PLAYER PROFILE: MIKE GANSEY

Was there a player last year on the West Virginia basketball team that more represented the program as a whole more than Mike Gansey? Last season, the junior transfer student from St Bonaventure, via Olmstead Falls, OH, captured the hearts of WVU fans with his gritty and unselfish play. He also became an instant hero by scoring 19 of his 29 points in the two overtimes in WVU's victory over Wake Forest to send WVU to the Sweet 16 (Gansey Becomes Instant WVU Hero). Making that performance even more special for Gansey and his family, it came in front of his hometown friend and family in Cleveland.

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Like many of the players on the WVU roster last season, nobody really expected a whole lot from Mike Gansey. A little-known transfer from the Atlantic 10, Gansey really picked up his play down the stretch for the Mountaineers and took over the role as the heart and soul of the WVU team. As a sophomore, the 6'4 SF averaged nearly 14 PPG for the Bonnies and shot over 40% from beyond the 3-pt arc. The Mountaineers had some rough stretches early in the year once they hit conference play and Gansey struggled, too. "I think it hit him like a sledgehammer, (as if he thought) 'I'm a small forward in the Big East with a guard's body,' " Beilein says. "Once he understood it's tougher for the other people to guard him than for him to guard the other people, he's gotten much more efficient and confident." (Gansey and Beilein Just Fine)

Once that confidence started rolling, as well as the bigger role of 6'11 Kevin Pittsnogle on the perimeter, WVU got rolling again and finished the season with a run to the Big East Tournament finals and coming one game, an overtime loss to Louisville, from reaching the Final Four.

This year Gansey is a senior leader on an experienced WVU team. Over the summer Gansey added some valuable International experience by playign for Villanova head coach Jay Wright on the gold-medal winning USA U-21 team that competed in the World University Games. On a team with high profile stars like Craig Smith, Randy Foye, Sheldon Williams, Gerry McNamara, etc, Gansey averaged 6.4 PPG and 3.4 rebounds in the 8-game competition. Last season at WVU, Gansey averaged 12 PPG, 3 assists, 5 rebounds and 1.6 steals. he was very effecient, shooting 50% from the floor and 35% from beyond the arc. This well rounded performer is another perfect fit for the WVU system and is the kind of player coach Beilein relies on to make things click at WVU because he can play several roles and is not afraid to defend and rebound in the physical Big East. With Gansey on the floor, things are usually under control for the Mountaineers.