THE INAUGURAL SEASON


The only way to go is up. Those words won’t be covering the front of t-shirts on the campus of Longwood University, but the phrase aptly describes the present state of the Lancer basketball program. After finishing 1-30 it would be difficult not to improve.

Like so many other programs, Longwood’s non-division I success prompted a move to the big time. No one thought the transition would be easy, but it would have been hard to imagine a season ending with one win in thirty-one attempts. Yet despite a tough inaugural campaign, head coach Mike Gillian believes the proverbial glass is half full and the University is thirsty for success.

“I took this job because I was impressed with the plan that the University had in place,” says Gillian. “They are not just committed for the immediate, but also for the long term. Somewhere down the road this program has the makings of something special.”

Most would view Gillian’s comments as being nothing more than coach-speak. After all, there wasn’t much too celebrate this past season. Or was there?

It’s easy to embrace success, but it’s a little more difficult to wrap your arms around one loss after another, unless you are looking at the bigger picture. Longwood basketball became a novelty of sorts, during the 2004-05 season. Who are these new guys? Who is this likeable coach? Will they lose 30 games?

“We knew it was going to be challenge,” Gillian says. “We were starting from scratch, but we kept things in perspective. It doesn’t make any sense to run and hide from our record. Our record would be unacceptable to most, but not for us. We have looked beyond the record.”

While the win-loss record may not indicate as much, the fact is that Gillian’s team was highly competitive this past season. They had second-half leads on thirteen occasions. Six times they led or were tied with less than three-minutes remaining. Not bad considering that just one year earlier the program had played just two division I opponents.

Nevertheless it’s been a new experience for a coach who has become accustom to winning.

Prior to taking over at Longwood, Gillian spent six seasons under Jim Larranaga at George Mason University. During his tenure at GMU, the Patriots posted a 100-74 mark, with two regular season (1999, 2000) and two Colonial Athletic Association tournament championships (1999, 2001). Gillian was a part of three postseason teams (two NCAA and one NIT berth).

Gillian also spent one season with Larranaga at Bowling Green. The Falcons finished the 1996-97 campaign with a record of 22-10, which earned a bid to the NIT. Four postseason appearances in seven seasons, something that doesn’t seem thinkable in the foreseeable future at Longwood.

But that didn’t keep many from keeping tabs on the program throughout the season.

The Lancers were featured on ESPN’s “The Season,” which chronicled the University of Cincinnati basketball team during a tournament in Las Vegas. From that came stories from the Associated Press, Virginia Pilot and the Washington Post.

The program received so much national attention that one division I coach joked, “They lost thirty games and get more media hype then teams that made the NCAA tournament.”

Gillian’s philosophy and that of Longwood University is simple; people can’t learn about your program unless you tell them about it.

“We wanted to raise the profile of the program,” says Gillian. “We didn’t go around telling everyone, ‘here we are,’ but we made best efforts to accommodate anyone who took the time to ask about our program. One feature just led to another.”

Last season Longwood became a feel-good story, the little program from Virginia that was taking on the giants of the college basketball landscape.

“As the season moved along there was more interest,” says Gillian. “And I think many now have a better understanding of what we are trying to do here and what a great commitment we have from the everyone at Longwood. It may take a few years, but the plan is in place. If there is no plan in place then it simply can’t happen. We have the map and now we need to just stay on course.”

Like so many smaller schools, Longwood is trying to compete with a mere fraction of the resources at the disposal of the high profile schools, which comes as no surprise to anyone.

But what is a little eye opening is that Longwood basketball currently functions on about a $500,000 budget, which is half of some of the smallest division I basketball budgets.

Still, Gillian is worried.

“We don’t try to hide the fact that we don’t have some of the things that most other programs have,” says Gillian. “We are up front with student athletes. We also let them know what we do have. They have an opportunity to travel all over the country. They get a chance to face great competition. There is an opportunity to get significant playing time right away. And they can be a part of building something special.”

While so many coaches retreat into a shell after a three or four-game losing streak, Gillian has kept his wit about him and remained positive with an eye on the future. That first season is now behind him and he doesn’t need ten new players. Those returning have another year of experience under their belts and higher caliber players are on the way.

Gillian feels fortunate that the program was able to benefit from what most would deem as a disastrous season, but he knows full well that Lancer basketball most make a noticeable step forward in 2006.

In two short seasons Longwood will become a full-fledged division I member, which will hopefully find them affiliated with a conference (perhaps the Big South Conference).

Until then Gillian will continue to follow the plan and move the program one step closer to national prominence. That may seem like a pretty lofty vision for a program that posted only one victory, but Gillian doesn’t think so.

“You can’t find it if you believe it doesn’t exist,” he says. “I don’t know exactly how long it will take, but we will find it.”.