BIRDS OF A FEATHER...
2-14-05
By: Greg Stephenson
“Birds of a feather flock together,” goes the old English idiom. Whether it’s the Rat Pack singing their way through Vegas, the Three Stooges smacking each other in the face, or the Three Musketeers doing whatever they do – musketeering maybe? - those that are alike will tend to gravitate towards one another forming long-lasting bonds, and on occasion, as with the aforementioned groups, a title may arise to give these clusters of people even more identity. Such is happening on the floor of the ALLTEL Pavilion at the Stuart C. Siegel Center with the Freshmen Connection Bird Gang (FCBG): the three freshmen from the Virginia Commonwealth men’s basketball team.
Like any college freshmen, Michael Anderson, Sam Faulk, and Jamal Shuler have had a lot of change to handle this academic year. But not only do they have the usual tasks of adjusting to a rigorous class schedule and being somewhat self-sufficient, they also have to help defend a Colonial Athletic Association title and earn the Rams a second-straight berth in the Big Dance come March. Enter the FCBG, which acts like a support group, but one that would probably make Oprah blush.
“I feel that our freshman class is bonding a lot better than average freshmen,” said Anderson (pictured above), a tall, lanky forward from Virginia Beach. “We’re almost like brothers now because being freshmen, we all have a lot of adjustments to make and had to get used to what’s going on around here so we started up a little clique for ourselves.”
“I’ve learned different things from my other FCBG partners. All of us are just bonding,” added Faulk, a big 6-8 forward from Fayetteville, N.C. “I think we have a great future ahead of us.”
All three of the newcomers chose to play at VCU for various reasons. Faulk and Shuler, a resident of Jacksonville, N.C. played on the same AAU team and wanted the chance to play together at the next level. They all, though, gelled with the team during their visits to the school, and all wanted to play for head coach Jeff Capel.
“Coach Capel was the reason why I came here,” said Shuler (right), a scoring threat at the guard position. “I just like what he was doing with the program and once I met my teammates, that just made it better.”
“I wanted to stay close to home but be far enough away so I could do my own thing and grow up without my parents help,” added Anderson. “When I came to VCU on my first visit and met the team, we just automatically had a vibe.”
Not only has this partnership made their adjustments easier, but so have their other teammates and the coaching staff as well. “I’ve learned the game a little more and I’m more self-conscious about taking care of my body. I’m getting kind of bigger now,” said Faulk, with a smile. “You got to be big to play in the post up here. I’m learning a lot of post moves from our upperclassmen and especially Coach Cline.”
“They do a great job,” added Shuler. “They know when to get on you and when not to get on you, when to pull you to the side and talk to you or when to get on you around the team. They want to see if you’re going to break down under pressure. They’re motivating you for game situations. They’re doing a great job of helping us get extra shots up, keeping us fit, getting us to the weight room when we don’t want to, and just learning the plays.”
However, the hardest part for a freshman student-athlete may be when the coaches aren’t around, the snooze button has been already been hit three times, and the realization comes that no one will be checking attendance in class that morning.
“The biggest thing for me is getting up real early in the morning and going to class,” said Faulk (left). “In high school, you had to be in class; they check attendance. It’s real mind boggling to me (that they don’t do that in college). Sometimes you don’t want to get up, sometimes you do. You got to make that sacrifice.”
“It’s the free will that you have that makes you not want to go to class, but at the same time you still have to go because you’re a college athlete and grades come first,” said Anderson. “The main thing is to stay on top of your grades because you have a lot of freedom and your mom is not here to make sure you do your homework, there’s no one leaning over your back making sure you do all of your stuff, so you got to make sure you stay on top of all your work. When you do well in the classroom, it shows on the court. It makes you more motivated to play.”
As the season has progressed, playing time for the Bird Gang has increased. Shuler scored a career-high eight points at James Madison and matched that total at home against Towson. Anderson started five consecutive games in December and Faulk has experienced a considerable amount of success coming off the bench to play the post.
All of which means that the Bird Gang will more than likely be contributing their fair share to the tradition-rich VCU basketball program. But what exactly does Bird Gang mean and where did it come from? “The Bird Gang means that we came in together in 2004 and we’re leaving together in 2008,” said Shuler.
Ah, these birds do flock together, and stay together, much to the delight of the VCU faithful.
