s a fair thought. I’m sure the NBA was more impressed by my thought process and less by my poetic prose. Perhaps having a degree from Trinity gave me a boost once again.

Nevertheless, I’ve been working in the NBA league office for the last year doing data analysis and analytics for basketball/referee operations. There is a new technology that the NBA is implementing this season that tracks every movement a player makes on the court, and I will be analyzing much of that data. So, although it wasn’t as amazing or direct as it sounds, but I went from Trinity to the NBA.

Dwight Lutz '09

Alumni Perspective - BJ Moon '09

With this past weekend's celebration of our great nation, it only seems appropriate to spotlight a well-deserving Trinity Basketball alum, BJ Moon. When asked "how he was doing" and "what Trinity meant to him", BJ responded from a very uncommon location. We are extremely proud to call BJ a part of our Trinity Basketball Family and look forward to seeing him back in San Antonio in the future. BJ - it is US who should be thanking YOU!



Attending Trinity University was a last minute decision that I made a few months prior to school starting. I was worn out and after dealing with a hostile basketball environment in high school, I thought my basketball career was over. Luckily I decided to give it one last chance, and from 2005-2009 I was given the opportunity to become a student athlete at Trinity University and it would forever change my life. From day one Coach Cunningham helped create a great team environment that built on the idea of trust and respect between one another. He was a coach of few words, but he knew how to lead by example and he brought the best out of all of us. The assistant coaches were extensions of Coach Cunningham and they always pushed us to look for ways to improve ourselves. We were all from different parts of the country and there were distinct differences in personalities, but over time we had created a bond and team chemistry stronger than any other team I’d been a part of. I knew that if I ever needed these guys whether it was on or off the court that they would be there in a heartbeat. Although we did not realize it at the time, the coaching staff as well as Trinity University helped instill values including loyalty and integrity that we will carry with us for the rest of our lives.

After graduating from Trinity University with a BA in Marketing in 2009, I accepted a job at USAA doing Insurance. It wasn’t my first choice of jobs, but I needed to gain experience and USAA has a great reputation for doing what is right for the military community. As time passed, there was something missing now that I was no longer part of the basketball team. I realized that I had a need to accomplish something bigger in my life and what better way to do it than to serve my country. In 2011 I decided to join the Army Reserves and after 6 months of training I was commissioned as a 2LT. There is a unique bond that is built between each member within the military community due to the trials and tribulations we go through and the core values that are instilled in us. The values and drive to achieve success I had learned from my days at Trinity made the transition into military life much easier. I am currently serving as an Intelligence Analyst in Afghanistan in support of the special operations community. It has been an amazing experience thus far being able to see firsthand the dedication and heroism these soldiers put forth on a daily basis. Becoming part of the military community was not an easy task, but thanks to all of the support and motivation from my family, friends, and coaching staff at Trinity University, I have been able to achieve my goals and I will continue to improve myself as a person. I am extremely happy with my decision to attend Trinity University and I would not be where I am today without the guidance I received in my days as a student athlete. Thank you for everything!


BJ Moon '09

Alumni Day 2013

This past Saturday, January 19, we had a great turnout for the annual Trinity Basketball Alumni Day. With events taking place all day, our alums and family were able to reconnect with one another and catch up on old times.

The first event of the day was the Alumni Game, which matched up the young alums (5 years and under) against the old alums (5+ years). It proved to be a very exciting game, with the "fresh" legs of the young alums coming out victorious by 2 points! Our current Tigers stuck around to watch the old guys in action and some even helped officiate and run the scoreboard. An important aspect of Alumni Day is for our current players to interact with alumni and gain a sense of the Trinity Basketball Family they will always be a part of. This year was particularly special as a majority of the parents from the 2008-09 team also returned to campus. What a special group of friends and family!

After the Alumni Game, we hosted our second annual Alumni Happy Hour at Bombay Bicycle Club. This was an opportunity for all alums and families to catch up over drinks and hors d'oeuvres. A special thanks goes out to Bill, for having the group!

