John Gilchrist (basketball)
Encyclopedia
John H. Gilchrist III, (born June 29, 1984 in Virginia Beach
, Virginia
) is a former Maryland Terrapins
point guard
, currently a free agent.
and Steve Blake
. Following Blake's graduation, Gilchrist inherited the starting point guard position as a sophomore, leading the team in assists (5.0 pg), scoring (15.4 pg), minutes (34.0 pg), and steals (1.8 pg), while starting 30 of 32 games. For his efforts, Gilchrist was named the Terps' Co-Player of the Year.
However, Gilchrist's true coming-out party would be the 2004 ACC
Tournament. Having slipped to 7-9 in the ACC—the team's first sub-.500 conference record in more than a decade—Maryland was not as highly regarded as in years past and wound up as the tournament's 6th seed. However, the Terps ultimately upset the tournament's top three seeds, knocking off Wake Forest
(3), NC State (2), and Duke
(1), to clinch their first ACC Tournament title in 20 years.
During this run, Gilchrist dazzled as the Terps' primary offensive option. First, Gilchrist hit the game-winning free throw against a Chris Paul
-led Wake Forest team, scoring 16 points and shooting 4-for-4 from 3-point range. Next, Gilchrist led a 21-point comeback against the NC State Wolfpack, scoring 23 of his 30 points after halftime (and shooting 9-for-9 from the field); the 30-point performance was the first for a Terp since Juan Dixon
scored 33 points against the Kansas Jayhawks
in the 2002 NCAA Final Four
.
But Gilchrist was saving his best for last. In the tournament final against Duke—a team bound for the 2004 Final Four
and loaded with six future NBA players—Gilchrist led the Terps back from a 12-point deficit with less than five minutes left in the game. Most dramatically, Gilchrist closed the 2nd half with a driving layup that drew a fifth and final foul on Shelden Williams
, Duke's best low-post presence and Gilchrist's main competition for tournament MVP. Gilchrist's ensuing foul shot would tie the game at 77 with 20 seconds left, and Maryland went on to dominate the overtime and secure a 95-87 victory. For his three-day heroics, Gilchrist was unanimously named tournament MVP
. The win also snapped Duke's drive for an unprecedented sixth consecutive ACC Tournament title, while propelling Maryland into the 2004 NCAA Tournament
; though the Terps ultimately lost by a few points to Syracuse
in the second round, the team was seen as an up-and-coming squad that had overachieved, despite its youth.
However, Gilchrist's career at Maryland—and fans' and NBA scouts' glowing opinion of him—would never reach these heights again. Led by their junior point guard, the Terps entered the 2004-2005 season ranked in the top 15 in the nation, but would succumb to road struggles and a late season collapse to again finish 7-9 in the conference. Nor could the team summon 2004's magic in the 2005 ACC Tournament; the Terps lost in the first round to Clemson
, the third time the Tigers defeated the Terps that year. With a middling 16-12 record, Maryland missed the NCAA tournament
for the first time in 13 years and accepted a consolation trip to the NIT
, where they lost in the semifinals to South Carolina
.
, Gilchrist went undrafted, as most felt his mental maturity lagged far behind his physical maturity. He was invited to play in the Cleveland Cavaliers
' summer league, but was not picked up by the team. In October 2005, he signed with the Maccabi Rishon Letzion, an Israel
i pro team. In the summer of 2006 Gilchrist signed with the Euroleague
French
team Pau Orthez but was released shortly and moved back to Israel, to Ironi Naharia. Gilchrist remained inconsistent during the season, and was again released in January 2007. Gilchrist was picked up by the Los Angeles D-Fenders in the NBDL (NBA development league) in February 2007. John Gilchrist played for the D-Fenders through March, then moved to the Idaho Stampede (another NBDL team) in April. In August 2007 Gilchrist signed one year contract with Latvia
n runners-up BK Ventspils, but in November 2007 was released. After few weeks, Gilchrist found new club to play - Israel
's Ironi Naharya.
from the Australian NBL. In his first game, against the Cairns Taipans
, Gilchrist scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds and 6 assists. On October 29, 2009, Gilchrist scored an NBL career-high 26 points in a 99-91 loss to the New Zealand Breakers
. He suffered a serious knee injury towards the end of the season.
