Every team needs a dynamic, do-whatever-it-takes player. For the Virginia men's basketball team, that player is Gary Forbes.
Since his arrival last year, Forbes has brought a jolt of energy to the Virginia program and has continued to provide intensity even though he has been relegated to a sixth-man role.
With freshman Sean Singletary and sophomore J.R. Reynolds starting at the guard positions, Forbes, a two-guard who started 17 games last season, has not started at all this year. Uncharacteristically, head coach Pete Gillen has kept the starting lineup intact through the first seven games this season, leaving Forbes as the first man off the bench.
In the past two games against Auburn and Iowa State, Forbes has posted almost identical stat lines -- five points, four rebounds, one assist against Auburn as compared to five points, three rebounds and three assists against Iowa State. While those are not the most impressive numbers, it is his defense and willingness to have a team-first mentality that escalates his play above other players.
"Whatever the team needs -- some days I may have 25, some days I may have zero, some days I may need to guard or rebound or whatever -- it doesn't matter, I'm versatile," Forbes said.
Monday night against Iowa State with the game knotted at 77 and only 30 seconds remaining, Forbes drove for a potential game-winning basket, giving Virginia a 79-77 lead. While the lead didn't hold, Forbes' clutch shot gave the Cavaliers a chance to win, which is all that he aims to do.
Besides knocking down key offensive baskets, Forbes is quick to point out his defensive advantages when stacking up against his ACC counterparts.
"I'm 6'6" and I have long arms, I'm quick, I'm a two guard," Forbes said. "I think that's a disadvantage for some of the other two guards in the league who are 6'3" or 6'2". I'm built, I'm 220 pounds and I'm a strong guard, which you don't really see in the ACC right now."
His physical play had a large role in Virginia's win over Auburn last week. With freshman Tiger guard Toney Douglas shredding the Cavalier defense, Forbes stepped up to the challenge and volunteered to guard Douglas in the second half. Although Douglas went on to score 33 points, Forbes slowed him down enough to give the Cavaliers a two-point victory.
"Win or lose, I love the fact that he had the courage to say 'I want to guard him,'" Gillen said. "He came in and I thought he slowed him down -- he didn't shut him out -- but I thought that was a big key to the game, locking that guy up."
Furman University, Virginia's next opponent, should act as the perfect cure for the Cavaliers' Midwest hangover. The Paladins will enter the game with a 3-3 record, although all three of their losses have come against Division I teams. Virginia and Furman share a common opponent in Auburn, who beat the Paladins 85-74 in mid-November. Besides traveling to Auburn, Furman also made the trip north to play in the Great Alaska Shootout, one of the premier early season invitationals, over the Thanksgiving holiday.
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