To finish the day, the alums and family headed back over to Sam's Gymnasium to watch our Tigers host SCAC rival Southwestern University. As players, the guys never got to experience the joys of being a "heckling fan", therefore it always seems that when our alumni return to campus, they become the most boisterous! It is always great fun to see the guys in the stands, supporting our guys to victory. (please note the matching fan-attire)

We would like to thank all of the alumni and family that came back to San Antonio. We understand all of your busy schedules and appreciate the time you take to continue to be a part of the Trinity Basketball Family.

Click here to see some pictures from Alumni Day 2013.

Alumni Perspective - Bart Taylor '10

It was great to catch up with Trinity Basketball alum Bart Taylor '10 recently before he takes off for his new job in Utah. When asked his whereabouts the past couple of years, it's apparent that he's been staying true to the advice of "follow your passion." Bart is still as crazy about basketball today as he was when he was a Tiger fan favorite donning the 70's "stache." This passion has lead him to the life in the NBA. While he's not lacing up his sneakers on game nights anymore, he is gaining tremendous exposure to the inner-workings of NBA organizations and we fully expect Bart to continue to excel in the world of professional basketball. We asked Bart to tell us what his experience has been like since graduating from Trinity...


I graduated from Trinity with a degree in Mathematics, however, I always knew that I was interested in pursuing a job in the sports world after graduation. After my senior season of Trinity basketball, I found a volunteer opportunity for the San Antonio Spurs through a family friend, and although my work with them was limited, it was great to have a small glimpse into how an NBA team is run. This led me to applying for an internship with them, however, I was too inexperienced for the NBA, but they offered me a way to get more experience by taking an internship with their NBA Developmental League affiliate, the Austin Toros. I was thrilled and I could not believe I landed an opportunity to work with a professional basketball team, so I packed my stuff and moved to Austin.

As an intern with the Toros, my duties were not limited to only basketball activities. While some of my responsibilities involved breaking down film for scouting, assisting in player development work outs and helping the coaching staff during games and practices, I was also asked to do the laundry, and help with any of the player's errands. These errands included, taking players to the dentist, driving across town to jump a player's car, among countless other tasks which were conveniently left out of the job description. It was a lot of work and long hours, but being a part of a professional basketball team made it all worth it, and through this experience I was able to get my foot in the door to an opportunity working in the NBA.

The summer after working with the Toros, I returned to San Antonio, and once again, I was able to volunteer in the summer with the Spurs. Thanks to my experience with the Toros, I spent more time working on the court and was able to expand my level of involvement as a volunteer. I assisted with player development workouts and refereed open gym games. Through this experience, not only did I learn I am an awful referee--still probably better than Marshall and the crew that comes to Trinity-- but also, that it takes an amazing amount of commitment, hard work and long hours to earn a spot in the NBA. I was very lucky to be offered a front office internship with the Spurs after all the time I spent volunteering in the summer, and again I readily accepted the position.

As an front office intern, my main responsibilities were to take notes during meetings, develop documents in preparation for the season and file all the scouting reports throughout the year. The position came with long hours and low pay, but the amount of exposure it gave me to the field was priceless. Even as an intern, the staff treats you as a part of the team by keeping you involved in all the meetings and discussions. One of my favorite aspects of my internship was being able to witness how RC Buford, Dennis Lindsey and Danny Ferry build a team. I never thought I would ever have the opportunity to be in the same room as some of the most knowledgeable minds in the field. Although it was not one of my main responsibilities, I was able to be on the court before and after practice, rebounding for player development workouts and learning directly from the coaches. During practice, I also ran the clock, and I learned something new everyday while being on the court observing how Coach Pop runs practice and coaches. The entire year proved to be an incredible experience for me.

I am now on my way to the Salt Lake City to be an intern for the Utah Jazz's front office. It will be a similar role to the one I had this past season for the Spurs, but with a year of experience in the NBA, I have gained some knowledge on how to expand my abilities and grow my role within a front office. I am looking forward to the challenge of being with a new team and helping them build towards an NBA title. I may only have a one year deal with the Jazz, and it may not pay much, but to stay in the NBA and be able to move to a new city and expand my horizons is something I could not pass up. I will still be watching as many Trinity games online as I can, and will try to make as many basketball alumni games as possible because the Trinity basketball family will always be something I care about. My experience at Trinity with the basketball team was the best experience of my life, and I will always value those games and moments I had with those guys. Because of this my teammates and coaches are still my friends, and without them, I don't think I would have been able get to where I am now.

