But life is full of ups and downs, and about a year into his professional career overseas, an old shoulder injury re-manifested itself and Gilbert had to return to the States to undergo shoulder surgery. The surgery put his career on hold, but he was determined to come back better than ever—a new and improved Gilbert. He worked harder than he has ever worked to get back on the court. When he finally made it to Finland to play on their team, he made his presence known. In last week’s play, he was named 1st Division Player of the Week for a game in which he scored a double-double of 30 points and 21 rebounds, and was recognized as the top player in his first season with the team. The article, which can be found at the Eurobasket website, states “Louisiana State University of Alexandria graduate has very impressive states this year.” Gilbert leads the league in rebounds with 15.7 rebounds per game and averages a 59.6 field goal percentage.
Coach Cordaro had this to say regarding Gilbert’s success: “We are happy to see all of Gilbert’s hard work paying off. He has been relentless in his basketball pursuit and it shows. Proud to see him playing professionally and representing LSUA globally. I know that he is enjoying this experience and looks to build off it. He is paving the way for future Generals.”
Gilbert is a fine example of the type of talent that the LSUA basketball program attracts. Coach Cordaro and his staff would like to invite everyone to The Fort on the campus of LSUA and see the Generals in action!