Temple University Athletics
Micheal Eric's Return is Joyous For All
1.21.12 | Men's Basketball
MIcheal Eric Interview
PHILADELPHIA -- It began with some minor rumblings around the Palestra as anxious fans shuffled their feet and began elbowing their neighbors. One person leaned over to another, pointing to the Temple bench. Then came Fran Dunphy's almost imperceptible nod, snapping 8,722 heads to attention.
The 6'11” forward rose from the bench, still sporting his nameless black warmup pullover. On cue, he quickly thrust it over his head, deposited it on the Temple bench and jogged three loping strides to front of the scorer's table.
As he crouched on the hardwood on the sidelines at center court, the action on the floor faded into the background. The scattered applause crescendoed into a deafening roar loud enough to temporarily mute the buzzer announcing a substitution on the court. Thousands of fans clamored to their feet as the longtime Owls PA announcer Merev Jones broadcasted the words that so many Temple enthusiasts have been eagerly awaiting over the past few weeks:
“Now entering the game for Temple, #50 Micheal Eric.”
It marked the end of a story that has been repeated over and over before, after and during the past 13 games – whether Eric would return from re-injuring his right patella in practice more than eight weeks ago.
Until today, Temple supporters had been largely hopeful, awaiting a mutual decision from the Owls' brass, trainers and Eric himself. Eric's teammates knew coming into the day's matinee that they would have their veteran return to the frontcourt.
“We knew Mike was going to play after practice yesterday,” junior Khalif Wyatt said. “It means a lot for our team. We were missing him. It's good to have him back today.”
Though Eric only saw seven minutes of action in his return to the court during Temple's 73-60 pounding of the University of Maryland Terrapins, he did seize the opportunity to take an uncontested shot in the second half. Even though the shot missed, Dunphy emphasized the importance of Eric getting off shots.
“He needed to take that,” Dunphy said of Eric's jumper. “I don't care if he made it or he missed it. He needed to take that to get some of the rust off. While [he played] only seven [minutes], it was seven towards getting better.”
Eric agreed with his coach.
“I think that was one of those shots where I needed to at least see where my confidence level was -- to start building from it.”
He mentioned some general muscle soreness and tightness after the game -- both of which he attributed to beginning his game-level conditioning again -- but the majority of his comments expressed a relief in returning to the court.
“I couldn't sleep last night. I was excited,” said Eric of his return. “I think my game will come back fast. It's just a matter of getting in the gym and working hard.”
After being forced to sit out his freshman year due to NCAA Clearing House issues, and then missing the final 10 games of last season when he initially fractured his kneecap, Eric is certainly more familiar with obstacles than he'd like to be, but he maintains a positive attitude.
“Those are things I couldn't control,” he said. “That's life and I'm just dealing with it in a positive mindset.”
When asked how he coped with being sidelined, the veteran mentioned that he leaned heavily on his teammates, drawing motivation and support from them and measuring his progress day by day.
Juan Fernandez echoed Eric in a statement that rang so true of the way Dunphy's Owls seem to pick each other up when another teammate is struggling.
“The first thing I told him when he came in the game was to let the game come to him, to take everything slow. It's going to be a process, and we'll be there to help him,” Fernandez said.
Even on a team like Temple where charitable play equates success, it seems that every player receives his shining moment.
Judging by the smile on Eric's face when Saturday's crowd of nearly 9,000 began chanting an eardrum-shatteringly loud “Micheal Eric”, it's a fair assumption he received his.
by Kami Mattioli, Owlsports.com Columnist
