It hasn’t been an easy path down the road in helping the Hilltoppers accomplish their goal of winning the Sun Belt Conference championship and going to the NCAA Tournament. Whether it’s injuries — which a pair have suffered on multiple occasions — or coming to the United States from a foreign country to further their education and attempt to play at the highest level, each member of the quartet has faced their share of difficulties in making the transition to life on the Hill.
“Normally in a group of four you would expect one or two players to go through a tough situation, so it is a little different, ,” fifth-year WKU head coach Darrin Horn said. “But, all four of these guys have encountered hard times personally. Two of them have had tragedies in their personal lives and lost parents. Obviously, two of them have travelled a far distance to be here and two have dealt with injuries that have put them out for keys parts or an entire season.
“It is a unique group in that they have all faced a bit of adversity.”
No one has bounced back better from the hardship than Orlando Mendez-Valdez, whose initial season came to an end in the final week of the regular season after sustaining a fracture in his right foot. He averaged 2.8 points and 1.6 assists per game in 24 appearances in 2005-06 while playing 11.9 minutes per game, shooting 39 percent from three-point range.
It was the first time the San Antonio, Texas, native had to miss significant time on the court. Once during his time at Lanier High and Charis Prep in North Carolina he contracted a flu virus, but played through the illness.
“Towards the end of that year, before I was hurt, I started showing progress,” he recalled. “The coaches were on me, but I was able to regroup and respond to the message they were giving me. I made up my mind that I was going to work as hard as I could that summer and learn by watching what other people were doing.”
That work paid off last winter, when his numbers climbed to 9.4 points and three assists per contest — Mendez-Valdez improved his assist-to-turnover ratio to 1.66 while he ended up second in the league with a 47.4 three-point field-goal percentage, which was also the second-best mark in school history. As a result, he was honored as the program’s John Oldham Most Improved Player at the postseason banquet.
“It was hard, but the support I got from my family, the coaches and teammates had a lot to do with my improvement,” said Mendez-Valdez. “It was terrific, I felt really good about where I was at that point, but I wish we could have won a championship.”
While the Toppers won 22 games a year ago and were seeded third at the Sun Belt Tournament, their season came to an end after falling to Arkansas State in the semifinals.
Mendez-Valdez teamed with Tyrone Brazelton — one of six seniors on this year’s squad — to solidify the point guard position for WKU last year. With the duo’s experience, the position was not expected to be a concern of Horn’s as the Hilltoppers prepare for the upcoming campaign.
However, Mendez-Valdez sprained a knee in the first week of practice and has been forced to miss time again in preseason workouts. After showing what he was capable of last year, it again left him feeling frustrated.
“To be honest, it’s been hard,” he said. “When I go to practices I’m into it mentally even if I can’t participate physically, I’m watching where I am supposed to be on the floor and what I need to be doing if I were playing. When I get back on the court, hopefully, I will be able to visualize what I’ve been seeing and compete again.
“It’s definitely difficult because you feel like you’re losing the respect from the other players. They’re out there working hard while I’m talking to them and cheering them on. It’s frustrating to just watch.
“If I could, I would be out there with them.”
When he does return to the floor, Mendez-Valdez is looking to continue building on the progress he made following his freshman season. “I improved, but I improved on numbers that weren’t very impressive. I’m someone who was in the shadows, but broke out and did well,” he stated.
“The question is what am I going to do this year — am I going to fold or am I going to play to my potential?”
Matt Maresca can share in Mendez-Valdez’ frustrations. After remaining healthy enough to help Warren Central High School in Bowling Green to three straight region and district titles, the forward didn’t even have a chance to play his first year on the Hill after breaking his wrist in preseason practice and sitting out as a redshirt.
“There is a huge transition going from high school to college in general — all the training, the conditioning and the workouts in the first few weeks on campus were difficult for me to begin with,” he said. “I had finally started to build myself up and get into the swing of things, and then a week before we started playing games, I was injured and ended up having to sit out the entire year. I wanted to be out there with my fellow freshmen, I knew everything we had worked through to get to that point so it was difficult.”
Maresca was able to participate in 20 contests as a redshirt freshman in 2005-06, increasing that number to 24 last year — that included starting each of WKU’s last five outings. But, he was twice sidelined for an extended period, missing the final five games in December and four more in the middle of January with physical ailments.
“It’s been very frustrating, but it’s one of those things where you have to keep a positive mind set and know that something good is liable to come out of what you are going through,” Maresca said. “It’s easy to get down because you want to be out there as much as everybody else, but you can’t do it.
“Injuries are a very, very difficult setback to deal with — I’ve had to overcome several — but everything happens for a reason.”
According to Maresca, it’s been his work ethic and positive attitude that has helped him develop in the program. If his 11-point, five-rebound performance in the team’s Red-White scrimmage last month are any indication, he has put himself in a position to be a regular contributor to the Hilltoppers this winter.
“I think it’s because I’ve worked hard and kept a good attitude,” he stated. “With all the injuries I’ve had, there have been times when I’ve thought I may never be healthy — I just fought through that. I kept working year round to catch up and realize that it’s possible to recover.
“I was very fortunate to never have an injury in high school, so I’m not used to sitting out because of them.”
For Desire Gabou and Japeth Aguilar, the obstacles they have faced are of a different nature. Both born on foreign soil, the duo has had to not only adjust to basketball at the collegiate level, but a culture different from the one in which they were raised.
