Seven Newcomers Reload Men’s Basketball Roster in 2015-16

Gary Tuell is afraid of heights. “Acrophobia,” says the veteran NSU men’s basketball coach. “Had it all my life.”

But it wasn’t until recently that he discovered another fear.

“Neophobia,” Tuell says.  “The fear of new things.”

Tuell is most comfortable with the familiar. The unfamiliar makes him nervous, uneasy, unsure. Engage him in a discussion about the eight returning players on his 2015-16 NSU basketball team and words of praise drip like honey off his tongue. “Talented, unselfish, leaders, motivated students and athletes, great guys you would love to have as sons,” he says. But try getting him into a discussion on the seven newcomers to campus and Tuell clams up. Eye twitches follow. He reaches for a bottle of Tums in his desk drawer, complaining about heartburn and an empty pit in his stomach.

Complete Release