Act One: Island Inspiration
On record, Hurricane Maria was the world's most intense tropical storm of 2017.
In late September, it destroyed Puerto Rico, leaving many without electricity in what was the largest power outage in American history. As a result of slow recovery efforts, many are still left with limited electricity while fighting for daily necessities afforded in excess throughout the United States like food and water.
Glenn Sanabria, a St. Francis Brooklyn men's basketball standout whose family originates from Puerto Rico, donned the island's flag on his left lapel at Northeast Conference Media Day this past October, where he represented the Terriers prior to their 2017-18 season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WZeJsAb7jUw
It was an act of solace and an utterance of unsettlement.
"I was very concerned because my grandparents from both sides were over there and didn't have electricity or power or anything like that," Sanabria said in a moment of reflection one day before last week's Battle of Brooklyn. "That's just the situation for everybody over there – you don't really know, because you don't speak to them for weeks. It was worrying me a little bit in the beginning of the year."
Sanabria's grandparents from his mom's side have since moved to Brooklyn, where they've seen the St. Francis standout play in person. From his father's side, his grandparents have remained in Puerto Rico, but were fortunate to have power relatively early.
Sanabria, now a redshirt-junior, has kept in contact with both sides of his grandparents, over the phone and in-person, something he hasn't taken for granted, especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria.
"I just saw my grandfather from my mom's side in November for the first time in two years," he said smiling. "It's been about six or seven home games; he's shown a lot of support. It's great to have them around and for them to be a part of what's going on here."
Act Two: A Shoulder To Operate On
In 2014-15, Sanabria averaged 22.6 minutes in a reserve role for a 23-win Terrier team who reached the National Invitational Tournament for the first time in over 50 years, and were moments away from a first-ever NCAA Tournament bid.
In November of 2015, one season removed from leading the Northeast Conference in three-point shooting (44.9%) as a true freshman, the Staten Island Sniper assumed the position of starting point guard.
On November 21, the Terriers visited Saint Louis University to take on the Billikens for the third-game of the 2015-16 season. During the game, Sanabria felt his shoulder go out of place, and although he finished that game, even playing three more afterward, the discomfort was too prevalent.
Upon undergoing an MRI after returning home, Terrier Head Athletic Trainer
Andrew Cornicello informed the right-handed Sanabria that he had a labrum tear in his non-shooting shoulder, leaving the 5-foot-11 combo guard with the decision to play through it or opt for a medical redshirt, and in effect, season-ending surgery.
He chose the ladder, completing the campaign after six games.
"I could not play like myself," he admitted. "It was like I was carrying a shoulder that really wasn't in place. I just decided to get healthy, come back next year and be at 100-percent. The most difficult thing was watching the team play, and we had a good year, I was glad they had that year but you want to be a part of something like that. I really like the group that we had."
Personally, it was Sanabria's first significant injury. But rather than frantically falling apart unknowingly how to handle the life-altering news, he readied for recovery, and embraced the rehab process, working daily, diligently to return for what he expected to be a big 2016-17, his red-shirt sophomore season.
"Even when they were telling me 'okay you're done' I was still trying to do more, to get back quickly," said Sanabria. "I was doing extra stuff with (SFC Strength Coach
Yuki Miyazawa) – I really used that time to get better at all aspects of my body, not just my shoulder. I was so motivated and excited to do it because it was a new type of challenge to me. Most people they go through the rehab and say it's so grueling and things like that, but I looked forward to it every day. It was something different."
Act Three: To Hell And Back
Fully recovered, Sanabria returned to begin the 2016-17 season right where he exited, in the starting line-up. The Terriers were coming off a season where they finished fourth (15-17, 11-7 NEC), and secured a home playoff game for a second consecutive season.
Losing Tyreek Jewell, Chris Hooper, Amdy Fall, and Antonio Jenifer due to graduation, the youthful Terriers were projected to drop and finish seventh in the NEC Preseason Coaches' Poll.
That season, the Terriers went (4-27, 2-16 NEC) and finished last. Sanabria had his best season statistically, but by no means was it enjoyable or fulfilling, aside from the lessons learned as a result.
"I don't think that we were mature enough or had the right mindset to really be good," Sanabria offered transparently. "As a team, we weren't mature enough … we didn't have enough leadership. That's not a knock on the seniors or anything. In order to be a good leader you've got to have people that want to follow you, too. We had talent and we were young, but we didn't have the maturity to win games."
Sanabria, who averaged 12.4 points and a team-high 2.5 assists while shooting 33% from the field and from three, learned the value of leadership through losing. Terrier men's basketball head coach
Glenn Braica, who offered Sanabria his first Division I scholarship late during his senior season at Saint Peter's High School, always made it a point to teach Sanabria the power of being vocal.
Sanabria, who at one point used multiple official visits on Division II programs as a senior in February, always led by example, but felt that he could've done more during the team's four-win season.
In 2017-18, he's been more impactful on and off the court as a redshirt-junior, his fourth with the program.
"He's the whole package," Braica said of Sanabria. "Great kid, tremendous work ethic; terrific player. "He's become a leader, he's really improved defensively since he's been here, and he's really showed a lot of poise. He's as good a kid as you're ever going to get the chance to coach."
This season, Sanabria's been a staple in the men's underdog 2017-18 campaign. He, again, averaged 12.4 points during the regular season, but elevated to shooting 45.1% from the field, 42.3% from three and recorded an NEC-leading 2.87 assist/turnover ratio.
The Terriers were predicted to repeat in 10
th place in the Preseason NEC Coaches' Poll, but nearly nabbed a home game in the quarterfinals, finishing fifth at (13-17, 10-8 NEC), where they'll face LIU Brooklyn up the street from Remsen on Wednesday to begin the conference playoffs.
Ahead of the playoffs, Sanabria, perhaps in a showing of that trademark Puerto Rican pride, says that while the team's underdog story is great, it means nothing.
"We've got a new, hungry, talented group," he said, expressing excitement on the current Terriers. "They're a different style from team's in the past. The season's not over yet, though. We still haven't really done anything yet in my opinion."
