May 11, 2009
IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa men’s basketball player Matt Gatens isn’t concerned about the number of shots he takes in a game. He doesn’t worry himself with individual accolades or his own scoring average.
That demeanor is one reason Gatens, an Iowa City native, was selected to the Big Ten Conference All-Freshman team.
It also had a lot to do with The Daily Iowan choosing him as its UI Freshman Athlete of the Year.
“Another thing that made Gatens so effective in his first year on campus was his ability to contribute to the team in numerous ways,” writes Scott Miller in Monday’s edition of The Daily Iowa. “Sure, the freshman was the second-leading scorer from last year’s 15-17 campaign, scoring in double-figures in 21 of the Hawkeyes’ 32 contests. But Gatens earned a spot on the Big Ten’s All-Freshman team because of his defensive intensity, along with his willingness to make the extra pass and snag a rebound at a pivotal point in the game.”
To read Miller’s entire feature on Gatens, click HERE.