When former Syracuse basketball player Xzavier Gaines informed his father, Patrick, about his decision to transfer out of SU last April, Patrick knew exactly who to call. He picked up the phone and dialed Darren Vorderbruegge, who played for Patrick in junior high school. Vorderbruegge, now the associate head coach at Division-II Northwest Missouri State, gladly listened to his former coach’s suggestion that Northwest take a look at Gaines.

At the time, Gaines considered American International University in Springfield, Mass. as his only option to transfer. But Patrick implored him to have an alternate plan, asking Gaines to take a trip to Northwest’s campus in Maryville, Mo. Eventually, he succumbed to Patrick’s pleas and visited the school his father preferred.

The visit to Northwest was more than enough to sell Gaines. Head coach Steve Tappmeyer wooed him with promises of more playing time and the prospect of playing closer to his parents in Granbury, Texas. It was exactly what Gaines wanted to hear, and he decided to spend his last year of eligibility trying to prove he belonged on the basketball court at Northwest.

‘He was really looking for a place where he could play quite a bit,’ Tappmeyer said. ‘He really didn’t know a lot about Northwest, but he wanted a place where he could spend his senior year and get a chance to play.’

The opportunity to compete for a starting spot and actually play in games rejuvenated Gaines. He’s already considered a leader on his new team and his new coaches notice the tenacity he takes in learning Northwest’s athletic system. Tappmeyer believes Gaines will fit perfectly in the small forward position.

Northwest usually does not pursue transfers, but the coaching staff felt Gaines’ experience at Syracuse could propel the Bearcats to the top of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association.

‘We wouldn’t have brought him in with one year left unless he could have an impact,’ Tappmeyer said. ‘He definitely is one of those guys competing for a starting spot. There’s some urgency there with only one year left.’

Gaines felt he didn’t receive an adequate opportunity to display his basketball skills at Syracuse. Even after quitting the Syracuse football team – where he was the third-string quarterback – in October 2004 to focus solely on basketball, Gaines only appeared in five games for the Orange last year.

His best showing was two rebounds and one assist in nine minutes against Division-I newcomer Northern Colorado. He failed to score a single point all season.

Gaines brought his frustrations to Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim after the season in April 2005. Boeheim listened to Gaines’ concerns, but couldn’t promise him the playing time he treasured.

‘It was fun at Syracuse,’ Gaines said. ‘I learned a lot about different things. However, I would have liked to change things different athletically.’

He turned his attention to Division-II schools. With Tappmeyer and Northwest interested, Gaines saw the opportunity to use his experience at Syracuse, including playing on the 2003 national championship team, to compete for a starting spot and display his talents on a slightly smaller scale.

‘He’s got some great experience,’ Tappmeyer said. ‘We told him this when we were recruiting him. It’s important to bring that experience, but don’t expect this to be Syracuse. We still eat hamburgers from down the road.’

The smaller atmosphere of Northwest was just what Gaines wanted, though. After three years of sitting on the bench, he wanted to play basketball. Practicing every day with the top players at Syracuse may have provided Gaines the necessary tools to succeed, but with little game experience no one would know.

So this season may be a grand experiment for Gaines. He hasn’t played with any regularity since he was a senior at Westfield High School in Houston. Still, Patrick holds out hope his son could one day play basketball professionally. And the very transfer he helped make happen probably was a result of that wish.

‘He was very pleased with coach Boeheim and the opportunity to be part of the program,’ Patrick Gaines said. ‘He just felt like he didn’t have a chance to showcase what he could do on the court since high school.

‘In professional athletics, you have people coming out of small schools and they had a chance to showcase what they can do. You never know what can happen, and I think that’s what he’s trying to do.’

Published on September 21, 2005 at 12:00 pm