It’s hard to achieve some level of greatness. Nick Gagel, junior guard, did this before he ever set foot on the IUS basketball court. This secondary education major won a state title.
Gagel won the state championship in 2006 but remembers it like it was yesterday.
“They did a box and chase on me,” Gagel said. “In the first quarter, it was kind of frustrating, and we had an older coach, Charlie. He told me to be a decoy for the whole game. What I did for the last three quarters was kind of stood off maybe 30 feet out, let my team go 4-on-4, and we came home with the state championship.”
Head coach Wiley Brown also talked about Gagel’s state title and praise Gagel.
“He’s a proven winner,” Brown said. “He won a state championship in high school, and he brings some experience to some of our younger guys at the guard position.”
Both Brown and Gagel were on the same page when talking about Gagel’s best skills.
“He can shoot,” Brown said. “Along with that, he brings leadership, and he brings hustle.”
Gagel also said he thought shooting was his best asset, but he said he thought there were other things he does that helps out the team, too.
“What a lot of coaches that I play against don’t realize is the other things that I do as far as leadership,” Gagel said. “I do get in there and scrap for rebounds, and I’m actually a pretty good passer.”
Gagel wears No. 11 at IU Southeast, which is a number he only wore once before coming here.
“One time in high school, I got blood on my jersey,” Gagel said. “They gave me No. 11, and I had 26 points, so my brother suggested that I take a new route and try that number.”
Outside of basketball, Gagel said his hobbies include eating a lot. His favorite food is steak.
“Throughout high school, I was always really skinny,” Gagel said. “I’ve tried to put on weight forever, so I’ve been doing 6,000 calories a day since sophomore year of high school.”
Gagel said he also enjoys playing video games and watching movies to take his mind off of things. He said “Call of Duty” is one of his favorite games to play.
“I love getting online and playing that, Madden a little bit and ‘Tiger Woods Golf,’” Gagel said.
Among Gagel’s favorite movies are “The Hangover” and “American Gangster,” but he has favorite actors, too.
“I love almost anything with Adam Sandler in it,” Gagel said. “I love Denzel Washington movies.”
Brown talked about Gagel being a great person to be around — not only for him, but for the other players, too.
“College is, I would think, your happiest time,” Brown said, “so you want to make this a great experience. Nick is doing that. He comes with a smile on his face every day. When we’re at practice or on the road, he’s a jokester. When you’ve got that kind of person to be around, you just love coming every day to teach those kind of young men.”
Gagel also holds Brown in high respects and said he enjoys playing for him.
“Brown is a players’ coach.” Gagel said. “He’ll joke with you and stuff, but in the lines, he’s just as mean and determined as the best of them. So, he’s a good coach to play for.”
Gagel said the best advice he ever received from a coach was “Do what you do best.”
“My high school coach would give us so many quotes,” Gagel said. “We had them hanging up all throughout our locker room.”
Gagel talked a little bit about fellow guard Jazzmarr Ferguson being he the guy he’d choose to take the final shot if the game was on the line.
“He’s been there the whole season,” Gagel said of Ferguson. “He’s been consistent. I wouldn’t mind having him be a decoy and let me take the last shot — because I enjoy that, too.”
By BRENT KULWICKI
Staff
bkulwick@ius.edu