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Virginia Beach is an independent city located in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
) is a former Maryland Terrapins
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
, currently a free agent.
College
Arriving in College Park for the 2002-2003 season, Gilchrist had a freshman campaign as a backup to then-Terp guards Drew NicholasDrew Nicholas
#REDIRECT Target page nameAndrew "Drew" Lawrence Nicholas is an American professional basketball player...
and Steve Blake
Steve Blake
Steven Hanson "Steve" Blake is an American professional basketball point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. Previously, he played for the Washington Wizards, Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, Portland Trail Blazers and the Los Angeles Clippers.-High school:Blake spent his freshman and sophomore year...
. Following Blake's graduation, Gilchrist inherited the starting point guard position as a sophomore, leading the team in assists (5.0 pg), scoring (15.4 pg), minutes (34.0 pg), and steals (1.8 pg), while starting 30 of 32 games. For his efforts, Gilchrist was named the Terps' Co-Player of the Year.
However, Gilchrist's true coming-out party would be the 2004 ACC
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
Tournament. Having slipped to 7-9 in the ACC—the team's first sub-.500 conference record in more than a decade—Maryland was not as highly regarded as in years past and wound up as the tournament's 6th seed. However, the Terps ultimately upset the tournament's top three seeds, knocking off Wake Forest
Wake Forest University
Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...
(3), NC State (2), and Duke
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
(1), to clinch their first ACC Tournament title in 20 years.
During this run, Gilchrist dazzled as the Terps' primary offensive option. First, Gilchrist hit the game-winning free throw against a Chris Paul
Chris Paul
Christopher Emmanuel Paul is an American professional basketball point guard for the New Orleans Hornets.Paul was born and raised in North Carolina. Despite only playing two varsity basketball seasons in high school, he was a McDonald's All-American and accepted a scholarship with nearby Wake...
-led Wake Forest team, scoring 16 points and shooting 4-for-4 from 3-point range. Next, Gilchrist led a 21-point comeback against the NC State Wolfpack, scoring 23 of his 30 points after halftime (and shooting 9-for-9 from the field); the 30-point performance was the first for a Terp since Juan Dixon
Juan Dixon
Juan Dixon is an American professional basketball player. Dixon led the University of Maryland Terrapins to their first NCAA championship in 2002 and earned Most Outstanding Player honors at the 2002 Final Four.-Early life:...
scored 33 points against the Kansas Jayhawks
Kansas Jayhawks
The sports teams at the University of Kansas are known as the Jayhawks. They are one of three schools in the state of Kansas that participate in NCAA Division I. The Jayhawks are also a member of the Big 12 Conference...
in the 2002 NCAA Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
.
But Gilchrist was saving his best for last. In the tournament final against Duke—a team bound for the 2004 Final Four
Final four
Final Four isa sports term that is commonly applied to the last four teams remaining in a playoff tournament, most notably NCAA Division I college basketball tournaments. The term usually refers to the four teams who compete in the two games of a single-elimination tournament's semi-final round...
and loaded with six future NBA players—Gilchrist led the Terps back from a 12-point deficit with less than five minutes left in the game. Most dramatically, Gilchrist closed the 2nd half with a driving layup that drew a fifth and final foul on Shelden Williams
Shelden Williams
Shelden DeMar Williams is an American professional basketball player who last played for the New York Knicks...
