Editor's Note:  This is the most recent piece in a series of stories shared by Gorillas to Gorillas as we all embark upon this new "season" in our lives. These certainly are unprecedented times, for young and old alike. Our hope is for Gorilla student-athletes, past and present, coaches and members of Gorilla Nation to read these pieces, awaken their Gorilla memories and then compose their own story to share with us. There is strength in numbers.
 
Well… when a ¨friend¨ calls you and tells you to either you write this article or he will be in charge of finding someone to write it and tell stories about you (me) then I have no choice lol. Thanks DAN WILKES.

PART I

Where to start… Let me start with the journey of an 18 years old from Madrid, Spain traveling 4660 miles to Pittsburg, KS. To WHERE??? That is exactly what everyone was asking me, where is Pittsburg, KS. I didn't have a clue to be honest, but it turned out to be one of the greatest decisions of my life no doubt. And here is me arriving at the Tulsa airport late at night after 17-18 hours of traveling, well… now I ONLY have another 2 hour driving distance to make it to Pittsburg, KS. Where? Exactly. Next thing I know is that it has been 25 years and I LOVE PITTSBURG, KS. What? YES, I LOVE PITTSBURG, KS and PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY.
During my four years, there were so many memories that come to my mind right now…

I was lucky to watch some PSU football (we don't have American football in Spain) and met the Real Gorilla (Chuck Broyles). He was always nice to me and said HI to me even though he always made fun of my English (he still does up to these days but who does not lol).

I had the chance to see the amazing track and field teams coached by Russ Jewett. I saw Brian Moorman (who ended up being my roommate my senior year) and Dinsdale Morgan flying on that track. I also saw Brian M. kicking that ball on the football field like no other.

I was first introduced to baseball by my roommate, teammate, friend and American brother Doug Gillispie. I remember players like Daniel Esposito (maybe because of his Spanish/Mexican last name?).

Mr. Ibraheem Suberu brought a new culture to the women's volleyball team. I loved to watch Amanda Henk, Kelynn Hudson, Nicki Ortiz and Sarah Scheckel play (who didn't, lol).

Who doesn't remember coach Steve High and his incredible women´s basketball teams with players like Stacy Randolph, Jessica Abele, Heather Lundien, Jenni Pracht, Jenni Miller (for 3), Lisa Cropper, Megan Reid, Jaime Osborn, Kelly Hennes, or the incredible PG Lisa Dudley. During a couple of summers after graduation I had the chance to go back to work at basketball camps and workout with another amazing player and now good friend, Amanda Davied (head coach now of the women's basketball team).

Is Phil Carr still the head Athletic Trainer? Wow. I introduced him to the Christmas traditional candy (Polvorones y Turrones) and he has been introducing me on how to brew beer the last few years (after Graduation I want to make this clear!). Phil and I have a great relationship and every time I go back to Pittsburg (where? Believe me, each time I travel to the USA for work reasons I go or at least try to visit Pittsburg for a few days) we save an evening to drink a couple and remember old times. We had so much fun and it is our tradition now.

What about one of the nicest ladies on campus, Diana Polston, always caring about you the same way Shannon O'Shea Schmieg cared about all the athletes on the academic side. STUDY HALL.

Since I was a physical education major most of my classes where held in the Weede Building so I have to say that Dr. Robert Hefley and the entire PE Department were special to me all through my four years.

If you were an athlete you probably received one or two pictures ONLY from Caroline Eddington, or at some point probably the Bowens have invited you to their place.
Collen and Bill Gray, who on my senior night represented my family. I always am grateful to them. Collen was the Spanish teacher at the University and I worked for her during my years there and we still stay in contact.

Then there's my GOOD FRIEND Homer Cole. I feel so sorry for the referees that they need to take crap from him every basketball game… lol. Every year on his birthday on Sept. 25 he receives a call from his Spanish son (that is what he calls me). You've got to LOVE Homer; he is THE MAN.

Before I get to the basketball memories I would like to mention people that have made a difference to so many student-athlete lives through the years:  Presidents John Darling, Tom Bryant and Steve Scott as well as athletic director Jim Johnson. THANKS TO ALL OF YOU FOR MAKING THIS COMMUNITY A SPECIAL ONE.

PART II

BASKETBALL MEMORIES & COVID-19 IN SPAIN:

The coach that turned around the basketball program, COACH GENE IBA, was lucky (lol) to recruit in 1995 a skinny PG from Madrid, Spain that did not know hardly any English when he arrived. What happened afterwards is on the books. That man changed my life and I look up to him like my second father. He is the reason why I met my American brother, DOUG GILLISPIE, and he is the reason for the next memories:

One of the memories that comes to my mind of many is a funny one. This is one of the first full team practices of the year. We were in the middle of practice, not just the basketball team sorry, we have the volleyball team on the side court, we have the track and field around and in the mezzanine area we had the baseball or the softball team cannot remember might be both going at it, ALL four teams at the same time. YES, ALL FOUR TEAMS. All of the sudden the gun from the track team went off, and next thing I saw was one of my teammates sprinting out of the gym going to the locker room (I promise I haven't seen that guy moving that fast after that day). Well…he thought there was a shooting on the gym floor. Coach Iba didn´t appreciate that much either so after that day our practices were at night so no one was in the gym, just us. Don't let me forget to tell you that we practiced and played on the rubber floor my first year.

Who doesn´t remember the smell of the men´s locker room? How lovely was that? Just want to remind you that back in the days we use to share those nice lockers rooms with football and track and field teams at least if I remember correctly. Could you imagine? Now I look at the SUPER nice locker rooms and I think…. damn you are spoiled now.