- Bart Taylor '10

Alumni Perspective - Shane Fitts '04

While a vast majority of Trinity Basketball Alumni go on to lead successful lives after their time as a Tiger, few have had the experience Shane Fitts '04 has had in such a short amount of time. To call him a "world traveler" would be an understatement, as Shane's passion for teaching, as well as the game of basketball, has taken him all across the globe. Below is a response from Shane when asked "how is life after Trinity?"...


Life after Trinity has proven to be more adventurous than I could have ever hoped. Of course, playing basketball at Trinity has given me a lifetime of memories and friends. No matter where I go people always have questions of what it was like to play college basketball. Fortunately for me I played with some of the best players and people, and I still miss it.

I stayed at Trinity for one more year to complete my Masters in Teaching and then began my professional career at Sam Houston High School on the east side of San Antonio. While my first teaching position was difficult for me (as most first teaching positions are) I found that I truly enjoyed the experience. Some of the best students I've ever taught were from there. And you are always shaped by your first teaching experience. I was able to stay involved with basketball by coaching a local AAU team with my students.

After spending three years at Sam Houston I then moved to Switzerland to continue teaching at an International American boarding school. Here my perspectives on the world began to change dramatically. Not only was I surrounded by the idyllic scenery of the Italian lakes region of southern Switzerland and northern Italy but I was going to be living in a dorm sized apartment with students on all sides. Teaching during the day, checking for clean beds over lunch, holding study hall at night, putting out snacks for 40+ dorm residents, then going around at 11:00 pm to make sure lights are out, finding some kids sneaking out and finding others studying for tests. Some days involved coaching basketball, others involved week long travels to Lyon, Zurich, Athens, Warsaw and Krakow all with students. We even had a Ski-week spent in the French speaking Swiss Alps where I learned to ski from local instructors and from more experienced colleagues. The school provides the most unique, rewarding, and tiring experiences I've ever had. Weekends could be spent writing 80 paragraphs of student comments or walking the canal lined streets of Venice. I drove the Autobahn, cruised through Tuscany and learned to make pasta, went to teacher conferences in Paris, and coached basketball tournaments in Geneva. My students came from all over the world and were many times more grown-up at age 16 than I was at age 25. Some students were worth half a billion dollars or more and others had family's who mortgaged their homes and businesses to send their children. I loved the mixing of cultures that inevitably happens at a school with over 40 nationalities. Some of my favorites were watching the Turkish male students always try to date the female Brazilian students. The Brazilians being the loudest group on campus. The Italians with the best clothes. Mexicans speaking Spanish to Brazilians replying in Portugese while the Italians explain to you what they were talking about. You learn to be proud of being an American for our own brand of culture and you also learn how similar we all are.

After being in Switzerland for two difficult and rewarding and entertaining years I left to spend a year in Bratislava, Slovakia at a different international school. Bratislava, being located in central Europe, is a great place to live. It is only 45 minutes to Vienna, 2 hours to Budapest and 3 hours to Prague. But best of all, Bratislava is a cute little town with its own identity. The students at this school were from many places as well but were mostly from Bratislava, Germany, and Korea. The German students were there because VW has a factory outside town. The same went for our Korean students as there was a Samsung and Kia factory nearby. While the size of the school was much smaller and I had to teach a wider variety of subjects (IB Economics year 1 and 2, Government, USA History, and AP World History) the experience was no less rewarding. I was able to coach the Girls Varsity team and had a blast. My apartment was formerly a government officials house. This official was not of the communist party and was thrown out and replaced by several "loyal" residents. During those communist years anti-communist artwork was hidden in the basement and when the Wall came down the artwork came up from the basement to hang on my walls. The magnitude of this effort was not lost on me but could never be fully understood either. It did add to the way in which I viewed the people of Slovakia. They have a perseverance and kindness unmatched in my travels.

