The University of Vermont men’s basketball program lost one of its most distinguished alumni with the passing of Trevor Gaines, a 2002 graduate who tragically died Wednesday at age 29.
“We’ve lost one of the greatest ones that we’ve ever had here,” said former UVM coach Tom Brennan. “It’s such a sad day.”
A 6-foot-7 forward and two-time captain from Farmington Hills, Mich., Gaines racked up 1,255 points and 882 rebounds as a Catamount. Brennan wasn’t certain, but said he heard Gaines died while playing in a pick-up basketball game in Las Vegas, where he resided. Brennan also said Gaines had received treatment for ailing kidneys...
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"No Pain, All Gaines"
Originally Published: 4/23/2006
A native of the midwest, Trevor Gaines played a huge part in making the Cats a mid-major force. As their senior captain in 2002, Gaines led them to their first ever 20 win season. Now, he's in the big leagues, playing professional ball. Here's Trev...
On February, 20, 2009, the University of Vermont athletic department decided to cut the baseball and softball programs that had held a rich tradition in the fabric of Vermont due to budgetary cuts deemed essential by the college. Baseball, specifically, had a long and proud tradition at the University of Vermont as its first season began in 1888 with an 11-1 record under the direction of A.L Kennedy. On April 17, 1906, the Catamounts played the first ever baseball game at a new ballpark, Centennial Field, when the University of Vermont defeated the University of Maine, 10-4. Centennial Field has hosted several local area high school and youth games and has been home to many minor league baseball teams in the summer. Currently it hosts the Vermont Lake Monsters (Single-A Affiliate of the Washington Nationals).
Tonight, the University of Vermont men's basketball team has the chance to become the first #16 seed to upset a #1 seed. The only problem is the one seed they're up against has a major bone to pick with the Cats.
You might wonder why Orange Nation has been actively chiming in on Twitter, blogs and other news outlets for the past week with angst towards Vermont. Never before have we seen such excitement over a 16 vs 1 match. The Syracuse Orange and their fans have been seething since 2005 when Tom Brennan, Taylor Coppenrath and three-point marksman TJ Sorrentine led the Catamounts to a first round upset of Jim Boeheim's Orange. It was an amazing win for the Vermont program and the entire state, but a Syracuse loss that embarrassed a big-time Big East program and their hall of fame coach. They haven't forgotten that game and neither has Catamount Country.
To celebrate that upset and provide us with insight on what this Vermont team needs to do to upset again, we caught up with TJ Sorrentine, now a coach with Brown University.
Preston: First of all, I'd like to congratulate you on your first season as an Assistant Basketball Coach at Brown. How are you enjoying being a coach?
TJ: Coaching is great! I love the game and to have this opportunity is such a blessing. I am learning so much everyday and continuously try and get better as a coach just like I did as a player.
Preston: Now to the hot topic. "Sorrentine From The Parking Lot." That was the catch-phrase after you knocked down the incredible 30 foot shot to seal the Vermont (#13) upset against Syracuse (#4) back in 2005. I bet you thought you'd heard the last about that shot and that game... until now. [Laughs]. What was your reaction hearing that Vermont was facing Syracuse again... 5 years later and this time in a #16-#1 matchup?
TJ: My initial reaction was just to laugh! The NCAA comittee has a funny way about them dont they? [Laughs]. I truly thought we were going to get at least a 15 seed. I was shocked with the seeding but at least we are back dancing and have another chance to shock the world!
Preston: Take us inside the mind of a team headed to the Big Dance. [No one on the current Vermont team has ever been to the NCAA Tournament.] What are the players thinking? What is the experience like?
TJ: It's the best experience in the world! I try to explain it to my players now at Brown, but its impossible to explain completely. It's a totally different feel than any other game you have ever played in. To walk out of that tunnel and see all the NCAA signs. It's truly amazing. Every guy on that team will never forget the initial moment of walking out of that tunnel and on to the floor!
Preston: How can Vermont win this game and pull off not only a major upset but be the first ever 16 seed to dethrone a 1 seed? What does Vermont need to do to be in this game?
TJ: In my opinion for Vermont to win, we need to control the tempo. We can't let the Cuse get easy baskets in transition. If we can keep them out of transition and actually make shots then we have a chance. They are a very talented team but that's why we call it the NCAA Tournament because it is a tournament and anything can happen. I watched Robert Morris yesterday here in Providence take Villanova to the brink. So why can't we do the same [against Syracuse]?
Preston: What is it like facing Syracuse's zone defense? How does a team prepare for and beat the zone? How did you (and team) prepare for that game in 2005?
