So much focus for the Indiana State men’s basketball program since the 2024 season ended was on the players who got away.
And to be fair? When a program loses its top five scorers to the transfer portal? That obviously stands to reason.
However, one player who initially put his name in the transfer portal did agree to come back. He’s thankful for it and so is Indiana State head coach Matthew Graves.
In the case of Aaron Gray, it’s a chance for a year of stability after a 2023-24 season that was characterized by its fair share of change. It’s also a chance for the Providence, R.I., native and one-time Niagara player to prove he belongs at the Missouri Valley Conference level of competition.
“I just want to win a lot of games. Last year was very exciting for our community and us to have that support. I’m looking forward to play in front of the fans with these new guys and our new staff. Building relationships, that’s what it’s all about,” Gray said this week at Hulman Center.
The role that Gray is being thrust into is a sign of the times, but it’s also a major opportunity for him to take advantage of.
Gray sat out the first 10 games of the 2023-24 season as a two-time transfer, but a December court order and subsequent abandonment of its two-time transfer waiting period by the NCAA suddenly thrust Gray onto the active roster just before Christmas.
By then, established players like Ryan Conwell and Jayson Kent were ahead of Gray in the rotation. Though Gray came to ISU with impressive credentials – he averaged 12.4 points in his lone season at Niagara – he played little for the Sycamores. He appeared in 15 games, averaged just 5.1 minutes and scored a total of 19 points.
“Last year was one of the hardest for me collegiately, but I battled through a lot of adversity, but through all of it, I was able to find myself. I’m a better teammate, I’m a better son, I’m a better brother. It worked out for me,” Gray said.
ISU is banking on that attitude to continue from the 6-foot-7 guard. They need it to.
Not only will Gray get a lot more playing time in the 2024-25 season, but because of the roster turnover, he’s being counted on to be a mentor for the new players too.
That’s a lot to ask from someone who averaged 3.1 points in his first season in Terre Haute, but Gray and Graves are both excited about it.
“I want to trust in my work and be able to showcase that. On the offensive end and on the defensive end, I want to keep this team together as best I can and be able to lead. It’s a different role I’m in, being one of the older guys,” Gray said.
Graves thinks Gray is up to the task of contributing and leading.
“He’s got a lot on his shoulders, but we wouldn’t ask him to do it if we didn’t think he wasn’t capable. I’ve been so pleased with his development,” Graves noted.
“He’s put himself in a position to be where he’s at with his hard work. He’s put in a lot of time late-spring and early summer doing extra things in the gym and wanting to take that next step to be a leader,” Graves continued.
Gray has said his first step in being a leader is simple.
“The guys trust me and I trust them. We have a brotherhood and when you have that kind of environment, it makes it easy,” Gray said.
In his third season of Division I basketball, Gray also understands how the dog days of summer need to be handled for a roster that is very much in learning mode.
“We just try to figure out how to attack the day-to-day process without getting tired of it,” Gray said. “Doing the same thing is repetitive, it gets hard and sometimes it gets boring, but I have to keep them going and keep the juices flowing.”
Gray said that it helps that the tone is being set from the top.
“I’ve never seen [Graves] come in with a negative attitude. You can’t read him, he’s always smiling. He’s a great guy and I appreciate him giving me the opportunity to come back here and play in front of this community,” Gray said.
And play he will. Graves is counting on Gray to reach the same potential he flashed at Niagara to help the Sycamores defend their Missouri Valley Conference championship.
“I expect him to be a valuable piece for us and a guy we can count on, night in and night out for that consistency piece. We’re going to ask Aaron to be a guy we can count on for 30 games this year,” Graves said.
“He’s not going to be perfect, but we need for him to be one of our most consistent performers night in and night out,” he added.