But the best basketball experience I've had since leaving Trinity was also in Bratislava. Since I no longer had dorm responsibilities like I did in Switzerland I was free in the evenings to join a league team. So I joined up with the top City league. Europe organizes its leagues by division with the top division being paid professionals. The division I joined was just below the top division and had many (older) players that used to play in the Extra Liga as it was called. Basketball became the universal language. I didn't speak Slovak and most of my teammates didn't speak English yet the signals for basketball were all the same plus a few words don't require translation, such as "foul" and "jumpball". I was told either, "easy, easy" or "go, go, go" with a dramatic pointing gesture. Whatever preconceptions one might have of a former Soviet school gymnasium is likely a good description of where we played. If you can imagine a gym that was built in 1960 with no bleachers, out of bounds was a wall just 12 inches from the line, and old gymnastic ropes hung from the ceilings. The floors were wooden and occasionally had floor boards missing. The backboards were wooden and the rims were sometimes bent. Most of the lights worked. Score was kept on a clipboard and time was kept with a stopwatch. The schools, all in current use but would make you question your tax dollars, were all surrounded by Soviet era communist apartment buildings of which you cannot tell apart from each other (that was the purpose of being "common") other than the graffiti. I'd arrive on a public tram that would drop me off about half a mile from the gym, and I'd walk through the dark and often times the snow to a match. It felt like I was in high school. It was a great feeling. Despite the gym and neighborhood's outward appearance, the basketball was good, very good. Like I said, it has been the closest thing to the quality of basketball and the camaraderie of our college teams. We finished the season in 3rd place and to my surprise I was voted the league MVP by all the other teams. Perhaps we get better with age or perhaps I was still a bit younger than most. Nonetheless, the real lasting memories for me were after the games when we would go to the local pub for dinner and a beer. This was where we'd watch hockey or soccer on TV and discuss the game and our lives in broken English and broken Slovak (Google Translator isn't that good yet). Their generosity and good nature is something I'll cherish forever.

During my year in Bratislava I frequently traveled to London to visit my girlfriend who was teaching at a school there. Over the course of the school year we found ourselves falling more and more in love. We looked at each others school to see if there would be a vacancy. We instead went to a job fair. This is how we made our way to Singapore where we've been since July of the past year. We are quite liking it here and will be here for at least another year if not several more as we look to settle down sometime soon. Another country, another school with students from all over the world. I am always amazed at the varied experiences of my colleagues and students. Just when you think you've got a good handle on the way the world works you are encountered with a completely different culture. The city is warm year-round as it is on the equator but not unbearably hot like a South Texas summer might be. So far the city has been a great place to visit nearby countries such as Malaysia and Thailand, where we spent Christmas and New Year's. I've recently joined a team in the top city league. The new season starts this month. I can only hope for a similar experience as I had with my Bratislava teammates.

I'm amazed at how quickly life has moved since leaving Trinity but I'm also thankful for all of the amazing experiences I've had. I think fondly of my time playing ball and hope to come back some day in time for the Alumni game to give it one more go.

-Shane Fitts '04

Alumni Perspective - Mike Gilb '08

D3Hoops.com began a terrific conversation via twitter raising the question of why student-athletes and schools would choose to participate at the Division III level. This struck the interest of one of our Trinity Basketball Alums and spurred him to submit an insightful recollection in our latest Alumni Perspective.


MY TIME AT A DIVISION III SCHOOL

Sometimes people ask me what I would do if I could go back and do it all over. To be honest, I’ve asked myself the same question. If I put in more work in high school, could I have played at a big-time D-I program? What would it be like to play college ball in front of 30,000 fans or in an arena like Cameron Indoor? Even though I can’t answer those questions, as I look back at the time I spent at Trinity – the experiences, the games, the friends – I find myself wondering, if I could change things, would I even want to?

It’s going to sound cliché, but attending Trinity allowed me to be a true student-athlete and still have time to be a normal college kid. I went to all my classes, made friends, had fun, goofed off – and played a very high level of basketball. I truly believe Division III schools hold this unique advantage over D-I and D-II institutions. You are expected to be a student first, an athlete second. Please don’t get me wrong, we took basketball very seriously. During my time at TU, we won conference championships, competed for national championships, finished the season ranked in the top 5 nationally, took a Big 12 team with two future NBA lottery picks down to the wire, and won more games than any other stretch in school history. If you really wanted to get Coach upset though, you didn’t mess up on the court, you messed up off it. We were expected to be model students and model citizens. I’m not sure this sentiment exists at higher levels of the NCAA.

