University of Massachusets Athletics
Swingman Gary Forbes Transfers To UMass From Virginia
September 15, 2005 | Men's Basketball
Sept. 15, 2005
AMHERST, Mass. - University of Massachusetts men's basketball head coach Travis Ford is pleased to announce that swingman Gary Forbes (Brooklyn, N.Y./Benjamin Banneker Academy) has transferred to UMass from the University of Virginia. Forbes will sit out the 2005-06 season as a per NCAA transfer rules and will be eligible to play for the Minutemen for the 2006-07 season. He will have two seasons of eligibility at UMass. Forbes was officially enrolled at UMass on Thursday afternoon and can practice with the team.
"We are thrilled to have Gary joining our basketball program," said Ford, who is entering his first season as UMass' head coach. "Gary is a proven player who performed in one of the best conferences in America. Gary gives us added depth and is a player that will have a great future at UMass. He is a complete player who can score, shoot, defend, score off the dribble and has good knowledge of the game."
With Virginia, Forbes played in all 29 games during the 2004-05 season and started four. He averaged 9.4 points, 4.1 rebounds in 22.4 minutes of action per game. He played off the bench in 25 games and averaged 21.7 minutes played a game in those games. Forbes scored a career-high 23 points and had six rebounds in the loss at North Carolina (2/16/05). He was 8-11 from the field in that game, including 3-5 from three-point range. He started for the second time during the 2004-05 season at Duke (1/16/05) and had the first double-double of his collegiate career with 17 points and 10 rebounds. He scored 17 points and had six rebounds in 31 minutes in a loss at Florida State (3/6/05). Forbes established career highs with four three-point baskets and eight three-point attempts in that game.
As a freshman in 2003-04, he averaged 7.6 points per game as he played in all 31 games and started 17 games. Forbes earned the team's Mr. Hustle Award. He ranked third among freshmen in the Atlantic Coast Conference in rebounding (123, 4.0 rpg), third in blocked shots (28, 0.9 bpg), fifth in steals (30, 0.97 spg), seventh in assists (46, 1.48 apg) and seventh in scoring (237, 7.6 ppg) for the 2003-04 season. Forbes finished second on the team in blocked shots (28) and steals (30). He scored a team-high 19 points in the season-ending 73-63 loss at Villanova (3/20/04) in the second round of the National Invitation Tournament. He scored a season-high 22 points, grabbed nine rebounds, and had two steals in the win over Minnesota (12/3/03) in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. He was named the ACC Rookie of the Week on Nov. 24 after scoring 21 points and grabbing nine rebounds against Mount St. Mary's on (11/23/03).
In high school, Forbes selected the Newsday Player of the Year in Brooklyn and was nominated for City Player of the Year as a high school senior in 2002-03. He earned first-team All-City and All-Tri-State honors in 2002-03 at Benjamin Banneker Academy. He was the first player in Benjamin Banneker Academy history to play Division I basketball.
Gary Orlando Forbes was born on Feb. 25, 1985 in Panama. He is the son of Ana Maria and Roberto Forbes.
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| Year | G-GS | MP-Avg. | FGM-FGA | Pct. | 3FM-3FA | Pct. | FTM-FTA | Pct. | Off-Def | Reb-Avg | PF-DQ | Ast | TO | BS | Stl | Pts-Avg |
| 2003-04 | 31-17 | 724-23.4 | 93-216 | .431 | 16-58 | .276 | 35-69 | .507 | 41-82 | 123-4.0 | 66-2 | 46 | 59 | 28 | 30 | 237-7.6 |
| 2004-05 | 29-4 | 651-22.4 | 108-232 | .466 | 20-67 | .299 | 38-65 | .585 | 41-77 | 118-4.1 | 79-4 | 25 | 51 | 19 | 18 | 274-9.4 |
| career | 60-21 | 1375-22.9 | 1201-448 | .449 | 36-125 | .288 | 73-134 | .545 | 82-159 | 241-4.0 | 145-6 | 71 | 110 | 47 | 48 | 511-8.5 |
Forbes' Career Highs
Points--23 vs. North Carolina (2/16/05); Rebounds--12 vs. Loyola Marymount (12/19/03); FG Made--9 vs Furman (12/8/04), vs. Virginia Tech (2/12/05); FG Att.--18 vs. Duke (1/16/05); 3 Pt. FG Made--4 vs. Florida State (3/6/05); 3 Pt. FG Att.--8 vs. Florida State (3/6/05); FT Made--5 vs. Clemson (3/11/04); FT Att.--9 vs. Mount St. Mary's (11/23/03); Minnesota (12/3/03); Assists--4 vs. Coastal Carolina (12/22/03); Iowa State (12/31/03); Blocks--4 vs. Maryland (2/19/05); Steals--3 vs. Coastal Carolina (12/22/03); Minutes--37 vs. Western Kentucky (1/5/05)
