University of North Carolina Ashville Athletics
Photo by: Adrian Etheridge
Donovan Gilmore Embracing Opportunities at UNC Asheville
06.15.2018 | Men's Basketball
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – You never know where a free lunch will take you.
For Donovan Gilmore a suggestion by UNC Asheville Assistant Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Success Rebecca Nelms made one free lunch more valuable than he could ever have imagined.
Obviously, it was not just a free lunch, but attending a special introduction about UNC Asheville's "Leaders for Leaders Program Sponsored by Colton Groome & Company" during the 2016-17 athletic year helped him figure out even further what he planned to do with his life.
"Coming into college, I had no idea what I wanted to do," Gilmore noted. "I was a typical freshman. I went through two years, decided to transfer and the year I redshirted it really allowed me to focus in and ultimately I want to study medicine."
It was during his redshirt year that he attended the special meeting about the "Leaders for Leaders Program Sponsored by Colton Groome & Company" and after the meeting he was paired with legendary local businessman Al Whitesides, Jr.
"He was amazing. His wisdom and knowledge really poured into me," Gilmore mused.
This past athletic year with Gilmore's thoughts obviously turned to medicine he was paired with Dr. Mark Lenderman.
"He's been amazing," Gilmore said. "He has even invited me into his home. I actually had Thanksgiving dinner with his family."
This summer, Gilmore is even taking part in a prestigious internship with the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC).
"It's a partnership with UNC Asheville and only 10 students every year are accepted," Gilmore relayed. "We take part in rigorous shadowing and research opportunities. We really dive head first into what medicine is all about. It gives you a feel of what you may want to do."
Being comfortable being uncomfortable
Gilmore is obviously doing all of the above along with being a student-athlete on the UNC Asheville men's basketball team.
After redshirting in the 2016-17 season after transferring in from the College of Charleston, Gilmore saw action in 28 games in the 2017-18 season for UNC Asheville. Gilmore had a career day in UNC Asheville's win over Milligan with 16 rebounds, 13 points, four assists and three steals. He just missed on a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds in UNC Asheville's big road overtime non-conference win at Austin Peay.
Since his arrival on campus, the Wesleyan Christian Academy product has been a part of 44 wins, two Big South regular-season championships and two postseason appearances. In addition, he has attended the 2017 NCAA Convention and served on the UNC Asheville Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
That's why the Greensboro, N.C. native decided to attend UNC Asheville.
"I love being a part of the tradition," Gilmore said. "The donors are great, our student section is packed with other student-athletes. At my other school it was a little different, but here the student-athletes are really connected and everybody wants to see each other succeed."
This year will be a little different for Gilmore, as the fifth-year senior is the oldest player on what will be a very young 2018-19 UNC Asheville men's basketball team.
He is comfortable with the idea that he will have to be a leader this season. Well, he is comfortable in being uncomfortable.
"One thing I have learned is that being a leader is never comfortable," Gimore stated. "You have to be willing to be uncomfortable in order to put yourself out there for the guys you are leading. One important thing about being a great leader here is being able to listen."
UNC Asheville men's basketball first-year head coach Mike Morrell expects a great deal from Gilmore this season. He knows he is ready for the opportunity.
"First off all, Donovan is our oldest guy, both from an age standpoint and from an experience standpoint in terms of on the floor," Morrell said. "Our expectation of him is obviously production on the floor, but we are going to need him to lead these younger guys because we are going to be the youngest team in the league I would assume. He's really going to have to help us there. He's a fifth-year senior who has been through a lot of battles and close games and you cannot buy that type of experience. He's been great so far. He does everything you ask him to do and he is always wanting to get in extra work."
'It's been extremely exciting'
This summer along with his prestigious internship, Gilmore has also been hard at work with his team in preparation for the upcoming season.
He loves what Morrell and the UNC Asheville coaching staff have brought to the already strong Asheville basketball tradition.
"The energy is extremely high and the intensity is always there," Gilmore said. "Coach is so enthusiastic day in and day out. He's an exciting guy to play for."
North Carolina proud
One thing Morrell is particularly proud of when it comes to Gilmore is his love of the state and his desire to be a basketball student-athlete at one of the top-notch institutions in the state.
"He's a North Carolina student-athlete that came to a North Carolina institution," Morrell articulated. "He has a ton of pride in where he is from and he comes from a strong family. He is just a great individual with a strong work ethic who is very mature and knows exactly what he wants."
Morrell knows that in Gilmore he truly has a fifth-year senior who is self-motivated.
"I think he is very mature for his age," Morrell said. "I think he understands what he wants. I think he knows what he wants. He is one that you do not have to motivate very much, which is an awesome thing to have, especially for me as a first-time head coach because we have to spend so much time on the rest of our guys teaching them what to do. We also have to do that with Donovan as well, but having a guy that understands what it takes to have success at this level does make him the epitome of what you really want in a fifth-year senior."
Morrell also knows that after his time at UNC Asheville the future is incredibly bright for Gilmore.
"He's also very motivated in terms of succeeding when the ball quits bouncing, which it's going to do for all of our guys at some point," Morrell noted. "His desire to be a really good player is matched by his desire to want to succeed in life. He is a shining example of really what it means to be a student-athlete."
Gilmore for his part is just taking it all in and enjoying the process. He is just proud to be a Bulldog and he cannot wait for the upcoming basketball season.
"It's all been extremely exciting," Gilmore said.