, Duke's best low-post presence and Gilchrist's main competition for tournament MVP. Gilchrist's ensuing foul shot would tie the game at 77 with 20 seconds left, and Maryland went on to dominate the overtime and secure a 95-87 victory. For his three-day heroics, Gilchrist was unanimously named tournament MVP
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
. The win also snapped Duke's drive for an unprecedented sixth consecutive ACC Tournament title, while propelling Maryland into the 2004 NCAA Tournament
2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2004 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 2004, and ended with the championship game on April 5 at the Alamodome in San Antonio,...
; though the Terps ultimately lost by a few points to Syracuse
Syracuse University
Syracuse University is a private research university located in Syracuse, New York, United States. Its roots can be traced back to Genesee Wesleyan Seminary, founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1832, which also later founded Genesee College...
in the second round, the team was seen as an up-and-coming squad that had overachieved, despite its youth.
However, Gilchrist's career at Maryland—and fans' and NBA scouts' glowing opinion of him—would never reach these heights again. Led by their junior point guard, the Terps entered the 2004-2005 season ranked in the top 15 in the nation, but would succumb to road struggles and a late season collapse to again finish 7-9 in the conference. Nor could the team summon 2004's magic in the 2005 ACC Tournament; the Terps lost in the first round to Clemson
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
, the third time the Tigers defeated the Terps that year. With a middling 16-12 record, Maryland missed the NCAA tournament
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
for the first time in 13 years and accepted a consolation trip to the NIT
National Invitation Tournament
The National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
, where they lost in the semifinals to South Carolina
University of South Carolina
The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...
.
Professional
Despite having the physical tools (6 ft 3 in 194 lb.) of a solid NBA point guard and skills and athleticism that drew comparisons to an early Stephon MarburyStephon Marbury
Stephon Xavier Marbury is an American professional basketball player.The , point guard was selected out of the Georgia Institute of Technology by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 4th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft, but was traded shortly thereafter to the Minnesota Timberwolves.He was an NBA...
, Gilchrist went undrafted, as most felt his mental maturity lagged far behind his physical maturity. He was invited to play in the Cleveland Cavaliers
Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cleveland Cavaliers are a professional basketball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They began playing in the National Basketball Association in 1970 as an expansion team...
' summer league, but was not picked up by the team. In October 2005, he signed with the Maccabi Rishon Letzion, an Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
i pro team. In the summer of 2006 Gilchrist signed with the Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
team Pau Orthez but was released shortly and moved back to Israel, to Ironi Naharia. Gilchrist remained inconsistent during the season, and was again released in January 2007. Gilchrist was picked up by the Los Angeles D-Fenders in the NBDL (NBA development league) in February 2007. John Gilchrist played for the D-Fenders through March, then moved to the Idaho Stampede (another NBDL team) in April. In August 2007 Gilchrist signed one year contract with Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
n runners-up BK Ventspils, but in November 2007 was released. After few weeks, Gilchrist found new club to play - Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
's Ironi Naharya.
Adelaide 36ers, 2009-2010
In July 2009 it was reported he would be joining the Adelaide 36ersAdelaide 36ers
The Adelaide 36ers are Adelaide's men's professional basketball team, established as the Adelaide City Eagles when they joined the National Basketball League in 1982. The Adelaide 36ers tally of four championships is equal with the Melbourne Tigers and second behind the Perth Wildcats as the most...
from the Australian NBL. In his first game, against the Cairns Taipans
Cairns Taipans
The Cairns Taipans are an Australian professional basketball team competing in the Australasian National Basketball League. The club is based in the northern Queensland city of Cairns. The Taipans, named after a species of venomous snake native to Australia, entered the NBL in the 1999/2000 season...
, Gilchrist scored 20 points and added 10 rebounds and 6 assists. On October 29, 2009, Gilchrist scored an NBL career-high 26 points in a 99-91 loss to the New Zealand Breakers
New Zealand Breakers
The New Zealand Breakers are a professional basketball team competing in the Australasian National Basketball League. The Breakers joined the NBL for the 2003/04 season as one of two expansion clubs. The club is based in the city of Auckland, New Zealand and play their home games at the North...
. He suffered a serious knee injury towards the end of the season.