On Saturday, the UMass men's basketball team will end the 2014-15 regular-season schedule with a game on the road against George Washington.
This means that Derrick Gordon, the first openly gay Division I men's basketball player, will be finishing his first full season since coming out.
According to Chuck Culpepper of the Washington Post, the junior guard has yet to receive one anti-gay slur, taunt, barb, jeer or insult in any situation around the basketball court.
There has been no worrying. Every day I’m always happy, smiling, playing the game that I love. It’s just like, honestly, I haven’t felt like this in a long time — ever, to be honest with you. . . . Ever since I came out, the places that I’ve been, the people that I’ve met, it’s just like, man, I should have come out in high school! It’s just a whole new world out there. I love it.
The transfer from Western Kentucky has started every game this season and is averaging 9.8 points and 4.9 rebounds per game for the Minutemen.
The only problem for Gordon is that UMass (17-14) will fall short of 20 wins for the first time since 2010-11. UMass will have to win the upcoming Atlantic 10 Tournament at the Barclays Center as the current No. 8 seed to reach this year's NCAA March Madness.
A month from Monday will mark a year since the native of New Jersey decided to set a precedent in college basketball.
Even if the Minutemen don't succeed in the conference tournament, the fact that Gordon has received such positive support in every game since is a success story in itself.
Follow Chris Corso (@ChrisCorsoBR) on Twitter.
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