Sterling Gibbs’ journey leads to UConn, NCAA Tournament (+video)

When it came to recruiting guard Sterling Gibbs, Connecticut coach Kevin Ollie turned off the bright lights.

Gibbs, who began his career at Texas and transferred to Seton Hall after one season, decided to look for yet another school as a graduate transfer last year. Once impressionable, he was no longer impressed by the over-the-top, glitzy recruiting pitches he’d experienced twice before.

“They went through the process. They’ve seen the videos. They’ve seen the pictures,” Ollie said of Gibbs and other fifth-year players. “There is nothing you can tell them or do.”

Ollie opted for a straightforward approach that swayed the cautious Gibbs. He announced his decision to attend UConn on Twitter last May by posting the Huskies’ logo along with “3rd time (is) a charm.”

Gibbs, a 6-foot-2 point guard, feels the same way about his decision 10 months later. He has helped UConn reach the NCAA Tournament after last season’s absence, averaging 12 points and blending well with a makeshift roster that includes other transfers such as Rodney Purvis and Shonn Miller.

UConn, a No. 9 seed, takes on top seed Kansas on Saturday night in a second-round game.

“I think, as time went on, we were kind of get used to playing with each other,” Gibbs said. “We were able to trust each other. As time went on, we became a better team and I think that’s the best part of it.”

Texas reached the NCAA Tournament in 2012, Gibbs’ only year there, and that was about his only memorable experience with the Longhorns. He started with some momentum, playing 20 minutes in his debut, but he didn’t play more than 18 in any other game and 14 times played five or fewer.

Without a path to increased playing time, Gibbs switched to Seton Hall, whose campus is located within walking distance of his home in New Jersey.

“It was right down the street from my house, right down the street from my family,” Gibbs said. “My family was able to get to every game.”

Over his two years at Seton Hall, that once-positive outlook deteriorated. The Pirates weren’t a threat to reach the NCAA Tournament and as they lost 11 of their final 14 games last season, the locker room became an unhealthy environment.

“I didn’t really have a low,” Gibbs said. “It was just, after the season I kind of just looked at my options and thought it would be best to go somewhere else and enjoy this type of (tournament) experience.”

Those hopes sent Gibbs on another search. He was more deliberate regarding his decision and more educated about the recruiting process, leery of haste and trying to eliminate emotion since he wasn’t afforded another do-over.

He chose UConn, finding a match between his low-key demeanor and Ollie’s no-nonsense approach to pursuing him.

“I learned a lot,” Gibbs said. “You meet a lot of new people. I’ve played in three different styles of play, I’ve played for three different coaches. I’ve been able to take a lot from it and I think it’s been a great journey.”

A journey, even in today’s transfer-heavy college basketball environment, that is rare – perhaps almost unprecedented.

Kansas players such as Devonte’ Graham and Frank Mason, who each signed with other schools before attending Kansas, went through the recruiting process twice – and that was enough.

“I really can’t imagine it,” Mason said. “I’ve never had to go through that and I hope I never have to go through that.”

Gibbs believes he wouldn’t be the player, or the person, without going through it. Ollie describes him as a player of few words but one who was immediately established as a leader and a catalyst.

“When he really talks, he talks with his action,” Ollie said. “He’s never sat out of practice and we practice very, very hard. …I know he’s willing and able to step up when the time is needed.”

This story was originally published March 18, 2016 at 3:39 PM with the headline "Sterling Gibbs’ journey leads to UConn, NCAA Tournament (+video)."