GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- The
end is nearing for former Ram Gabe Vanderjagt. Vanderjagt, who was the leading
scorer for head coach Steve Majerle’s Rockford basketball team just four years
ago, can now count his playing days on one hand. The 5’11 shooting guard once
led the Rams to a 22-3 overall record in 2009, when the team won an OK-Red
conference championship and reached the quarterfinals in the state tournament.
Much like he finished his high school career with success, he once again finds
himself nearing similar accomplishments in college.
Vanderjagt
is in his last season at Davenport University. The 9th ranked
Panthers have a record of 27-6. The team recently won its second straight
Western-Hoosier Athletic Conference championship and is poised and prepped to
make a deep run in the NAIA national tournament. Last season, Davenport’s men’s
basketball team notched a school record by reaching the final four. They hope to
surpass that achievement this March, deeming anything less than a national
championship a failure.
While
Vanderjagt, who averages 7.03 points and 2.5 assists per game, is not putting
up the gaudy numbers he once did in high school, he has used his knowledge of
the game and team-first mentality to find himself an intricate roll on the very
talented Panthers squad. The senior has used his experience to make himself one
of the team’s leaders. The process, he admits, was not easy.
“The
sense of unity wasn’t there at first,” Vanderjagt said. “Everyone on the team
was a great player in high school and used to being a leader. We’ve really had
to be intentional about trying to fit in with everyone and find our roles that
best fit the team.”
The
moment Vanderjagt selected Davenport was the moment he had to sacrifice more than
ever before. At Rockford, Coach Majerle granted him the green light. Vanderjagt
led both his team and his conference in scoring at a mark of 22 points per
game. While his freedom sometimes seemed endless in Rockford, he is grateful
for the sacrifices he’s had to make.
“I
definitely have a better understanding of the game now. I can play different
roles and feel I have become a more complete player now.”
If
Vanderjagt could mix the college Gabe with the high school Gabe, he joked, his
potential would be boundless.
“After
suffering from constant knee pain, I look back on my younger self with envy. If
I could take the knowledge I have now and team it with the body I had four
years ago, then who knows how good I could be?”
The
former Ram anticipates he will not need his younger body to produce in the
upcoming national tournament. He is confident his team can make noise and
duplicate the run it made last season. Davenport kicks off the first round of
the tournament this Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. when they take on 22nd
ranked York College out of Nebraska. Though it is a highly anticipated matchup,
Davenport is favored. Vanderjagt hopes to end his career on a high note by
leading the Panthers in their quest to bring a ring back to West Michigan.
