Cornell Basketball in the News: Gatlin Will Get His Chance

Below is an article that we never had an opportunity to post. The focus is on Cornell red-shirt junior, Anthony Gatlin. The 6'8" transfer forward is expected to play a big role for Cornell during the 2010-2011 season.

Gatlin joins Cornell for Sweet 16 ride

The Journal of Pearland
March 24, 2010

Steve Buckelew had never produced a former player as a member of a Sweet 16 NCAA basketball team – until this week.

Former Oiler Anthony Gatlin, a transfer from Centenary College, is a member of the Cornell Big Red basketball team which takes on No. 1 seed Kentucky Thursday in the second game of a doubleheader in Syracuse, N.Y.

Gatlin, a 6-8, 180-pound junior, has worked as a member of the scout team for the Big Red during its Ivy League championship run. Gatlin is officially on the Cornell roster, but must sit out this season to comply with NCAA transfer regulations.

Gatlin will have two years of eligibility remaining beginning next fall.

“He’s helping them every day in practice,” Buckelew said. “Anthony originally went to Centenary, and when they went Division III, he decided to change universities.

“His folks moved to the East Coast, and his dad is in the Coast Guard, and I think that was a major factor in him winding up at Cornell.”

Gatlin was a two-year varsity letterman at Pearland and gave the Oilers a strong inside-outside option.

“He’s a brilliant kid, academically,” Buckelew said, “and no doubt, he’s one of the top five most coachable kids I’ve had in 30 years of coaching. He never got angry and never got frustrated.”

Gatlin played his first two seasons of high school basketball in Seoul, Korea at Seoul American High School. He led that team to league titles in both seasons, and was named most valuable player in helping the team to the Far East basketball title.

He is currently enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell.

At Centenary, Gatlin started 58 games, averaging 4.5 points and 2.5 rebounds.

“He’s deceptively good on offense,” Buckelew said. “I hope he can put on a little weight, but he’s still very active and athletic as he is. He’s hard to guard and he handles the ball well.

“He’s good at blocking shots, and he always plays within himself. He’ll be a good addition for Cornell.”

Gatlin is one of three local players featured on rosters of the 65 teams that qualified for the NCAA tournament.

James Blasczyk of Friendswood, a transfer from TCU, played for Texas A&M this year, while former Pearland standout Kelly Lawson was a member of Sam Houston State’s basketball team, redshirting this year.