Nearly empty stands greeted Brian Helquist for two years.
Jacksonville, Fla., doesn’t necessarily lack things to do, and spending time to watch a junior college basketball game wasn’t at the top of many people’s priority list.
So, while Helquist averaged
almost 15 points and 9 rebounds for Florida Community College-Jacksonville, were there at least 1,000 people on hand?
“Probably not even that,” Helquist said, laughing. “Couple hundred, like a high school game. We never had a big crowd, except for parents, really.”
That was then. Now he plays in front of nearly 10,000 fans. He gets to experience the rowdy student section fire up his team. He absorbs the energy generated from the Oregon Marching Band when he runs onto the court for the pregame warm-ups.
And he’s playing his part for a team tied for the league lead heading into tonight’s showdown with UCLA at McArthur Court.
“This is what you play college ball for,” Helquist said. “I’ve never been anywhere like this with the fans and the atmosphere. It’s the most amazing place. The amount of fan support is unreal.
“The electricity in the air really gets you excited.”
Finally, for the first time since he graduated in 1998 from University Christian High School in Jacksonville, Helquist feels settled.
It hasn’t exactly been a smooth ride for the 6-foot-9, 275-pound junior center.
After averaging 18 points, 16 rebounds and three blocks per game at the prep level, he had high hopes for his college career. He chose to attend Louisiana State, but soon found out that, when being recruited, things aren’t always what they seem.
“It was just a bad situation where I didn’t really get along with the coach,” Helquist said. “I was fine being away from home, and the school was great, but the situation with the basketball team just wasn’t the right place for me.”
So he went back to his hometown of Jacksonville and lived with his brother. He only planned on playing one year for the junior college there, but he really appreciated the coaching of Greg Gierke and decided to stay another year.
Then came decision time once again, and this time he knew
he couldn’t afford to make the wrong one.
Oregon assistant coach Scott Duncan knew Gierke, who told him about Helquist. Since the Ducks lost Bryan Bracey, Julius Hicks and Flo Hartenstein at the end of last season, acquiring height with experience was a premium for Oregon head coach Ernie Kent.
Duncan told Kent about Helquist. Kent flew to Florida and made an impression on Helquist and his family. Helquist flew to Eugene, and the Ducks made a profound impression on him. And that was that.
“As soon as I met all of the guys, I was sold,” Helquist said. “And coach Kent was really genuine. I had been through the whole recruiting process before and could tell when somebody is just blowing smoke at you. But they were very up front with me.
“It all came together and I just knew.”
He came across country and worked out with the team throughout the summer and moved into a two-bedroom apartment at the University Commons with fellow transfer Robert Johnson. The two bought a foosball table and a ping pong table to host contests among teammates. Life was good, and he was a part of the tight-knit Oregon basketball family.
“I hang out with him a lot, and he has an awesome personality,” center Chris Christoffersen said. “He can talk with everybody and can make anybody laugh when he jokes around.”
All that was left for Helquist now would be to get adjusted to the higher level of basketball.
Helquist’s first breakout game came against Louisville on Nov. 24 when he scored 10 points. He matched that total in Oregon’s win over Stanford. And just last week, he notched 10 again in a game at Washington that showed, more than any other, how pivotal a role he plays.
Against the Huskies, Christoffersen picked up two early fouls and was relegated to the bench. Helquist came in and ended up playing more minutes than Christoffersen that day, while keeping the Ducks at the same intensity level.
“He has played some really good basketball in the last four or five games,” Kent said. “He’s finding his rhythm. When you look at him and Chris together, that’s a nice combination for us to have that a lot of other teams don’t have the liberty of having — two big guys like that who can score.”
The post-play will play a pivotal role when the Ducks host the L.A. schools this week. Tonight, 6-11 center Dan Gadzuric will be a handful, and on Saturday Oregon will need to contain high scoring, 6-7 seniors Sam Clancy and David Bluthenthal.
With Helquist by his side, Christoffersen believes the Ducks are up to the challenge.
“It’s like a tag team to have me and him as a one-two punch,” Christoffersen said of Helquist. “Brian is as good, if not better, than I am in almost all the areas on the court. A lot of people think he’s out of shape because of how big he is, but he’s not. He can run with the best of us.
“He’s a big part of our unbelievable depth, and that’s what’s going to make the difference in the Pac-10 this year.”
Helquist hopes so. He would love to be a part of a championship team. Mainly, though, he’s just loving the fact that he’s arrived at his destination without having to worry about where he’s going to play next.
“It was a great opportunity for me, and I knew there was something about this place when I came on a visit,” Helquist said. “I made the right choice. And, man, it feels good to make the right choice after making a mistake my first year. It feels like home.
“It’s everything they said it would be.”
E-mail assistant sports editor Jeff Smith
at [email protected].