Travon Gourdine had his fill of hard times at Richards.
So it’s easy to understand why he’s enjoying his senior season.
The Bulldogs were 13-19 and 4-27 in Gourdine’s first two varsity seasons. Now in his third and final year, there looks to be a clear path to a brighter future.
“It’s been going good as of now,” Gourdine said after a 56-37 loss to Oak Forest on Jan. 16. “The changes were big changes. I’m not gonna lie — like, it started off slow, but I have faith.”
The biggest change is at the top, with Jamal Thompson taking over as head coach before last season.
“Coming in we had to change the culture — not just on the basketball court but how my basketball players carry themselves around the school,” Thompson said. “I have had faculty mention good things about this player and that player, which is good. We have taken huge steps.”
That includes Gourdine, who had a team-high 12 points against Oak Forest.
“He’s doing a great job,” Thompson said. “He’s having an awesome senior year.”
The Bulldogs added two players to their roster this season: De La Salle transfer Jordan Shaw, who finished with 12 points, eight rebounds and two blocks against Oak Forest; and Phillips transfer Messiah Horton.
The Bulldogs (10-7, 4-2 South Suburban Red) embraced their additions and it has even helped improve Gourdine’s overall development.
“It took a lot of stress off me, cause usually I have the ball in my hands at all times,” Gourdine said. “Now we have other guys that can score and facilitate the floor. I love it. It’s a real stress relief.”
“Tonight (against Oak Forest) it did not show much, but throughout the season, he’s been passing the ball, making the extra pass and just really trusting his teammates,” Thompson said.
The Bulldogs aren’t just together in practice and on the court.
Gourdine and his teammates often hop on their gaming consoles to play 2K, Madden, Fortnite and Warzone.
“We like going to each other’s houses, playing a game or being on FaceTime calls,” Gourdine said.
While the three-year varsity athlete’s athletic future is uncertain, he remains focused and ready for whatever is next.
“I am going to keep going, involving myself, and just get better every day,” Gourdine said. “I’m just going to see what God takes me from there.”
And what’s next is a busy schedule, including some pivotal conference matchups.
“We got to come back and put this behind us,” Thompson said of the Oak Forest loss. “There will be days like this but we need to come back and work because this is not a cupcake league.”
Like his coach, Gourdine is ready to move on.
“We got a good group and I think eventually we’ll catch on and be better,” he said.