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(REPRINTED FROM THE SHELBURNE NEWS)

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When Greg Gause completed his basketball career at Champlain Valley Union High School, he knew he wanted to keep playing.

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Where, he wasn't certain, although the Williston resident was sure of one requirement: It would have to be in a big city.

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His eventual destination gave him the best of all worlds, the diverse dynamics of a major metropolitan area and the opportunity to keep his 6-foot-8 body on a basketball court. Today, Gause is the starting center for the ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ Redmen in Montreal.

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"Cities appeal to me, coming from Vermont," said the junior. "I wanted the taste of other life.

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"Specifically to Montreal, I like the bilingual aspect. It gives me a chance to use the French I took all through middle school and high school," he said. "There are people from all over the world, lots of culture."

Gause resides in the Portuguese sector of Montreal, saying, "It's great. I get a lot of good Portuguese food."

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On the court, Gause was a three-year varsity player for CVU, helping the Redhawks reach the Division I quarterfinals each season.

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"I played center. I was more of a finesse player. I had a nice shot and a nice touch around the basketball," recalled Gause, who said he was "a couple of inches" shorter then than his current 6-8.

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In line with his desire to further his education in a major city, Gause applied to schools in Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, as well as Montreal.

"I wanted to play basketball. I thought maybe it would help get me into some places. I made sure I contacted all the basketball coaches," Gause said.

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±«ÓãÖ±²¥'s coach at the time, Craig Norman, asked Gause to send along his statistics as well as video. Norman watched Gause play and invited him to work out with the team during the summer. After the first workout, Gause said, he was offered a spot on the roster.

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"The first year, I dressed for all the games, but I didn't really play," said Gause. "My first two years, we had a lot of veterans. My sophomore year, I played a lot in some games and a little in others."

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This season, David DeAveiro has assumed the coaching reins and Gause has settled in as the starting center.

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"I was very much a back-to-the-basket player in high school and never really left the low post," said Gause.

"Now I get the ball more often in mid-post or the high post. A lot of my offense comes from there. I can take the ball to the basket with the dribble rather than posting up."

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His game is a work in progress, he conceded, saying, the one area he must improve is "definitely strength."

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"I'm definitely tall enough to play the post but I'm pretty skinny. I get pushed around. (Adding strength) would help on rebounding," said Gause, who is averaging 8.0 points and 2.8 rebounds per game with a career high of 24 points against The University of Quebec Montreal on Nov. 27.

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Though the Redmen play a lengthy schedule — their first "game" was in August — most are labeled exhibitions. Only the 16 Réseau du sport étudiant du Québec (RSEQ) league games are considered regular season. Prior to Saturday's exhibition against Maine-Fort Kent, ±«ÓãÖ±²¥ was 3-2 in league and 8-12 overall.

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Among the exhibitions were games against U.S. Division I colleges Maine, Cincinnati, Rutgers, and Robert Morris.

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"It's another level of basketball and we've had some pretty good success. My freshman year, we lost to Kansas by five and actually beat Virginia," said Gause. "It's fun. College sports in general aren't hyped as much as they are in the States."

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An anatomy and cell biology major, Gause is uncertain which profession he will pursue, citing medicine, genetic counseling, and education as possibilities.

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