For decades, Fairfield University has enjoyed strong ties to basketball in Italy. The Italian legacy has included many Stags basketball alumni in addition to current Head Coach Sydney Johnson. And just last season, Rakim Sanders and Derek Needham were the latest addition to the list when they faced each other in the Italian League Championship series.
That Fairfield tradition will continue with Marcus Gilbert, who signed a contract with FMC Ferentino. The team competes in Italy's highly-competitive A2 Second Division and is located just east of Rome.
"It feels great to now say that I am a pro,” Gilbert said. “Ever since I was a freshman, I told myself that I am going to expand my game and continue to get better through my years of college. Right now I see that all my hard work and dedication to the game is paying off. I would like to thank my coaches and my family for giving me the support I needed to put me in a position to succeed. This is only the beginning (for me)."
If Gilbert's collegiate success follows him into the pros, the Delaware native should have plenty of good times ahead. He finished his career as one of the top scorers in Fairfield history, netting 1,661 points to place fourth all-time. His long-range shooting prowess is another tool that could help him in his professional pursuits, netting 240 three-point field goals as a Stag which places second all-time in school annals.
"Marcus deserves to be a pro,” Coach Johnson said. “First, there's no better person that I've coached than Marcus. Second, he can really play. All of his hard work and leadership has been rewarded with a pro contract in Italy. So proud of him. We're building something special here at Fairfield and there was no greater contributor to what we did in 2015-16 than Marcus.”
Gilbert's influence on last year's 19-14 team was immeasurable, leaving his mark on the program and his teammates, a group of student-athletes who hope to build on the fact that Fairfield posted one of the best single-season turnarounds in Division I a year ago. That is Gilbert's legacy. And at Fairfield, leaving a legacy is everything.
