Gazette-Times Reporter

Commentary

C.J. Giles never asked to be the savior of the Oregon State men’s basketball program.

He just wanted a second chance.

That request, however, was no small favor.

Most of us know Giles’ story by now. He is the son of two former University of Kansas basketball players.

He grew up in Seattle and wound up living with the athletic director of his high school.

He was a late bloomer on the court, taking up basketball as a freshman at Rainier Beach High. By the time he was a senior, he was pushing 7 feet and was considered a top-level recruit.

Giles made his way to Lawrence. He played sparingly in two years for the Jayhawks, but did have his moments.

There was the time St. Joseph’s forward Chet Stachitas tried to throw down a big dunk over Giles, who went up with both hands to stop Stachitas cold. The block was replayed on ESPN’s SportsCenter as the No. 4 play of the day.

As a sophomore, Giles played just under 17 minutes a game and averaged 6.2 points and 4.8 rebounds a game.

Those highs were few for Giles in Lawrence.

Trouble set in. He didn’t have the in-house guidance at Kansas and his grades slipped. He broke some team rules. Kansas coach Bill Self hit him with a two-week suspension.

When Giles allegedly had a physical run-in with a woman in his apartment, it was goodbye KU.

“C.J. was well aware of the consequences of another lapse in judgment,” Self said in a news release. “We normally would let the judicial process play its course before dismissing someone, but C.J. has exhibited a pattern of irresponsible behavior and has left us no choice.”

Some athletes would not bounce back. They’d drop out of sight or land at a small college.

The payoff with Giles was too high to dismiss. It wasn’t long before several schools came sniffing around, but OSU coach Jay John had recruited Giles and Corvallis is close to Seattle.

Some Oregon State fans didn’t want Giles on campus.

They called him a quick fix, a last gasp of a desperate head coach.

They didn’t need another troubled athlete in town after spending years hearing that the football players are thugs because of a bunch of flags in the Fiesta Bowl, a ram kidnapping and a few fights.

While John was contacted by Giles’ camp, he had a choice. His decision was to give Giles a second chance.

Now that Giles is here, some OSU fans will expect a surge in success. Others will hope for disaster.

It’s quite a burden for a 22-year-old to bear.

Giles is like no player to ever wear an OSU jersey. He’s listed at 6-foot-11, 240 pounds. Unlike most players that size, Giles has the athleticism to run the court and a wingspan measured at 7-4 that gives him a natural ability to swat away shots. He has good touch on his shot and range well outside the key.

He’s Steve Johnson with speed. A.C. Green with size.

There’s no doubt Giles could become a dominant inside force for the Beavers.

It would be a mistake to expect it to happen overnight. If OSU fans get antsy and blame Giles for the team’s misfortunes it could send him on a tailspin.

Let Giles decide his fate.

Giles is on his way to making good. He worked his way into the required academic standing and played his first game for the Beavers last night.

He made two free throws in the first half and picked up three fouls. Giles didn’t attempt a shot in the game before fouling out.

There’s no room for slip-ups. Giles can’t skip practice or blow off a test.

He certainly can’t find himself on the wrong side of the law.

If he does, the NBA will no doubt be there, but stardom will still be a longshot. In the meantime, he’ll lose a college education. That’s potential he can’t afford to waste.

A second chance like this only comes along once in a lifetime.

Kevin Hampton covers sports for the Gazette-Times. He can be reached at kevin.hampton@lee.net. Read his blog at www.gazettetimes.com.