Temple ‘T.J.’ Gibbs was overweight. His freshman year at Notre Dame was over. He averaged just 15 minutes per game and wasn’t sure how much that number would rise going forward.

Gibbs checked in at 200 pounds, well above the 190-pound benchmark set for him by the Fighting Irish. Heading into the summer of 2017, head coach Mike Brey told Gibbs he’d have to improve his fitness.

“I came back in the best shape of my life,” Gibbs said.

Tony Rolinski, the head strength and conditioning coach for the Fighting Irish, put Gibbs through a customized program to lose weight and build muscle. The following year, Gibbs saw his minutes more than double to 37.4 per game. His weight dropped to the benchmark, and his production crept toward the level it’s at this season —the senior is second on the team in scoring and assists. When Syracuse (11-7, 4-3 Atlantic Coast) travels to South Bend, Indiana, on Wednesday, Gibbs will once again be a focal point of the ND (11-6, 2-4) offense. And most of all, he’ll be on the court.

“(Rolinski) does the best job keeping my body and my weight right,” Gibbs said. “He always makes sure like if I’m doing the bike, I am taking it seriously and pushing to the extent that I can take.”

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Gibbs’ basketball career started at age eight when he joined his brothers, Ashton and Sterling, on the court. He worked his way up through Seton Hall (New Jersey) Prep but was always the “overweight kid,” he said. Though Gibbs couldn’t log as many minutes as he wanted, he was No. 80 in the ESPN Top 100 Class of 2016 and logged offers from Big East and other ACC schools.
He chose Notre Dame but couldn’t crack the lineup – at least not the minutes he was recruited for. Gibbs knew something had to change. During the summer, Rolinski got eight hours a week with Gibbs, but that number dropped to two during the season — a pair allotted from the 20 hours Brey gets with the team.

“People have no idea how that helps you that you have an athlete that conditioned and that tough that over and over again can play the whole game and play it with intensity,” Brey said.

After Gibbs’ freshman year, Rolinski established a routine for him that included riding a stationary bike, running the treadmill and strength training.

That turned into 35 minutes per game and off-the-court sessions with Rolinski on soft-tissue rest and recovery. A year after playing only 15 minutes per game his freshman year and being told to get in shape, Gibbs earned Notre Dame’s ‘Empty the Tank’ Award in 2018 — given to the player that puts in the most effort throughout the season.

“The fact that I was being recognized and people seeing that I am giving it my all makes a huge difference to me,” he said.

He finished the season with 1,348 total minutes played, the third-most in Notre Dame school history. This season, Gibbs’ 34.1 minutes per game leads the team.

Since he was able to keep up with his nutrition and recovery, he does not have to worry about his weight creeping up. The only thing he has lost since freshman year are pounds. The minutes have only increased.

“I hope it helps my teammates feel more comfortable that if they need a break or they are getting tired, they can take a rest and coach can take them out but know that I can still continue to play hard,” Gibbs said.

 

Published on January 21, 2020 at 10:42 pm

Contact Sophie: srlevine@syr.edu