TJ: It's impossible to simulate their length in that zone defense. They are so long and force you to take shots deeper than normal. That was part of the reason that with my "Shot" [in 2005] I didn't want to get any closer because there would have been a hand in my face! You really have to get some dribble penetration and try to get the ball into the middle and collapse the zone. It is not as easy as it sounds though. The most important thing is confidence. If you play with conifidence and no fear then you can't go wrong!
Preston: Will you be at the game tonight [Friday] in Buffalo? If not, where will you be watching it and will you be with any other Catamount alums?
TJ: I will be watching the game probably with friends at home. I wish I could have made the trip but with my schedule it just wasn't something that I could pull off. I will be there in spirit though for sure!
Preston: The biggest question we have for you -- did you pick Vermont to upset Syracuse?
TJ: Pres, as a coach I cannot fill out a bracket. However if I did, of course I would have picked the Cats!!
Preston: I should have known that! [Laughs]. Anything you'd like to say to all the Catamaniacs out there hoping for an upset (the floor is yours)?
TJ: The one thing I will tell Catamount Nation is the one thing my great mother always told me and that is "BELIEVE."
Preston: Thanks TJ! Hope the next time we talk it's about the latest Syracuse upset [Laughs].
Things are looking up for Catamount lacrosse.This year, the Cats added a stellar recruiting class, most notably midfielder Zack Telander. Inside Lacrosse ranked Telendar No. 73 on its list of top-100 Division I incoming freshman for the 2010 season. Telander, a native of Lake Forest, Illinois took some time away from his busy schedule to answer a few questions.
VTSN:Why Vermont? What impressed you about it? What put it over the top and sealed the deal? What other schools were you choosing between?
ZT:I chose Vermont because I believe its program is only headed up. What sealed the deal for my decision was my overall respect for head coach Ryan Curtis, Colin Hulme and Kevin Boland. Also I really like the school even without lacrosse. I was also looking at Towson, Navy, Notre Dame, Loyola and a few others.
VTSN:What did you do during your recruiting visit to Vermont? Who showed you around? What particularly impressed you? What Burlington spots would you take current recruits to?
ZT:Geoff Worley and Max Gradinger showed me around campus on my official visit. They showed me around and I got to meet all of the other players. I was impressed by how nice and accepting all of the players were to me. I was also able to catch a hockey game against Miami. I would suggest taking recruits to Church St. to eat or even to the lake if it is nice out.
VTSN:Were you surprised that Inside Lacrosse ranked you the No. 73 player in the country? Or was this in the works for a while? How did your life change once the ranking came out? Which schools came calling once you got that elite ranking? Your father gave you some advice on your college choice. What did he tell you?
ZT:Yes, I was very surprised when I was ranked No. 73 in Inside Lacrosse. For me the rankings don't really mean much. Your high school career can be amazing and your college career might not be and this also goes both ways. Once I saw the ranking I felt a lot of pressure to reach my expectations. There are a lot of freshmen on UVM who could have been in the same situation as me. I just happened to be lucky enough to be called No. 73. When I was deciding on schools my father told me to look at playing for UVM as a gift. Along with a very good scholarship comes the opportunity to play for a great coach who is leading the team upward.
VTSN:You played four sports in high school. How did you find the time? Were you participating in multiple athletic contests ala Deion Sanders in the same day?
ZT:Well to be honest I was a three-sport athlete for my first two years of high school. In my junior year I decided to drop basketball so I could play lacrosse year round. This decision helped me play in fall tournaments where I was eventually recruited by UVM. By my senior year I had already committed to UVM and I was going to focus on my football season. Three days before my first game I tore my meniscus in my right knee and my football career came to an end. So for rehab on my knee I decided to join the swim team.
VTSN:Injury derailed your senior year football season. What did you take away from that setback?
ZT:I just thought of how worse things could have happened to me. We take things like walking and running for granted while there are people who can't even walk. I realized that life has its ups and downs and you just need to push through them. I have worked harder to get my knee back to where it was than anything in my entire life.
VTSN:What's your schedule like during the fall? How often does the lacrosse team practice? How often do you scrimmage other teams? Thus far, how does the competition compare to high school?
ZT:We lift and have practices during the week. We only scrimmage other teams at the Catamount Classic on October 10. The biggest difference in competition compared to high school is the speed of the game. Everyone is faster and smarter with the ball.
VTSN:Vermont has arguably the most geographically diverse team in the nation. How does this aid your college experience? Are there rivalries between the different geographical areas? Where does everyone find common ground? Any plans to find a player from Texas? It seems as though every other state is represented on the team.
