Four years ago, Herve Metsam '12 was a standout basketball player and student at his school in Cameroon, but he did not once think about playing college basketball in America. This year, he hopes to help Dartmouth win its first Ivy League title in over 50 years.
"I played at my school in Cameroon, and I was the best player," Metsam said. "But I never considered doing anything with it. I always just played because I loved to play."
Before his junior year of high school, Metsam accepted a full academic scholarship to attend Canterbury School in Connecticut.
"For me, it was a great opportunity," Metsam said. "I was offered a place at a private school in America. When I got there, I just kept playing basketball."
For Metsam, Canterbury was the midpoint of his long journey from his home in Cameroon to playing basketball in snowy Hanover. It was also where he started to take playing basketball seriously.
"When I first arrived at Canterbury, I didn't even know what Division I was," Metsam said. "In Cameroon, I played because it was fun, and I joined the team at Canterbury to continue playing. When I started playing, people said I had the talent to go and play Division I. So I started to make the commitment."
Still, there were difficulties adjusting for Metsam.
"In terms of basketball, back home, I was always the best and I didn't always follow the rules," he said. "I didn't go to practices on time. But at Canterbury, I had to get to team meetings, the gym, practices it was hard getting used to this sort of time commitment."
Metsam did not have a host family, and was essentially on his own when he arrived at Canterbury. His Canterbury teammate Matt Chisick '11 and his family made the transition a lot easier than it would have been otherwise, Metsam said.
"I had no one when I arrived at Canterbury, and I wanted to make friends," Metsam said. "[Chisick] and his family were very supportive of me, and we became best friends. He definitely helped me get used to the differences from home."
Chisick, who was also recruited to play basketball for the Big Green, said that helping Metsam adjust formed a very tight friendship between the two.
"The program he came with was really unorganized, and he had nowhere to go to over the holidays," Chisick said. "My senior year, I suggested he come to stay with my family over Christmas. My family loved him he and my dad would spend hours talking in the kitchen. Ever since then, he's come to visit us over all breaks and we've become brothers."
Their friendship, however, extends past getting adjusted to American school and culture. Metsam and Chisick are both soccer fans, and this shared love has made their bond even stronger.
Chisick said that Metsam, whose favorite player is Cameroonian hero Samuel Eto'o, would have a good or bad day depending on how his country's soccer team fared.
"During the summer after my senior year, we watched soccer every day," Chisick said. "I love soccer too, so it was great. He really loves Cameroon, so he got really excited."
Chisick also helped Metsam become a more committed basketball player.
Chisick said he remembers the first time he saw Metsam at practice and immediately saw the potential.
"I knew during our first practice that, once he improved his skill set, we would have a tremendous player," Chisick said. "He could jump higher than anybody else he was just a phenomenal athlete."
After the first few months, Metsam got better about going to practices on time, and working hard to become a better player, he said.
"I got used to the pressure," Metsam said. "It was hard to have a lot expected of you from your teammates and your coaches. It took me some time to get used to it and to start working hard everyday."
"I think he realized that basketball wasn't just fun," Chisick said. "It was also his job."
With Chisick's help, Metsam once again became a standout player.
After Chisick left for Dartmouth, Metsam excelled during his senior year, and eventually found himself accepted to Dartmouth as well.
Once again, during his freshman year, Metsam struggled to get accustomed to the college level. This time, however, he knew what was expected of him and worked hard from the start, he said.
This year, he said, he hopes that he will play an important role in helping Dartmouth win an Ivy League title.
"We have all been working really hard and playing very well," he said. "Last year, we played around Alex Barnett ['09]. This year, we will move the ball around more, and I think that someone can definitely fill [Barnett]'s shoes."
For Metsam, an Ivy League title would be a wonderful way to cap his long path from Cameroon to Hanover, a journey that has left him with only one complaint.
"The weather!" he said. "It is too cold during basketball season."