Because we were held to a higher standard, we worked harder than the average student. We did every bit of school work and found time to put in 3+ hours a day for basketball. We learned how to multi-task, how to juggle commitments, and how to manage our time most efficiently. We learned how to be grown men. We didn’t have notes handed to us – we learned class material and put in the hours to get good grades. We weren’t one-and-done players moving on – we became friends for life. We didn’t have a tutor doing the work for us – we juggled class, basketball, and a social life successfully. When we graduated, we could not only look back with pride on what we had accomplished at our time at Trinity, we could look forward to the future with confidence that those years had prepared us for what lie ahead.

In my mind, this is what makes Division III athletics so special. The expectation to succeed not only on the court but in the classroom forces you to become a well-rounded individual. Your time as an athlete will come to an end. Mine did, but I’m grateful every day for the lessons I learned as a Trinity University athlete and how ready I was for life after basketball.


Go Tigers.


Mike Gilb ‘08

Alumni Perspective - James Lake '06

With a busy summer full of camps and recruiting, it has been a while since our last update on Courtside. With the school year quickly approaching (first-years report next Friday!), things are starting to pick up again. We thought now would be a great time to post another Alumni Perspective.

"When Coach Burt asked me to write about what it means to be a Tiger I sat for about 30 minutes, sifting through all the mental highlights of my 4 year career. Countless plays and games vividly flashed in my mind, the Stroberg game winner against Southwestern, our miraculous comeback against University of Dallas on Campus of Champions weekend, and who could forget Luton's ridiculous SportsCenter top ten worthy drop step dunk against Millsaps. Even some of the low points crept back in to my thoughts, like the crushing defeat at Wisconsin Stevens Point, and even all of my "attempted dunks", for lack of a better word, throughout my career. However, the one thing that truly stands out in my mind over the course of those 4 years are the friendships I established and still have to this day. The fact that I'm writing this right now is a testament to the friendships created on the court at Trinity University. During our 5 years as roommates, Coach Burt could have probably filled the Alamodome with my complaints whenever I was asked to write a paper or anything more than a paragraph for that matter, but I jumped at the chance to write about my experiences as a TU basketball player because I knew it was important to him.

The friendships that are created on the court can not be duplicated anywhere else. Sure you can hang out with a few friends at the dining hall or say hi to a buddy from Econ 101 in passing walking back to your dorm room, but when you can take one look at your teammate and know exactly what he's thinking on and off the court because of the hours, days, weeks, months, and even years of hard work you've put in, that's a special feeling. Even when we get together today to play a little pick up ball it's still fun to know when that back door pass is coming even if we might be a few steps slower than we were in our prime.

Through all the hard practices, off season scrimmages, big wins, and heartbreaking losses the one constant was always friendship. You can't play at Trinity for more than 4 years (or an extra 5th year of intramurals if you're lucky), but the stories and memories that you'll make will last a lifetime. I will be in Arizona soon for a mini college reunion and more than half of the guys there will be old basketball teammates from Trinity. I can guarantee you we will find at least a few hours on that trip to talk basketball and tell stories about "back in the day" when the only care in the world we had was rounding up 10 of your best buddies and playing some ball."

James Lake
Class of '06

Alumni Perspective - Casey Hill '07

When someone asks me about my experience as a college basketball player I immediately dive into the rolodex of great memories I have from being a Trinity Basketball Player, choose one and then use it to try and make that person feel what I felt everyday with my teammates. For the sake of your time, I will try to sum it up without getting too specific with vivid memories and stories.

I was fortunate enough to be a part of one of the most successful teams in the history of Trinity Basketball. It is absolutely a feather in my “Player Cap”. There were many factors that played a role in our success but one of the most important and most meaningful parts for me was our relationship as a team. We spent every waking moment together and loved it. When you are a part of a team there are so many things that you have to deal with as an individual, and it is up to you to either keep them to yourself or to let them out and open yourself up to your teammates and coaches. The great thing about being a part of a team is that you can take those issues and make them known, acknowledge them and talk them out. We did that in our own unique way and it worked.

