Huddled around sharp-shooting swingman Pablo Gonzales, the Hornets’ men’s basketball stretched and warmed their muscles getting ready for another afternoon in Jerome Jenkins’ playground. Everyone in the huddle was chatting away, talking about various things, except for one.

That one embodies everything that the Hornets aren’t this season. While the Hornets have displayed a very loud style of play, pushing the ball up court and terrorizing the opposition on defense, he lives a very workman-like life out on the hardwood.

And yet, the two are so perfect for each other: senior Rickie Glenn and the rest of the Hornets. While Glenn might not bring the high-wire theatrics of Arinze Anoruo or the silky smooth play of Gonzales, he is their catalyst and a major reason why the Hornets have raced out of the gates thus far during their 2000 campaign.

Born in Fresno, Calif., Glenn actually began his athletic career as a baseball player, which came as a surprise to his family. As a youngster, the baseball loving Glenn grew up amongst a family of football fans and players.

“Nobody in my family ever played baseball, they all played football,” Glenn said. “They all looked at me crazy when I started playing baseball. I actually played football my freshman year in high school. I was the backup quarterback, but it wasn’t for me.”

Little did Glenn know that the sport of baseball wasn’t for him either. After moving to Sacramento, Glenn watched his physical prowess change dramatically, growing five inches during the summer of his sophomore year at Mira Loma High School. And with every new inch came more and more requests for Glenn to use his services on the hardwood.

“After I grew like five inches the basketball coach asked me to come and give us a try,” said Glenn, who had never played organized basketball prior to his sophomore season.

And with that, Glenn traded in his glove and cleats for sneakers. In just three short seasons, Glenn developed enough skill and athleticism on the court to take his game to the next level, earning roster spots with Sierra and Lassen Junior College after graduation.

Once a priority in his life, the game of baseball found itself drifting further and further into Glenn’s rear view.

“Baseball is a little more show time than basketball,” Glenn said. “It’s a lot different because in baseball there are times where they (your teammates) don’t depend on you. In basketball, they depend on you every night and that’s the hardest thing.”

Despite gaining instant success on the basketball court, Glenn struggled with finding himself and establishing himself as the best basketball player he could be. That was until he met Lassen Junior College head coach Alonzo Hickerson, who mentored the relatively raw basketball star.

“He showed me a lot on and off the court,” Glenn said of his former coach. “I really looked up to him.”

After flourishing under the wing of Hickerson and in the system at Lassen, Glenn found himself at a difficult crossroads. Scouted by 22 college programs and bombarded with several options, Glenn chose to take his game to Sac State, passing up offers from more prominent programs like Oregon State.

“I chose Sacramento State because I’m from the Sacramento area and my immediate family is here,” Glenn said. “It was a place where I could go to shine and blossom. It’s a small program now, but I saw that with me coming and the four seniors who transferred from junior college, I thought that we could do something.

“It was somewhere I could grow as a player. I know if I would have gone to Oregon State or somewhere big-time like that, I would have had pressure to perform. But they already had players here, so I knew that I’d come off the bench as a junior and get a little more knowledge. And then my senior year I could just explode.”

Glenn has done just that.

The growth and maturity Glenn gained coming off the bench last season has given a lot of confidence to Hornet head coach, Jerome Jenkins, this season. According to Jenkins, Glenn has developed into a cornerstone in his run-and-gun offense and a quiet leader.

Through three games this season, Glenn has averaged nearly 15 points-per-game, while establishing a new career high of 23 against St. Mary’s.

“He knows that I’m depending on him a lot. I want him to be consistent every night,” Jenkins said. “If he’s consistent every night, I think we have the potential to win a lot of games this season.”

“Ricky is one of our quiet leaders. He’s not very vocal but through his actions and his play that is his role,” said Jenkins, who wants to see Glenn develop into a 20-points per game player. “When Ricky’s playing good the guys really jump to the dance and play hard too.”

Glenn acknowledges the expectations of Jenkins and accepts the responsibility of being a team leader, especially to the freshmen, the program’s future.

“The freshmen that came in this year, I would like to think that I have a good relationship with them,” Glenn said. “We’re a close-knit team; we all hang out on the weekends together. I would say a couple of them look up to me. They come to me when they have questions about the game or a coach, what their role is on the team or what they can do to get on the court.”

With such a strong nucleus of talent and energy, Glenn hopes the 2000 version of the Hornets can improve from last year. Last season, the team got off to a great start but unraveled as the season progressed, according to Glenn.

“Our goal is to get to the Big Sky tournament and, hopefully, make it to the NCAA’s. We’ve just got to make sure we don’t unravel,” Glenn said.

Glenn, however, also has other things on his mind. With a relatively full schedule left ahead, many players and coaches wouldn’t have their mind set too far into the future. Yet, in the Hornet camp, the future is a concern that is always addressed. And, it starts from the top down, with Jenkins.

“I really try and preach life to him and the rest of my players. I let them know that when they graduate they are going to have all these high expectations,” Jenkins said. “Life will knock you down, but you have to get right back up. I have the confidence that Rickie will be successful after graduation. I have the utmost confidence that he will be able to handle whatever comes to him in life.”

With some hard work and dedication, Jenkins believes that Glenn could continue his playing career at the professional level, whether in the National Basketball Association or abroad.

“If he shows up. That is why I’m working with him to be consistent. A lot of people get the opportunity to play at the next level but they get sent home really quick,” Jenkins said. “So, I’m trying to prepare him for not only this season, but if he should get that opportunity to play at the next level, to stay there.”

Although Glenn welcomes the opportunity to play professionally, he also understands the importance of his education.

“You can’t always show people the wins and the losses, but you can show them a degree. They’ll be able to see that on my wall or whatever,” Glenn said. “You know after basketball’s all done and over with, you still have to make money, and a degree is money.