Gabou has been a part of the program since transferring to WKU prior to the start of the Spring 2006 semester. He sat out as the Toppers wrapped up a 23-8 campaign before seeing action in nine contests last season.
“Going to another country, the most difficult thing is adjusting to the culture,” said Gabou. “Going from the Ivory Coast to France wasn’t that hard because everyone spoke the same language, but coming here I had to master English. It was especially hard in practice, when everything is going so fast.”
Senior Boris Siakam speaks French, so was able to translate for the native of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, but he could not help Gabou make the adjustment on the court. Gabou had attended the University of Pael Sabatier in Toulouse, France, prior to arriving in the United States, a school that did not field a basketball team. According to the guard, his overseas experience didn’t prepare him for this type of competition.
“Physically it was hard, because in France we didn’t have the same facilities and we weren’t playing for a championship like the NCAA title,” he said. “The way we compete in practice here was a shock. I was sore for two months, I couldn’t touch the rim anymore. Then, when you’re tired, you still have to study so I had to deal with the issues of being a student-athlete.
“I got through that and now am enjoying the experience more.”
While Maresca and Mendez-Valdez were not used to missing time on the court, practicing without having to compete in games was an advantage for Gabou.
“When I look back, it was very good for me to sit out because it let me watch guys like Anthony Winchester, Elgrace Wilborn and Courtney Lee compete at a high level and work with them in practice,” said Gabou. “It’s always good to observe before you do something. It was a long year, but it helped me learn and get better so that the next year I could help the program.
His time on the Hill has been well spent, though, and now Gabou believes he can make a bigger impact as the Toppers aim to return to the NCAA Tournament.
“It’s a matter of knowing your role, because we have so many good players on this team,” he said. “Coach wants me to use my athleticism to be a stopper on defense, and to bring some energy when I am out there — I understand and accept that.
“It took some time for me to understand what the coaches were expecting of me and respond to that.”
As Gabou has been able to continue to improve and learn in practice, his comfort level on the floor has grown. “Now when I’m on the court I can just go out there and play, things are coming to me now. Making the adjustment as a point guard was especially difficult, but after watching my teammates and film with the coaches, I think I am ready to contribute.”
Aguilar, too, needed to adjust not just to life at an American university but to the culture as well. Raised in the Philippines, he had been in the United States for only two weeks when his high school team trained at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., prior to living in Chicago for three months before he came to the Hill.
“It has been a big adjustment,” said the center. “To be able to play Division I basketball, you need to be competitive. I have had to work on my physical strength and stamina since coming here.”
According to Aguilar, one of the main reasons that he had to learn to adapt to the collegiate game is because of the difference in lifestyles across the Pacific Ocean. The pace of living and urgency on a day-to-day basis wasn’t the same. “I’ve learned to value working hard, and giving all I have in basketball as well as academically,” he said. “Life was much slower at home, it was more laid back and relaxed.”
Like Gabou, sitting out a season — and not because of injury — was a benefit to Aguilar’s overall development.
“Being able to sit out last season helped me. Now I know what to expect because I was able to see what my teammates did and how the games are played here compared to in the Philippines.”
The year in practice has shown Aguilar some of the things he can accomplish as he officially takes the floor for the first time with the Hilltoppers this season. “I want to help the team as much as I can. I know that I can block shots on the defensive end, so if I can produce that way I can contribute to our success. I may be able to create on the offensive end too, but I need to practice more and gain experience so I don’t make as many errors.”
Horn believes each individual’s experience has allowed them to assist the others in the group in getting through the hard times.
“Any time a player goes through a personal issue or deals with an injury, it gives them the experience to help someone else when they go through it,” said Horn. “There’s no question that their individual experiences has allowed them to aid one another.”
Although the Toppers have six seniors on the squad this year, the junior class has gained enough experience over the last few years to produce as leaders both on and off the floor. According to Mendez-Valdez, the seniors “are not the type of guys who won’t let anyone else share their input. We’re coming together and everyone is taking ownership of the program.”
Gabou added that the junior class wants to do its part to reward the players who will conclude their collegiate careers in March. “We have a great group of six seniors, we really want to do something for them.”
To accomplish that goal, the quartet is looking to make a contribution in any way they can to help the program return to the NCAA Tournament for the 20th time in school history. Maresca’s attitude best sums up the feelings of the junior class.
“I give whatever I can, whether it’s helping a younger guy understand what we are doing or working with guys who are the same age as me,” he stated. “That’s what I’m here for, the betterment of the team. Whether that is being on the floor for no minutes, a defensive possession, five minutes or the entire game, I just want to help us win a championship.”
Horn believes that the junior class’ experiences have made them ready to be team leaders, especially Maresca and Mendez-Valdez because of the amount of time they have been in the program already.
“Matt has been here three years already and Orlando has been with us for two, they’re in a situation where they have to start looking at themselves that way more and start providing leadership — not just with their actions, but vocally on and off the court,” he said. “We’ve talked with Orlando more specifically because of his position. The first year with tried to get him through the struggles of a freshman and last year we wanted him to be consistent every game. Now, he has to help other people.
“As they start doing that this year and see what the seniors are doing, they’ll be able to step into that role next season.”
With all that they have gone through to get this far, WKU’s four juniors have overcome the odds and are in position to contribute to the Hilltoppers’ success this winter more than in any other season.