**Below Gilmore is pictured with Basketball Hall of Famer Grant Hill, who Gilmore had the opportunity to meet at the 2017 NCAA Convention**
For Donovan Gilmore a suggestion by UNC Asheville Assistant Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Success Rebecca Nelms made one free lunch more valuable than he could ever have imagined.
Obviously, it was not just a free lunch, but attending a special introduction about UNC Asheville's "Leaders for Leaders Program Sponsored by Colton Groome & Company" during the 2016-17 athletic year helped him figure out even further what he planned to do with his life.
"Coming into college, I had no idea what I wanted to do," Gilmore noted. "I was a typical freshman. I went through two years, decided to transfer and the year I redshirted it really allowed me to focus in and ultimately I want to study medicine."
It was during his redshirt year that he attended the special meeting about the "Leaders for Leaders Program Sponsored by Colton Groome & Company" and after the meeting he was paired with legendary local businessman Al Whitesides, Jr.
"He was amazing. His wisdom and knowledge really poured into me," Gilmore mused.
This past athletic year with Gilmore's thoughts obviously turned to medicine he was paired with Dr. Mark Lenderman.
"He's been amazing," Gilmore said. "He has even invited me into his home. I actually had Thanksgiving dinner with his family."
This summer, Gilmore is even taking part in a prestigious internship with the Mountain Area Health Education Center (MAHEC).
"It's a partnership with UNC Asheville and only 10 students every year are accepted," Gilmore relayed. "We take part in rigorous shadowing and research opportunities. We really dive head first into what medicine is all about. It gives you a feel of what you may want to do."
Being comfortable being uncomfortable
Gilmore is obviously doing all of the above along with being a student-athlete on the UNC Asheville men's basketball team.
After redshirting in the 2016-17 season after transferring in from the College of Charleston, Gilmore saw action in 28 games in the 2017-18 season for UNC Asheville. Gilmore had a career day in UNC Asheville's win over Milligan with 16 rebounds, 13 points, four assists and three steals. He just missed on a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds in UNC Asheville's big road overtime non-conference win at Austin Peay.
Since his arrival on campus, the Wesleyan Christian Academy product has been a part of 44 wins, two Big South regular-season championships and two postseason appearances. In addition, he has attended the 2017 NCAA Convention and served on the UNC Asheville Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).
That's why the Greensboro, N.C. native decided to attend UNC Asheville.
"I love being a part of the tradition," Gilmore said. "The donors are great, our student section is packed with other student-athletes. At my other school it was a little different, but here the student-athletes are really connected and everybody wants to see each other succeed."
This year will be a little different for Gilmore, as the fifth-year senior is the oldest player on what will be a very young 2018-19 UNC Asheville men's basketball team.
He is comfortable with the idea that he will have to be a leader this season. Well, he is comfortable in being uncomfortable.
"One thing I have learned is that being a leader is never comfortable," Gimore stated. "You have to be willing to be uncomfortable in order to put yourself out there for the guys you are leading. One important thing about being a great leader here is being able to listen."
UNC Asheville men's basketball first-year head coach Mike Morrell expects a great deal from Gilmore this season. He knows he is ready for the opportunity.
"First off all, Donovan is our oldest guy, both from an age standpoint and from an experience standpoint in terms of on the floor," Morrell said. "Our expectation of him is obviously production on the floor, but we are going to need him to lead these younger guys because we are going to be the youngest team in the league I would assume. He's really going to have to help us there. He's a fifth-year senior who has been through a lot of battles and close games and you cannot buy that type of experience. He's been great so far. He does everything you ask him to do and he is always wanting to get in extra work."
'It's been extremely exciting'
This summer along with his prestigious internship, Gilmore has also been hard at work with his team in preparation for the upcoming season.
He loves what Morrell and the UNC Asheville coaching staff have brought to the already strong Asheville basketball tradition.
"The energy is extremely high and the intensity is always there," Gilmore said. "Coach is so enthusiastic day in and day out. He's an exciting guy to play for."
North Carolina proud
One thing Morrell is particularly proud of when it comes to Gilmore is his love of the state and his desire to be a basketball student-athlete at one of the top-notch institutions in the state.
"He's a North Carolina student-athlete that came to a North Carolina institution," Morrell articulated. "He has a ton of pride in where he is from and he comes from a strong family. He is just a great individual with a strong work ethic who is very mature and knows exactly what he wants."
Morrell knows that in Gilmore he truly has a fifth-year senior who is self-motivated.
"I think he is very mature for his age," Morrell said. "I think he understands what he wants. I think he knows what he wants. He is one that you do not have to motivate very much, which is an awesome thing to have, especially for me as a first-time head coach because we have to spend so much time on the rest of our guys teaching them what to do. We also have to do that with Donovan as well, but having a guy that understands what it takes to have success at this level does make him the epitome of what you really want in a fifth-year senior."
Morrell also knows that after his time at UNC Asheville the future is incredibly bright for Gilmore.
"He's also very motivated in terms of succeeding when the ball quits bouncing, which it's going to do for all of our guys at some point," Morrell noted. "His desire to be a really good player is matched by his desire to want to succeed in life. He is a shining example of really what it means to be a student-athlete."
Gilmore for his part is just taking it all in and enjoying the process. He is just proud to be a Bulldog and he cannot wait for the upcoming basketball season.
"It's all been extremely exciting," Gilmore said.
**Below Gilmore is pictured with Basketball Hall of Famer Grant Hill, who Gilmore had the opportunity to meet at the 2017 NCAA Convention**
Players Mentioned
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