The 6-foot sophomore did just that, blossoming into a starter by improving his outside shot after the last year’s inconsistency and using his athleticism to impact the game.
Then COVID-19 hit.
Calvin tested positive about two weeks ago and was forced into quarantine. He was scheduled to return to the team Saturday — five days before the season opener against Marshall.
The Raiders had been testing players and team personnel regularly since practice began Oct. 14, and Calvin had no reason not to expect another negative result.
“I had no symptoms,” he said by phone from his campus apartment just before emerging from quarantine. “I’ve been feeling really good this whole time — no symptoms, nothing.
“I didn’t know who I got it from. I didn’t think I was around anybody who had it, so I was really surprised to find that out.”
He stayed asymptomatic throughout his stint in isolation.
“Personally, I feel perfectly fine. I’m ready to go,” he said.
To kill time, he watched movies — including “Hardball” with Keanu Reeves and the animated film “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs II” — while also catching up on the hit series “Survivor” on Netflix.
He said he missed his teammates, though. And he also had some concerns about his two weeks of inactivity.
“My whole life, I’ve been fine stamina-wise. That comes naturally to me. I’m not really concerned about that. I’m just concerned about my shot, taking two weeks off. I’m kind of worried it could affect that.
“But I have five days to get it back. I think I’ll be fine.”
Calvin appeared in all 32 games last season, averaging 4.7 points and finishing fourth on the team in steals with 26. He also led the Raiders in scoring with a 15-point effort against Indiana State.
But he shot just 31.3% from the field and 25.4 on 3′s last season. He went 9 of 39 from the floor the last 10 games.
“The high, high majority of players get their self-worth from putting the ball in the basket. If the ball is going in, I feel good about myself. If not, I don’t feel good about myself,” Nagy said. “He struggled with that all year last year. It was hard for him to overcome.
“He does so many other things well. He’s such a good defender. He’s hard to screen. He’s hard to drive on. He’s not big and physical — that’s the only thing he lacks defensively — but he’s a good rebounder for his size because he has such a great nose for the ball. And he gets his hands on the ball all the time, tipping passes.”
Nagy saw enough from Calvin before that forced hiatus to expect more offense from him, too.
“He’s shooting the ball a lot better,” Nagy said. “He’s playing with a confidence that makes him the kind of player we thought he was.”
To be a complete point guard, though, more will be required of Calvin than just improved shooting. While Gentry may have been limited athletically, he had the ideal temperament for the position, constantly directing traffic and demanding top effort from his teammates.
To stay ahead of other point-guard candidates, including freshmen Alex Huibregtse and Andrew Welage, Calvin will have to learn to be more vocal.
“Trey is sooooo quiet,” Nagy said with emphasis. “He’s just an incredibly quiet, quiet person. I would even say (he’s) a shy person. That’s what he’s got to overcome.
“I always tell guys, ‘You can be who you are in terms of your personality off the floor, but on the floor, you can’t just say that’s the way I am — because you have to give us what’s needed and not just be who you are.’
“What’s needed — particularly from that position — is a grit to you to be able to tell people they’re not doing what they’re supposed to do. You need somebody who can coach on the floor. That’s where he has to grow, and that’s where he will grow.”
THURSDAY’S GAME
Marshall at Wright State, 7 p.m., ESPN+, 106.5
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