There is an old adage that says life is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it. Over the past few years, the Longwood basketball program has had a string of lows including a 10-21 campaign in 2011, an 8-25 season last year and the departure of now-former head coach Mike Gillian from the program after 10 years at the helm last season. But the players continue to see the glass as half-full, like redshirt junior forward Jeylani Dublin who will carry the program onward.
“I don’t think I have been this excited for a season in a while,” said Dublin, who was the team’s third leading scorer at 10 points per game last season. “Our tenacity on court will be on a different level this year. I guarantee we will get after it every game and I think we will be a fun team to watch.”
Dublin has had his fair share of disappointment throughout his career but believes the adversity has made him a better player and more qualified leader on the team. “[My] freshman and sophomore year were kind of slow,” Dublin said as he chuckled.
He continued, “I didn’t play much and then got injured during my sophomore year and had to sit out, but it was good for me because it allowed me to be a student of the game.”
Dublin later said that he used to get frustrated about the hardships they passed through as a team but advice from former Head Coach Mike Gillian changed the way he thought about the game. “He [Gillian] would always tell me to keep my composure. I still use that advice every day and I think it has helped me as a player and helped the team as a whole,” Dublin said.
With nine players new to Farmville in 2013, as well as a fully new coaching staff, players like Dublin who are experienced and stay composed have to step up and help make the transition as smooth as possible. “I like the fact that a lot of the younger guys look up to me for help. They are coming out of high school and not fully accustomed to the college pace and I like to help them out and see them be successful,” said Dublin, who later raved about the newly added athleticism and depth of the team.
Dublin credits the steady shift from Gillian to Gee to the teams willingness to gel together early, have collective leadership and get on the same page defensively. “He [head coach Jayson Gee] is looking for all of us to lead. He says he isn’t looking for just one leader to run the show, and I am definitely on board with that,” said Dublin. “We have a bunch of young guys that are hungry and eager to win and I think that has inspired us as a team.”
The Lancers were picked to finish last in the North Division of the Big South Conference this upcoming season and 11th in the league overall, but Dublin thinks of the pre-season ranking as nothing other than bulletin board material. “I am just ready to get into conference play and show them we are not a last place team,” said Dublin, who was clearly disappointed with the ranking. “We have a lot to prove, and have to play with a big chip on our shoulder this season.”
Dublin knows he will be relied on heavily to execute both offensively and defensively and made it clear that people can expect a different way of play from him this season. “Aggressiveness, tenacity, getting after it, and doing what it takes to win. Not for me, but for the team. Whatever it takes for my team to win, that’s what I’ll do,” he said. “With the new system Coach Gee has brought in, my confidence is high and I can definitely see myself performing well,” he later added.
When asked where the Lancers would be at the end of the season, it was obvious Dublin was focused on one thing. “I expect us to be competing for a championship at the end of the season,” he said. “We have a long road ahead of us and still have room for improvement but we will be ready for tournament time."