ZT:I really like having a diverse team. A reason for that is that I'm not a lone midwesterner. I think it makes us stronger as a team because we have to build around our differences. There was a recruit a couple of weekends ago who came from Highland Park, Texas, so I think that a player from Texas maybe the next step.
VTSN:Your major is film and television studies and you've already made some impressive videos. It's early - but what are your career plans? Do you see your self working in front or behind the camera or both? How far do you want to take it?
ZT:I'm hoping to be in either the creative field (writing) or the working field (editing) of the Television industry.
VTSN:Favorite movie you've seen this year?
ZT:District 9
VTSN:Which actor would you most like to work with?
ZT:Bill Murray
VTSN:Music - what do you listen to?
ZT:Phish, The Beatles, Rush and Tool are some of my favorites.
VTSN: Favorite television show?
ZT:South Park would be the obvious answer but I have grown a lot of interest in True Blood.
VTSN: What's the best advice you ever got and from whom?
ZT:My dad told me not to feel sorry for myself after my injury. It worked.
VTSN:Your coach says that you guys will be able to compete athletically with any team in the country. How does that make you feel? How do you feel about the challenge ahead: Taking Vermont lacrosse to its first-ever NCAA tournament?
ZT:If coach says it I believe it. We do have a very athletic team and big team. I feel that a trip to the tournament is definitely possible.
Former UVM Catamount Joe Serafin has made a fine impression on his organization, the Chicago White Sox, as he was recently promoted to the Single A Kannapolis Intimidators of the South Atlantic League. The 5'10 lefty has made two starts since being promoted to the Intimidators and has posted a 1-0 record. In 10.1 innings, Serafin has given up 2 earned runs, and struck out 13 batters. He is posting a 1.74 ERA, and a 1.16 WHIP so far in the two starts. In 2009, the Intimidators have had appearances from former MLB All-Stars such as Freddy Garcia, and Bartolo Colon,
Justin Milo is one of a trio of Vermont Catamounts who has signed with Major League squads at the conclusion of UVM's final baseball season. Milo, who was selected by the New York Yankees in the 37th round of the Major League Baseball player draft at pick 1125, was recently moved up to Single A Short Season to the Staten Island Yankees. The most intriguing fact about Milo being moved up to the Staten Island Yankees is that they play in the New York Penn League. If Milo continues to play for Staten Island, it is possible that he will make a return to Centennial Field for a three game series with the Vermont Lake Monsters beginning Sunday August 30th.
BURLINGTON, Vt. -- Keith Rakus (West Suffield, Conn.) and Greg Lutton (New Haven, Vt.) combined on a four-hitter as Vermont held off Albany, 6-3, in the second game to earn a split in an America East baseball doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Centennial Field. The Great Danes scored seven times in the fifth and sixth to come from behind to top the Catamounts, 10-8, in the opener. MORE >>
The University of Vermont board of trustees will not reconsider the administration’s decision to scrap varsity baseball and softball, capping a heavily attended meeting Wednesday by taking a pass.
Revisiting the controversial elimination of the two sports programs is not the board’s purview, board President Ian Boyce announced after a half-hour, closed session to seek “advice of counsel.” In the open meeting that preceded the executive session, three board members spoke in favor of taking up the issue, and three against.
Currier On Cuts: A Bleak Picture For Vermont Baseball Players
Willy Kingsbury was once a Northeast Kingdom kid with a dreaam to play professional baseball.
The former Oxbow Union standout realized that dream just over a decade ago, when he played two seasons for the Lowell (Mass.) Spinners, the Single A affiliate for the Boston Red Sox.
Today Kingsbury fosters the major league aspirations of younger players as coach of the Woodsville High School and OEC Kings American Legion baseball teams.
However the road to the majors just got a little bit longer for North Country and Northeast Kingdom kids, following the University of Vermont's decision to cut their baseball and softball programs, in response to a $1.1 million shoftfall, effective following this season.More >>Discuss >>
The discussion on injuries brings me to the next subject - short-term contracts. I have been very fortunate - in each season, I signed a contract for 10 months, thus securing a cash-flow for the whole season. There are numerous players, however, who sign contracts for only a short period of time - anywhere between 1-month to 6-month - and travel from team to team throughout the season. << CLICK HERE FOR MARTIN'S BLOG ENTRY
Things are looking up for Catamount lacrosse.This year, the Cats added a stellar recruiting class, most notably midfielder Zack Telander. Inside Lacrosse ranked Telendar No. 73 on its list of top-100 Division I incoming freshman for the 2010 season. Telander, a native of Lake Forest, Illinois took some time away from his busy schedule to answer a few questions.