We had no secrets in our team, no cliques and no alliances. If someone needed anything, we would be there for each other. I remember Mitch Walker staying after practice for an hour to rebound for me when I was struggling with my shot, or when Chad Stroberg came into practice early to work on his post entry passes with Peter Murray. There was an understood and unspoken bond between all of us, and that was the foundation for all of our success. We shouted out our differences (when we had them) and then healed the wounds from those scuffles off the court, we hugged it out, and then got back to work the next time we hit the court as a tighter unit.

Now, you might ask: What does this mean for an up and coming college athlete? Where is the lesson to be learned out of this? My answer to those questions can be summed up in one phrase “Maximizing Potential”. Every team in the world has the potential to be as tight as the families that each individual that makes the team up comes from. Its up to you and your teammates to maximize that potential.

When you join a team you have options and decisions to make about what kind of a team you want to play on, what is best for the unit, and if there are things that can be changed, change them. Be a teammate first and a basketball player second. The group that I was so fortunate to be a part of recognized that actions spoke volumes louder than words and we were there for each other, no questions asked. I would recommend to anyone that if you’re going to the gym, invite a teammate, call everyone on the team and let them know that you’re trying to get better so you can contribute to the success of the team NOT to your personal success. Basketball is a team sport, it will always be that way and at the end of the day the team that can walk on to the court and compete with no internal issues will be successful.

One last tidbit of “wisdom” that I would impart onto a young athlete would be to not be afraid to look stupid. As a second unit player for a lot of my career, I spent very little time actually sitting on the bench, I was up screaming at the top of my lungs helping my teammates be successful from the sidelines and I tried my best to take that enthusiasm onto the court. Refs would have to ask me to sit down two to three times a game. You’ve only got so much time to play the sport that you love, squeeze everything you can out of that time and do it with your teammates walking right next to you. You’ll come out of it with some of the best times, friends and memories that you could ever ask for.

- Casey Hill, '07

Alumni Perspective - Peter Murray '05

Every year around October/November, Trinity University invites all of its alumni back on campus for a weekend of memories. Trinity Basketball has been fortunate to have so many returning alums continue to stay connected and be around the program. During these weekends, alumni share their "reflections" of what Trinity means/meant to them and we thought it would be a great recurring topic on this blog to have some "Alumni Perspective."

"What I remember about my time as a Trinity Tiger"

If you had asked me what I remember most about my time as a Tiger shortly after graduation, I think I would have had a very different answer than now. Then I would have made a list of victories and championships, personal accomplishments, and maybe even a step by step verbal replay of the best dunks throughout my career (ally-oop on the first play against Texas A&M is up there). The competitor in me that hates to lose might even retell some of the heartbreak losses in my career that drove me and my teammates to get better (at DePauw freshman year, Sul Ross State junior year). Mostly, my response would have been about the success of our team and the great times that we had together on and off the court.

My answer now would view the same events with a different scope. The losses fade and even the wins lose their glory. Your individual and team accomplishments are eclipsed by those behind you, but some things will never fade or be eclipsed. The memories I have with my teammates are still vivid in my mind and will always remain so. Not the on the court memories I would have thought when I graduated, but other things that seemed insignificant at the time. I remember walking from the gym to Mabee with my teammates after practice. I remember eating at Main Street Pizza with the guys on a Friday night and getting my free Trini-Tea. I remember our annual lake party in the spring to celebrate the season. I remember the little moments that had little to do with wins and losses. Those memories will not fade.

All of those unforgettable memories are shared with my teammates, my best friends. I had friends before coming to Trinity and I have made many close friends since leaving, but nothing can eclipse the bonds of friendship forged between teammates. Nothing else compares. Those relationships are what I will always take with me from my time at Trinity. I am thankful for my opportunity to play for Coach Cunningham, and attend Trinity, but I will forever be indebted to both for the relationship I have with my teammates, then and now.

Peter Murray, '05

*He didn't know we had it, but below is the clip of Peter's afformentioned ally-oop