If basketball player Sea (pronounced 'Shay') Lonergan '97 had been told that after three years at Dartmouth he would establish himself as the top player in the Ivy League, he most likely would have laughed.
Lonergan, a 6-foot 6-inch guard, doesn't laugh at that idea anymore, as he sits poised to lead the Big Green this winter to what they hope will be an Ivy League Championship.
For the second year in a row, Lonergan captured the Ivy League scoring title, averaging 16.9 points per game.
"It's been like a dream," Lonergan said. "I almost didn't come [to Dartmouth]. I actually waited until the last day and then thought I would just go for it. I'm so glad I did, because I've been loving it here."
During his decision process, Lonergan was forced to choose between Dartmouth, virtually the only Division I school to recruit him, and Rhodes College, a Division III school in Memphis, Tenn.
"In the end basketball was a major part of my decision and I liked both of the coaches at these two schools," Lonergan said. "Because I wasn't highly recruited, I was kind of scared coming here. I didn't know if I could make it."
Making it turned out to be the furthest worry from Lonergan's mind, as he established himself as the league's leading scorer for the past two years after being named Ivy League Rookie of the Year as a freshman.
Lonergan, an all-Ivy first team pick for the second year in a row this year, also became the 19th Dartmouth roundballer and fourth junior ever to score 1,000 points in a career. With 1,208 points racked up in his three year tenure, Lonergan stands ninth among all time Big Green scorers.
"Sea is the type of player that in the toughest of games, he'll be the one to take the ball," Basketball Coach Dave Faucher said. "He puts it all together and he doesn't fear competing."
The basketball court is not the only place Lonergan has grown the past two years. This spring, he was named to the GTE Academic All American first team, the only Ivy league basketball player selected, and the first junior ever so honored.
As a chemistry major, Lonergan has maintained a 3.84 grade point average as he prepares for medical school.
"Sea brings so much to the table," Coach Faucher said. "He gives 100 percent day in and day out and is a great example of what its like to be a true student athlete."
Balancing school work, athletics and friendships is difficult for any Dartmouth athlete, but Lonergan has found a way to deal with the pressure.
"It's hard," Lonergan said. "I have to be that more efficient with my work. I've come to realize that it's quality not quantity. When I sit down and study, there are no distractions. I just sit there and pound it out -- much like I do on the basketball court."
Lonergan exemplifies this excellence not only in game situations but also in everyday practices, making him a leader to his friends and teammates.
Teammate Chris Butler '97 said, "As a friend, he is a great guy. He is the type of person that you can count on for anything."
"I just want to work hard and it give it everything I've got in practice and games," Lonergan said. "I love to play basketball. That's why I came here. I'm not playing for the awards or recognition."
Reprinted from The Dartmouth, Wednesday, July 26, 1995
Eric Petitt contributed to this article.
