Gagnon Earns Scholarship For Senior Year
August 20, 2007 | Men's Basketball
Aug. 20, 2007
GREENVILLE, N.C. --- After three years as a walk-on on the East Carolina men's basketball team, senior Taylor Gagnon is being awarded a full scholarship for his final season announced head coach Mack McCarthy on Monday.
"Taylor has worked as hard and has been as conscientious as any player I've ever coached," said McCarthy. "He is a great example of what a student-athlete should be.
"He has earned being on full scholarship."
Gagnon, a Greenville native, gained a spot on the team prior to the start of the 2004-05 season and played sparingly as a rookie averaging 6.1 minutes. As a sophomore his minutes per game nearly doubled playing in 27 of 28 games during the year. Both his points and rebounds per game increased that season as well.
This past season he served as team co-captain, played in all 30 games and improved his statistical averages for a third straight season.
"I was very surprised when Coach McCarthy told me I was being put on scholarship," said Gagnon. "Receiving a scholarship was never a priority for me; helping my team was always my top priority, but it was something that was always in the back of my mind. I pushed myself a little more and worked as hard as I could to prove myself. I'm very grateful to receive it."
Gagnon's work ethic on the court is also reflective of his efforts in the classroom. He was named to the PCS Phosphate All-Academic Team this past year posting a 3.69 cumulative GPA as a finance major. He has been named to the Conference USA Commissioner's Honor Roll each of the past three years.
