STORRS – The debt crisis in Greece has sent periodic ripples through Wall Street, affecting many indirectly. The problem hits Gavin Edwards’ wallet more directly.
“Because of the economic problems, a lot of teams are going broke,” said Edwards, who played this past season for Peristeri in Athens. “And a lot of guys aren’t getting paid.”
A number of top players left the Peristeri club as a result, though Edwards stuck it out.
Edwards, 24, who has returned to UConn this summer to get his degree, says he is owed about $30,000 and doesn’t expect to get it any time soon. A 6-foot-9 center/forward, he averaged 24 minutes per game and scored 9.5 points per game. He has also played in South Korea and Ukraine since completing his eligibility at UConn in 2010.
“The game is different [in Greece],” Edwards said, after practicing and lifting weights with current UConn players on Wednesday, “for instance, they’re really strict at calling it when you get the ball and take your first step. I kept getting called for traveling.
“And the fans are different. They like to throw things on the court. I was never afraid – it was my fans who were throwing things.”
Among the items Edwards has seen flung on the court, usually at refs: full cups of coffee and batteries.
At UConn, Edwards is taking courses in both summer sessions and expects to have his degree in sociology by September.
“It would be a shame to come here four years and not have a degree,” Edwards said. “The ball is going to stop bouncing one of these days and I’m going to have to get a job. I need something to fall back on, if I don’t stay in basketball, or get into coaching.”
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10 Responses to Gavin Edwards Back At UConn To Get Degree
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I think the ball stopped bouncing already.
9.5 points per game is more than Josh Childress scored in that league, AND that league’s best teams are the best teams in Europe.
I am not a 100% sure but Gavin then would of negatively impacted the APR. This is one of the reasons why the APR is horrible. Take a kid like this, a good kid, he goes to Uconn for 4 years. He does well in school but doesnt accumulate enough credits to graduate. A lot of kids, not just basketball players, are in this boat. Now the free ride ends but he wants to try to continue his bball career. YOu can make good money overseas. After his career he goes back to school to get his degree. Uconn gets penalized and for what…nothing. The APR is the dumbest calcuation alive.
Hi there! This is my first thought here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and inform you I really take pleasure in reading through your weblog posts. Can you recommend any other web logs/web-sites/message boards that deal with the similar subjects?
Hey Paul, now that Gavin is going back to school UConn will make up those APR points
Yeah but the damage is done…he is part of the reason we are banned. It hurt us and then it will help us…right?
So what I am saying is what is the difference between Hash, lamb, or drummond leaving early and going to the NBA compared to a kid that stays in college for 4 years and goes overseas to play? What if Gavin stayed overseas and played for 15 years, made a good living, and didnt go back to school? Why should that hurt a school but a 1 and done doesnt? Doesnt make sense. Then it doesnt make sense to 1 day have it hurt the school and then 3 or 4 years later help the school. If academics is a big deal to the NCAA they should move more towards a system that makes it harder for them to step on the court day in and day out. If graduation is what they want, why are these kids on the floor but not on pace to graduate? Why not go to a system that takes your major and how many credits that major needs to graduate. Then divide it by 8 (2 semesters over 4 years) and at the end of each semester check to see if these kids are on pace to graduate. If not sit them down. Then at the end of 4 years guess what? They have a degree! How many players from Uconn have been suspended by the NCAA due to academics? Not many, so they are saying they are academically fit to be on the floor yet penalize teams and kids for poor academic performance. Not only that they dont punish the guilty party, they punish kids who had nothing to do with it and who are doing very well now.
Can there be anyplace else We can get knowledge about this? I’m thinking I may perhaps write my term paper on it.
Heya! This is my first thought here so I just wanted to give a brief holler out and convey to you I sincerely enjoy reading through your site posts. Can you suggest any other websites/website pages/discussion boards that deal with the same topics?
He got lucky it was only batteries and coffe, I have been living in Greece for 3 years and between soccer and basketball have seen way worse. But the Greek balance. They have two teams that fight for the title every year, then two others who sometimes do well in other international competitions. I have been to games in Athens with less than 1000 fans. I am not surprised he was not paid, 10 euro a tick ($13) plus not many fans, does not equal anyones salary.