Separate CT paths lead Gilbert, Etienne to Wichita State

Although they played only 23 miles from each other in eastern Connecticut, Alterique Gilbert and Tyson Etienne didn’t meet until Gilbert got to Wichita State in June.

The two had even shared the same floor on Jan. 12 in the Shockers’ double-overtime win over UConn at the XL Center, when Gilbert was a Husky.

“I knew of Alterique, of course, I watched him since high school,” Etienne said. “I just didn’t know him personally.”

“To be honest, I didn’t even know Tyson attended Putnam Science until today,” Gilbert said. “And that’s right down the road. I did know from James Bouknight they played with the same AAU program (PSA Cardinals).”

And now, Gilbert starts in the same backcourt as Etienne. The good news is entering a game against Emporia State on Friday night, the two are leading the Shockers in scoring (Etienne at 15.8 points, Gilbert 14.5 points and 3.5 assists).

The great news is Alterique Gilbert is happy.

If anyone deserves to be happy playing his final year of college basketball it is the

little guy with the big heart.

“I feel great,” the 6-foot graduate transfer said. “I feel great physically. I’m doing all the necessary things to stay right, to stay fresh.”

“Alterique brings us experience and a feel for the game,” said Etienne, a sophomore. “He has been through it with a bunch of different groups and a bunch of different guys. He has definitely helped me a lot in expanding my game. He’s our point guard. We need that.”

“Tyson has helped my game tremendously, because of his shooting ability, stretching the floor, getting to the line,” Gilbert said. “Trying to mirror him on the court, getting him involved in the game is part of my game. He’s a great guy off the court as well.”

Gilbert arrived in Storrs in 2016 from Georgia as a McDonald’s All-American. At times, he had to have felt like burnt French fries. One season was ruined by a shoulder injury. A second season was ruined by a shoulder injury. A third ended with a concussion. At times, the harder he tried and the bigger the demands, the bigger the hole seemed to get for him.

He sat out a game in January for his own mental health. There were nights he couldn’t sleep. Days he couldn’t eat. According to a Hartford Courant story in March, he was taking medication to stabilize his mood. Gilbert came off the bench the rest of the season and played more effectively.

It was clear UConn’s future would be with Bouknight, Jalen Gaffney and transfers R.J. Cole and Tyrese Martin.

“He needs a fresh start,” UConn coach Dan Hurley said when Gilbert decided to enter the transfer portal in March, “and an opportunity to find a place that can give him everything that he needs.”

Here’s the thing. Everyone likes Alterique Gilbert. Everyone is rooting for him.

“I’m thankful for going to UConn for four years,” Gilbert said Thursday. “Learning the things I did. Meeting the people I met. That’s the biggest thing I can take away from it. Meeting all those great people. Knowing I can always lean on somebody with the UConn family.”

Gilbert said Gregg Marshall was the second person who talked to him the day he entered the transfer portal. While other schools were interested, the Shockers, hit by transfers, needed an overhaul at point guard. Gilbert locked in early on Wichita State.

Marshall was no stranger to Connecticut. He coached against the Huskies after Wichita State joined the American, and he got out to Putnam to recruit Etienne. PSA workouts are renowned for drawing top college coaches into a tiny gym for recruits.

“One time (Marshall) came here and the humidity was so bad in the fall that the floor in our gym was crazy slippery,” Putnam Science coach Tom Espinosa said. “So 15 coaches all had to go over to the YMCA in Putnam with us to watch.”

Etienne went to Wichita State because of Marshall. So did Gilbert.

And then the school’s winningest coach resigned Nov. 17 after an internal investigation into allegations of physical and verbal abuse. The allegations aren’t pleasant. At all. There would be a contract settlement of $7.75 million, and assistant Isaac Brown was elevated to interim coach.

“The team has handled it with great maturity, great responsibility,” Etienne said. “We’ve been unified through it all. Obviously it’s a struggle. I committed here for Coach Marshall. To have him no longer part of the team is definitely something disheartening. Coach Brown has done a great job. Coach Lou (Gudino), coach (Tyson) Waterman, everyone, moving forward, pushing us hard.”

Gregg Marshall? “That’s my guy,” Etienne said.

“He had a big effect on my decision,” Gilbert said. “We had a great relationship.”

Asked how the team has held up, Gilbert said: “Surprisingly well. We had a lot of young guys who handled it really well in my opinion. They kept coming in and getting better. That’s a big adversity for any team. (Brown) is doing great. Giving him this opportunity is good for him and the program.”

As if a coaching change days before the season wasn’t a big enough shock, their first three games at the Crossover Classic were canceled because of multiple positive COVID tests. When they returned, the Shockers opened the season with only eight players. They couldn’t even go fiveon-five in practice.

“It was definitely tough,” Etienne said. “But we’ve got our full squad back and it’s great having everyone healthy. Being young men in life, I think the adversity has taught us to take things day-by-day, step-by-step. We can’t forgo the process and just worry about outcomes. We’ve learned to control what we can control.”

When he committed to Wichita State over Oklahoma, Auburn, Seton Hall, St. John’s, a slew of schools, Etienne said he wanted to get away from his native North Jersey to focus on his game. This is a no-nonsense guy. He’s not interested in distractions.

“I’ve been able to stay in my own zone,” he said. “It’s definitely been good for me being able to lock in on things I’m trying to do with my life and my game.”

When Etienne played at the XL Center last season, the PSA family was there to support him and UConn’s Akok Akok, who also played for the school.

“Tyson is like Kobe Bryant in his work ethic,” Espinosa said. “He’s to another level. He’d work out by himself first at 4:30 a.m. before we worked out at 6:30. Insane. This guy would come in the morning and set all his up stuff everywhere. The gun. His lifting things. He’s all about work, work, work.

“Tyson is one of the best players we’ve had. He led by example. To this day, we still talk to our guys about him. The work ethic was off the charts.”

The Shockers won their opener over Oral Roberts, lost to No. 16 Missouri and Oklahoma State and won their AAC opener at Tulsa.

“Both games we lost were winnable and we’ve got our whole team now,” Etienne said. “Everyone is going to know about us when March comes around.”

“This is a big learning process and we’re at the beginning,” Gilbert said. “Late February we’re going to be playing our best basketball. Coming to a new team can have its ups and downs. The most challenging part is getting to know my teammates, their backgrounds, their favorite spots on the court, all the things a point guard wants to know. Other than that it has been great. And staying in the same conference has given me some confidence and familiarity.”

There’s one team, of course, that won’t be on the American schedule. Gone to the Big East. Gilbert says he continues to talk to his former teammates.

“Not just guys from last year’s team, but back to my freshman year,” Gilbert said.

He knew all about Christian Vital and the Memphis Grizzlies. He knew about UConn vs. No. 9 Creighton on Sunday.

“Big game for them,” Alterique Gilbert said. “I’m going to find a way to watch it.”