Cornell freshman Gore makes quite a first impression

Being under the spotlight might seem daunting for a young man who grew up on a small farm in Monrovia, Ind. Not Adam Gore. The Cornell freshman thrives in pressure situations.

In his second collegiate game, playing against Syracuse in front of over 17,000 fans at the Carrier Dome, Gore made a name for himself by scoring 22 points on 8-for-12 shooting, including five three-pointers.

Neither Gore nor Cornell coach Steve Donahue anticipated the first-year player earning such significant minutes so early in his career.

"The coaches told me I'd get playing time in my first year," Gore said.

"But I wasn't expecting this big of a role this early in the season."

So far this season, though, Gore has emerged as one of the top freshmen in the Ancient Eight --surprising, considering he was not recruited by any Ivy school besides Cornell.

"He grew up on a farm, and that is something we do in our recruiting," Donahue said.

"We go all over the country. We try to recruit kids who grew up on farms, because of our business schools and agriculture schools."

Indeed, Gore is enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Cornell.

While the seven other Ivies did not pay attention to the 6-foot, 180-pound guard in high school, they're certainly paying attention now.

Heading into this weekend, Gore leads the Ivy League in three-point field goal percentage, and he ranks second on his team in scoring, averaging 12.4 points per game. Senior Lenny Collins leads the team with 13.1 points per game.

Gore earned Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors in each of the first three weeks of the season. After that, though, he scored a measly six points in Cornell's dominant victory over Army on Dec. 20.

But he bounced back against Long Beach State, posting 20 points on 5-for-9 shooting from beyond the arc.

"His ability to play without getting unraveled is incredible for such a young player," Donahue said.

"He's so poised. Even against Syracuse, it was just basketball to him.

"That's what good players do."

Gore received significant attention from schools near his home such as DePaul, Wabash, and Indiana State.

"He was a known commodity to a lot of the Indiana schools out there," Donahue said. "They shied away because of his size."

Gore chose Cornell for its combination of athletic and academics, and its prestigious reputation. And the plus side for Gore, as an undersized guard, is that his size is less of an issue in the Ivy League.

Gore credits his teammates, particularly Collins, for setting him up with open looks to convert.

"Lenny has really helped me to move without the ball," Gore says.

Donahue, on the other hand, credits Gore for creating his own shot.

"I'm not surprised by his shooting numbers," Donahue said.

"He is really confident, he's very elusive, and he can find his shot despite his size."

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