Sports > September 27, 2007

By Blake Holt | Contributing writer

After what was, to many, an unexpected departure by Anthony Gurley of Wake Forest basketball, questions have risen among both players and students. The sophomore, who was expected to be a big contributor in the upcoming season, transferred to the University of Massachusetts just one week into the school year. “Everybody was surprised,” sophomore L.D. Williams said. “I mean, I did not expect it.”

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Gurley left the Deacons to return home and attend college and play basketball for UMass. (Old Gold & Black file photo)

However, Head Coach Dino Gaudio maintains that no one involved with the team should have been too caught off guard.

“It’s been an ongoing thing with Anthony,” Gaudio said. “As early as last spring, he expressed concerns with staying at Wake Forest. He wanted to leave in the spring, but Coach Prosser convinced him to stay. In the summer he had concerns again.”

The statement released by Gurley on Sept. 12 cited a “personal situation” as his reason for transferring.

“He has a lot of things going on,” Williams said.

"There’s just a lot of family stuff going on right now,” Gurley said in a phone interview. "So, I just needed to be closer to home.”

“I mean I like (UMass) a lot,” he continued, “I feel more comfortable here, given the situation. It’s close to my high school. It’s close to my family. That’s pretty much the type of atmosphere I wanted to be in.”

However, as he explained, “Only a certain amount of people knew that I wasn’t happy when I was at Wake, so for the majority of people it’s got to be a surprise.”

Gurley grew up less than an hour and half from UMass in the town of Newton, Mass. He attended Newton North High School, where he averaged 22 points a game in his senior season, leading his team to an undefeated record. His team lost one game in his last two years as he broke the school’s all time scoring record.

“My friends up here are going to be able to come and see me play” he said. “I’m going to have a whole support system up here.”

Gurley has known UMass’ head coach Travis Ford since before high school. Coming out of Newton North High, Gurley was raked the 22nd in the county by rivals.com. In his freshman season at Wake, he averaged 6.4 points in less than 14 minutes a game.

“There’s no doubt AG was going to be a big part of our team,” Williams said. “But, you know, things like this happen. We’ve been going through a pretty rough time, but I think stuff like this is helping us glue together and become a better team.”

Gaudio expressed no less optimism. “What I told the team was that we’ll be fine without him,” he said, “and I really believe that. It’s no disrespect to Anthony. It’s just that if there’s any position we’re really solid at it’s the two guard.” He explains how shooting guard is this squad’s most experienced position, with Harvey Hale in his junior year. Also, freshman Gary Clarke has, in Guadio’s words, been outstanding during preseason workouts and conditioning.

As he has stated in the past, he has no reservations putting two natural point guards on the court together in sophomore Ishmael Smith and freshman Jeff Teague. And with the versatility of freshman James Johnson, who can play from center down to the two, he assured that there is no lack of depth.

In the wake of what was, nonetheless, disappointing news, Gurley’s teammates have expressed nothing but support for his decision.

“We’ve all been talking to him every day,” Williams said, who has known Gurley since AAU ball. “We’re still boys. He’s just doing his thing at a different school now. He’s still AG. Nothing’s changed but the jersey he’s got on.”