Gatens vs. Gibbs at Wells Fargo Arena, one more time
Grant Gibbs calls his on-court reunion with Matt Gatens Sunday “a crazy coincidence.”
The last time the best friends faced off on a basketball floor was in the semifinals of the 2008 Class 4-A state tournament at Wells Fargo Arena. Gatens’ Iowa City High team beat Linn-Mar of Marion and Gibbs, 66-46.
The two guards meet again today, in the same arena, when Gatens and Iowa face Gibbs and Creighton in a 3 p.m. game between undefeated teams.
“It’s crazy how things work out,” Gatens said. “I never would have thought this would end up happening. We’ll put our friendship aside for 40 minutes. But after the game we’ll be friends and talk about it for years.”
Gibbs said he first started playing against Gatens when they were in fifth or sixth grade. The friendship blossomed when Gatens talked Gibbs into joining his Martin Brothers AAU team a few years later.
“That’s when we became really close friends,” Gibbs said.
Gatens and Gibbs were both members of the 2008 Des Moines Sunday Register 4-A all-state team, then headed in different directions. Gatens went to Iowa and has been a four-year starter. Gibbs’ path has been anything but a straight line.
He signed with Gonzaga, despite a determined recruiting effort by Greg McDermott and Iowa State. Gibbs redshirted his first season with a shoulder injury. He played 24 games for the Bulldogs in the 2009-10 season despite a painful knee, then decided to leave the West Coast and transfer closer to home.
Gibbs took McDermott up on his second offer, this time at Creighton. After sitting out last season while meeting NCAA transfer requirements and recovering from knee surgery, Gibbs is a starter. He has averaged 8.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and a team-best 4.7 assists this season.
“He’s excited to be back on the court,” said Gatens, Iowa’s leading scorer at 16.3 points a game. “He’s a talented guy, a guard with size who can shoot it. A great team guy, a guy who is always going to work hard. It’s great to see him get through those injuries and have some success late in his career.”
Gibbs said that Gatens helped keep his spirits up during his injuries and unhappiness.
“He knew I was in a tough place there trying to get back healthy,” Gibbs said. “He was there for me to help get me back on track and everything. That’s my guy right there.”
The 6-foot-5 Gatens and the 6-4 Gibbs will likely be matched up Sunday, trading friendship for the will to win until the game is over.
“He got me the last time,” Gibbs said. “This will probably be the last time we play against each other. It’s a crazy coincidence, but it’s going to be a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to it.”
SUNDAY’S IOWA MEN’S BASKETBALL GAME
WHO: Creighton (3-0) vs. Iowa (3-0)
WHERE: Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines
TIPOFF: 3 p.m.
TICKETS: $10, $20 (other packages sold out).
TELEVISION: Big Ten Network.
RADIO: WHO-AM (1040), Des Moines and Hawkeye Radio Network.
STAT LEADERS: For Creighton — Doug McDermott 20.3 ppg; Gregory Echenique 6.7 rpg; Grant Gibbs 4.7 apg; For Iowa — Matt Gatens 16.3 ppg; Aaron White 6.0 rpg.
ABOUT THE BLUEJAYS: Including the exhibition game, Doug McDermott has scored 177 points in 175 minutes played.
ABOUT THE HAWKEYES: Iowa has trailed a total of 1:51 in its first three games.
Category: Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball
