Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Gamble's growth evident in senior season
3/4/2019 5:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – It's been well documented this season how much youth and inexperience exist on Middle Tennessee's roster.
First-year head coach Nick McDevitt inherited a team that ranks in the bottom 10 nationally in returning minutes played, starts and points. The starting lineup for a majority of the year has included three players that didn't suit up for the Blue Raiders a season ago, and 62 percent of their points have come from eight guys new to the active roster.
With all of the fresh faces, that makes senior Karl Gamble the elder statesman of the group. He's the lone four-year senior who will be honored when MT takes on UTEP on senior night Saturday.
"It's crazy it's coming to an end soon," he said. "We're just going to make the best of it, go hard every game and every practice and make the best of what we have left."
Constantly improving
If there's one thing that's true about Gamble's four years in Murfreesboro, it's that he's constantly improved on the basketball court.
Going into college a highly touted freshman who was ranked as the best forward and No. 3 overall recruit out of South Carolina according to Hoop Seen, Gamble faced a little adversity in his first year mainly caused by a new coach and system.
For those who haven't seen a Kermit Davis-led practice, it can be intense, to say the least. The former Middle Tennessee head man and the program's all-time wins leader patrolled the sidelines for Gamble's first three years, and in that time, Gamble found life would be tough in Division I hoops.
"[Davis] can be a little rough around the edges sometimes, but he's a great person," he said. "I learned a lot from him, not just basketball."
Gamble played in 32 games as a freshman, but only averaged 4.3 minutes, less than a point and a rebound.
He saw those numbers increase marginally as a sophomore, to 5.2 minutes, 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds, but his big jump was yet to come.
In Davis' last year at MT, Gamble started to put things together as a junior. He started nine games and saw 14.5 minutes per outing, upping his scoring average to almost four points with 3.2 rebounds.
Maybe more important than his numbers, Gamble started to feel himself becoming more comfortable as a leader on the court. He's never been the loudest person – some would even say he's a little shy – but his leadership started to show.
"Coming in, I wasn't really a talkative guy," he said. "I've opened up a lot more, and that's just part of me growing as a person."
The elder Raider
When Davis left, the roster seemingly disappeared around Gamble, leaving him as the lone four-year senior surrounded by newcomers.
The change has brought about the best in the Columbia, South Carolina native. As he's grown into more of a guiding force for Middle Tennessee's new players, Gamble has had a career year, posting 7.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and starting the last 21.
"I've had to adapt to Coach McDevitt's play style," he said. "I've never been much of a jump shooter, but I'm shooting a little more now."
As his long road in the 'Boro is ending, it sometimes doesn't seem to Gamble like it's even been that long at all.
In a lot of ways, he's changed just as much as the Blue Raider basketball program. Gamble came to college a teenager and turned into a man. He entered a fraternity – Alpha Phi Alpha – and will graduate in May with a degree in exercise science with hopes of continuing his education at some point in the future, hopefully after a basketball career overseas.
"Dr. Karl sounds pretty good," he quipped.
He's also experienced the ultimate triumphs and hardships on the hardwood.
Gamble still remembers coming into the Murphy Center for his first practice and the way he felt playing in two NCAA Tournaments, winning two games and celebrating in the locker room before the agony of defeat in the second round.
Those memories are what will stick with him forever and are part of what's made his four years at Middle Tennessee special.
"It was an overall great learning experience," he said. "Being under great coaches like Kermit and Coach McDevitt … I couldn't ask for more."
Josh Vardaman is the staff writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Vardaman and also follow @MTAthletics for more on the Blue Raiders.
First-year head coach Nick McDevitt inherited a team that ranks in the bottom 10 nationally in returning minutes played, starts and points. The starting lineup for a majority of the year has included three players that didn't suit up for the Blue Raiders a season ago, and 62 percent of their points have come from eight guys new to the active roster.
With all of the fresh faces, that makes senior Karl Gamble the elder statesman of the group. He's the lone four-year senior who will be honored when MT takes on UTEP on senior night Saturday.
"It's crazy it's coming to an end soon," he said. "We're just going to make the best of it, go hard every game and every practice and make the best of what we have left."
Constantly improving
If there's one thing that's true about Gamble's four years in Murfreesboro, it's that he's constantly improved on the basketball court.
Going into college a highly touted freshman who was ranked as the best forward and No. 3 overall recruit out of South Carolina according to Hoop Seen, Gamble faced a little adversity in his first year mainly caused by a new coach and system.
For those who haven't seen a Kermit Davis-led practice, it can be intense, to say the least. The former Middle Tennessee head man and the program's all-time wins leader patrolled the sidelines for Gamble's first three years, and in that time, Gamble found life would be tough in Division I hoops.
"[Davis] can be a little rough around the edges sometimes, but he's a great person," he said. "I learned a lot from him, not just basketball."
Gamble played in 32 games as a freshman, but only averaged 4.3 minutes, less than a point and a rebound.
He saw those numbers increase marginally as a sophomore, to 5.2 minutes, 1.6 points and 1.2 rebounds, but his big jump was yet to come.
In Davis' last year at MT, Gamble started to put things together as a junior. He started nine games and saw 14.5 minutes per outing, upping his scoring average to almost four points with 3.2 rebounds.
Maybe more important than his numbers, Gamble started to feel himself becoming more comfortable as a leader on the court. He's never been the loudest person – some would even say he's a little shy – but his leadership started to show.
"Coming in, I wasn't really a talkative guy," he said. "I've opened up a lot more, and that's just part of me growing as a person."
The elder Raider
When Davis left, the roster seemingly disappeared around Gamble, leaving him as the lone four-year senior surrounded by newcomers.
The change has brought about the best in the Columbia, South Carolina native. As he's grown into more of a guiding force for Middle Tennessee's new players, Gamble has had a career year, posting 7.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game and starting the last 21.
"I've had to adapt to Coach McDevitt's play style," he said. "I've never been much of a jump shooter, but I'm shooting a little more now."
As his long road in the 'Boro is ending, it sometimes doesn't seem to Gamble like it's even been that long at all.
In a lot of ways, he's changed just as much as the Blue Raider basketball program. Gamble came to college a teenager and turned into a man. He entered a fraternity – Alpha Phi Alpha – and will graduate in May with a degree in exercise science with hopes of continuing his education at some point in the future, hopefully after a basketball career overseas.
"Dr. Karl sounds pretty good," he quipped.
He's also experienced the ultimate triumphs and hardships on the hardwood.
Gamble still remembers coming into the Murphy Center for his first practice and the way he felt playing in two NCAA Tournaments, winning two games and celebrating in the locker room before the agony of defeat in the second round.
Those memories are what will stick with him forever and are part of what's made his four years at Middle Tennessee special.
"It was an overall great learning experience," he said. "Being under great coaches like Kermit and Coach McDevitt … I couldn't ask for more."
Josh Vardaman is the staff writer for goblueraiders.com. Follow him on Twitter @J_Vardaman and also follow @MTAthletics for more on the Blue Raiders.
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