OPPONENT SPOTLIGHT: Seven-foot Gilpin not used to being in shadow

But Brian Gilpin always seems to emergeBut Brian Gilpin always seems to emergewhen the Big Green take on the Quakers To say Brian Gilpin was highly-touted coming out of high school would be an understatement. Although the seven-foot behemoth from Indiana has not become the dominant offensive player the Dartmouth faithful had foreseen, he does have one thing down pretty well -- peaking right before the Big Green face Penn. Despite the well-deserved hype that surrounds Dartmouth shooting guard Sea Lonergan, the Ivy League's leading scorer, it was Gilpin who was most responsible for giving Penn its first Ivy loss in three-and-a-half seasons. His inside defense, consistent defensive play in the low post and, of course, two crucial free throws were more than the Quakers could overcome. As the capacity crowd stormed the floor of Leede Arena, it was clear who was getting the most attention. Gilpin's play in the second half of that contest was perhaps the finest of his career. The junior center attempted only four field goals, hitting on two of them, but did most his damage from the charity stripe, seven points on eight tosses. On the defensive end, Gilpin menaced every Penn player who was foolish enough to challenge him down low -- blocking shots and closing off the lane to the hoop -- forcing Penn to resort to a perimeter game. Most importantly, he stepped to the line with 16 seconds left with his Big Green down by one, the eyes of the Ivy League upon him, and coolly won his team the most important game of the year. But don't think that one moment defines Brian Gilpin. "He's not just a guy who made two free throws," Dartmouth head coach Dave Faucher said. "He has meant a lot for this basketball program. He really gave credibility to our recruiting. Just that to me is every bit as important." Faucher is referring to Gilpin's decision to turn down Bobby Knight's scholarship offer to play at national-powerhouse Indiana, in order to play for the Big Green, a team that has not participated in the NCAA tournament since the Eisenhower administration. After a distinguished high school career, which included a New England Prep School title in 1993, the Forkville, Ind., native checked his success at the Leede Arena door and suffered through a 10-16 year. In that freshman campaign, Gilpin also experienced a difficult transition to Division I level basketball. Thrust into a starting role early in the season, he struggled with his confidence and finished with very ordinary numbers -- six points and four boards per game. That 1993-94 season established one constant in the Big Green center's life -- he would be lost in Lonergan's shadow. The relatively unrecruited guard walked away with Ivy Rookie of the Year honors, and Dartmouth fans shifted their hopes for the future away from the frontcourt. But during his sophomore year, Gilpin got back on the fast track, scoring 10.7 ppg and adding 7.3 rebounds. But he really made his mark at the other end of the floor, as the league's only seven-foot starter registered a school-record 92 blocked shots, putting him on pace to crush ex-Utah Jazz forward Walter Palmer's career Dartmouth mark. Nevertheless, it was Lonergan who received the praise and the all-Ivy honors. It was also as a sophomore that Gilpin began his habit of stepping up against the Quakers. When the Big Green came to the Palestra last year, he chalked up a career-high 22 points and 13 boards, a preview of his special night a year later. But Gilpin's clutch play against Penn this year, ironically came on a night when Lonergan was honored for scoring his 1,000th career point. "He's one of the nicest young persons I've ever been around," Faucher said. "But he'll do whatever it takes to win." Perhaps one of these days, Gilpin will do it out of Lonergan's shadow.