First season went fast and good, finished the year 14-14 beating the No. 1 team in the nation that year - Northwest Missouri - three times. Twenty-five years later Northwest is the No. 1 team in the country also, what a coincidence.

Second season went a little better, 24-8 beating Missouri Western four times and making our first trip to the NCAA Tournament in Topeka.

Third season, we had a 24-6 record and our second trip to the NCAA Tournament in Canyon, Texas.

Fourth season, I should call it The Last Dance now that the new documentary of Michael Jordan is out and I have the copyrights, lol. With a 24-5 record I can say that we were the No. 1 team in the nation for a few hours (we got beat at Truman State immediately after it was announced) well… until the next poll came out I guess. We share the regular season conference championship because we lost our last regular season game against our rival Missouri Southern (it was their last game at Robert Ellis Young Gymnasium so I had to let coach Robert Corn close the gym with a W, not that I wanted at that time but now I am happy for him). We earned our third consecutive trip to the NCAA Tournament in Wichita Falls, Texas. Lost in the first game vs Abilene Christian and that was it, the END OF THE DANCE.

I have to say that the night that we lost that game (my last game as a Gorilla) it was probably one of the best if not the best night of my career. WE had the chance to celebrate it (we didn't celebrate that we lost the game obviously) we celebrated the END of an AMAZING FOUR YEAR period for PITTSBURG STATE UNIVERSITY MEN'S BASKETBALL PROGRAM with fans, boosters, family members, gorilla students that drove all the way from Pittsburg, KS (from Where?) and you know the saying, what happen in Wichita Falls stays in Wichita Falls.

In four years I played with a lot of players; and I was taught the game by great coaches. To ALL OF THEM THANK YOU FOR THE MEMORIES.

During my four-year career I played against a lot of coaches but I would like to name five that I admire as a player and nowadays after 20 years I still in contact with them: Coach Steve Tappmeyer (NWMSU), Coach Tom Smith (MWSU), Coach Robert Corn (MSSU), Coach Bob Chipman (WU) and Coach Jack Shrader (Truman State).

Special mention to the group of ball boys we had and to my No. 1 fan during my basketball career, Joy Leek. She was the sweetest little girl that would always be in the stands cheering for the team with OG #14 signs all over.

It is not about BASKETBALL it is about PEOPLE and LIFE EXPERIENCES AND MEMORIES.

COVID-19 IN SPAIN:

Now, it is not about BASKETBALL; it is about LIFE.

We are in our 7^th week of the lockdown in Spain and we have one more to go (until May 9^th if nothing changes). These seven weeks have been crazy here. I have a bittersweet taste of this COVID-19 situation.

Bitter:  I lost one of my best friends during these days (cancer detected 2 months ago + COVID-19). Imagine the pain of not being able to go and say goodbye to a friend that you love. I made a promise and whenever this whole situation goes back to normal then he will have the GOODBYE from his friends, the way he deserves it and the way I know he would like us to do it for him. RIP MY FRIEND. I LOVE YOU.

Sweet:  I am having the chance to spend quality time with my daughter and my wife at home since we are not able to go out at all, just to go to buy groceries, go to the bank, go to the gas station or go to the pharmacies or hospitals. While I am in one of the busiest times of the year for me due to my job (since I retired from professional basketball in 2011 I became an agent for professional basketball players) I am enjoying and loving every single time that I spend with both of them. We workout together, my wife is Adriana´s new teacher for school homework and in the kitchen and I am the one tasting all the food that they are making, lol.

I had time to catch up with some people via phone, video calls etc… some of you are probably reading this.

It is TIME to think about LIFE, how grateful we were before this VIRUS came into our lives. We cannot take anything for granted anymore. In one day our life can change so much. We will remember 2020 for the rest of our lives I am sure because maybe only our grandparents have lived through something similar.

THROUGH THE EYES OF A SPANISH GORILLA

#OAGAAG

Oscar Gonzalez
 
Oscar Gonzalez twice earned NCAA Division II All-America honors while helping the Pitt State basketball program reach new heights during the late 1990s. He was voted the MIAA Most Valuable Player as a senior in 1999. Gonzalez earned All-MIAA honors all four seasons for the Gorillas. Upon graduation, he played professional basketball in Spain for 12 seasons. He has been inducted into the PSU & MIAA Halls of Fame. Oscar is currently a professional basketball agent. He lives in Caceres, Spain with his wife, Patricia, and his daughter Adriana (5).
 
Please share your own personal stories/thoughts via email to dwilkes@pittstate.edu. We want to share them! (PSU Athletics reserves the right to edit content for space and appropriateness. We cannot promise to publish every submission, but we will do our best.) Thanks Gorilla Nation!

Through the Eyes of a Gorilla Archives
Vol. I - Dan Wilkes, Associate AD/Communications (Apr. 3)
Vol. II - Levi Wyrick, Football/Track & Field Athlete (Apr. 7)
Vol. III - Amanda Davied, Women's Basketball Coach (Apr. 10)
Vol. IV - Chris Hanna, PSU Alum/Football Athlete (Apr. 13)
Vol. V - Jeff Moreland, PSU Alum/Football Athlete (Apr. 15)
Vol. VI - Emily Hanenberg, Volleyball Athlete (Apr. 17)
Vol. VII - Ashley Balazs, Softball Coach (Apr. 20)
Vol. VIII - Peter Euler, PSU Alum/CC T&F Athlete (Apr. 22)
Vol. IX - Caitlin Demarest, PSU Alum/WBB Athlete (Apr. 24)
Vol. X - Tyson Cushman, Baseball Athlete (Apr. 27)