BANGOR, Maine — Reliability. That is the top quality cited by University of Maine men’s basketball coach Bob Walsh when asked why he thinks so highly of Garvey Melmed.
Yet it’s only one of the characteristics that have contributed to the freshman’s rapid development from walk-on to starter to scholarship player for the Black Bears this season.
Melmed is expected to be in the starting lineup for the seventh consecutive game on Saturday when UMaine (1-15) faces league power Stony Brook (11-7) in a 2 p.m. America East contest at the Cross Insurance Center.
With only a single semester of college under his belt, Melmed is already making a lasting impression.
“He’s reliable,” said Walsh, who in October welcomed the 6-foot-1 Old Town High School product onto the squad as a walk-on and recently awarded him an athletic scholarship.
Walsh recounted how Melmed persevered in a series of 11 sprints during a recent practice.
“He got knocked in the face, he’s got cotton up his nose and it starts bleeding again,” he said. “He starts running like this (with his head tilted back) and he wins the sprint. It tells you a little bit about how tough he is.”
That kind of determination that has helped Melmed earn playing time despite averaging only 0.9 points (while shooting 26 percent) and 1.0 rebounds in 11.8 minutes per contest.
Melmed, a key member of Old Town’s Class B state championship squad last winter, continues to relish the opportunity.
“It’s been the experience of a lifetime for me,” Melmed said before Friday’s practice at the Cross Insurance Center.
“We’re not doing too well with the win situation right now, but that’ll come around soon enough,” he added. “It’s a lot of work, but every day we’re getting better and it’s definitely a lot of fun.”
Walsh said Melmed impressed the staff initially because of his ability to play good defense.
“He’s clearly been well-coached,” Walsh said. “He’s got great defensive instincts.”
Melmed has worked hard to fit into the Black Bears’ system, but has been challenged by the size, quickness and strength of his Division I counterparts.
He has tried to do whatever is asked of him, focusing on providing energy and solid defense while limiting turnovers.
“It’s just a whole other range of athleticism,” he said. “If you’re a half-step too slow in high school, you’ve got time to recover. Here, you don’t. They’re going by you, you look bad and you’re going to sit on the bench.”
Walsh praised Melmed’s work ethic in practice, pointing out that he has not missed any time because of injuries.
The Melmed success story has not been limited to basketball. He emerged from his first semester at UMaine with a 4.0 grade point average and plans to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering.
“To get a 4.0 is impressive for anybody, but for a freshman who’s playing college basketball for the first time, it really says a lot about this character and his commitment,” Walsh said.
The academic load has been a huge adjustment, even for a student who ranked third in his class at Old Town.
“The amount of schoolwork at this level, the academic challenge, is so much more than I expected it to be,” admitted Melmed, who has learned to take advantage of the help available on campus.
Melmed also is receiving high grades from his coach as he tries to prove that he belongs.
“I think there’s a little bit of that chip on his shoulder, that edge,” Walsh said.
“He’s a special kid.”