Lehigh faces the tough task of fillin' in for Gilfillan
3/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
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By Gordie Jones, of the Morning Call
Mitch Gilfillan has constantly reinvented himself. Went from one first name to another when he was in junior high. Went from deep sub to surprisingly effective starter in the course of his basketball career at Lehigh.
And now it's time to reinvent himself again, from college kid to … what, exactly?
That's always the question this time of year, as we fast approach mortarboard-and-diploma time: Where are you going, and how are you going to get there?
The Mountain Hawks were confronted with that as soon as the final buzzer sounded on Sunday's 73-66 loss to Holy Cross in the Patriot League semifinals. They lose Joe Knight's explosiveness. They lose the inside muscle of Michael Fischman and James Anderson.
And they lose Gilfillan.
He became a full-time starter at point guard for the first time in his final season. Led the PL in assist-turnover ratio. Played with the sort of chest-out, chin-up attitude that home fans love and opposing fans loath.
''Rud-eeee … Rud-eeee …'' the Bucknell fans chanted at him, likening him to Rudy Ruettiger, the spunky Notre Dame football walk-on of big-screen fame.
''I took it as a compliment,'' Gilfallan said, ''because he was a hard worker and someone who took pride in how he played.''
Chest out. Chin up.
But he was only unsinkable to a point. He rolled his left ankle in the Hawks' next-to-last regular-season game — at Bucknell, ironically — and was severely limited in the three remaining games.
''I hurt it in four spots,'' he said. ''Worst I've ever hurt it in my life.''
He hobbled through eight first-half minutes in Sunday's finale — a stretch in which he committed three fouls and a turnover. And after the Crusaders' Torey Thomas zoomed past him for a layup just before intermission, Gilfillan went to the bench, never to return.
''It was too fast-paced for me out there,'' he said.
And so it was that the rest of his life came rushing at him, just like that. He said he has applied to law school, but he also said he has a ''sincere passion'' to get into coaching.
''It's just one of those things,'' he said. ''I've always been a leader. I could see myself leading. I love the idea of being in charge and having an impact on people's lives, having a positive influence on them.''
Lehigh boss Billy Taylor believes Gilfillan is ''a natural'' for the profession.
''The hardest part is getting that break to get into coaching,''
And again, he has shown that ability to reinvent himself whenever necessary. Gilfillan's given first name is Matt, but as he was growing up in
So when Gilfillan was in eighth grade, he made the change official.
Wooed to Lehigh by
Then came this season. With Knight in limbo because of eligibility questions, Gilfillan became a starter from the outset. Remained in the lineup when Knight returned, too. Became part of an effective backcourt rotation, and often was on the floor with Knight and Jose Olivero.
All of that changed when Gilfillan was hurt.
''We missed him,''
They might miss him more now, as they seek to reinvent themselves. And as he does the same.
This story originally appeared in the Tuesday, March 7, 2006 edition of The Morning Call. Used with permission.
