By Jim O'Hara
 
ROME, Ga. – He has played in just 25 games in the four years he's been with the team and scored only 36 career points, numbers that usually don't get noticed when a career comes to an end.

Blake Selland, however, has proven that there is more to being important to a team than statistics and honors.

Just ask Shorter men's basketball head coach Chad Warner, who in the Hawks' final regular-season home game, announced that the No. 20 uniform Selland wore since he came to "The Hill" as a freshman walk-on would be retired, save for the final game of the season in years to come, forever.

"You honor special players for special reasons," Warner said about Selland, who left his home in Charlotte, N.C., to find a new home at Shorter and emerge as a consummate team player and teammate for the Hawks. "He's the best. He's a special person.

"The biggest thing about Blake is he never allows outside circumstances to affect his relationship with others," the coach added. "He's there every day to pick people up – his teammates and his coaches."

As the Hawks turn their attention to their final Gulf South Conference regular-season game Saturday night at Lee in Cleveland, Tenn., to prepare for Shorter's first-ever appearance in the GSC tournament that takes place next Tuesday night on their home floor at the Winthrop-King Centre, it's a sure bet that Selland will be providing his teammates and his coaches with the same kind of the enthusiasm and encouragement he has given during a period of time when the program has  transitioned itself to the NCAA Division II ranks.

After all, that's just who he is – a humble young man that has embraced a university and a team from the moment he arrived at Shorter.

"I wanted to go to a small school that had a great academic reputation and be able to play basketball in a family atmosphere," said Selland, who has earned GSC Academic Honor Roll recognition for the past two years. "I'm so thankful I've had the opportunity to play. But I knew right away what my role would be."

That role was that as the proverbial role player who would spend most of his career on the bench during games and called on to make those who would see action get better, and not surprisingly Selland's role helped the Hawks reach the NAIA Final Four in his freshman year and win the 2013 National Christian College Athletic Association national championship.

"That was a dream come true," he said about being a part of that national title season, "but honestly all four years have been amazing."

What amazed Selland even more was when his number, along with senior teammate Dedric "DD" Ware's, was retired.

"I had no idea," Selland said. "I knew that coach Warner was going to do something for the seniors but it was only after DD's number was retired, when I got the team to get up and go congratulate DD, did I see my jersey out there.

"The first thing I did was look up in the stands to where my mom was sitting," he said, "and she was just bawling. I had to look away because I thought I would start crying. It was such a blessing."

"I've never coached anyone like him," Warner said. "I'll miss him."

Warner said that Selland's No. 20 will be untouchable for years to come, save for the final regular-season game in years to come when future teams will vote on a player they feel is deserving to wear the number and continue Selland's team legacy for one game only.

Selland, however, still owns the number and would love nothing better than to see the Hawks go far into the postseason.

"We had a tough stretch of games, but we kept battling" he said, pointing out that the Hawks overcame a four-game losing streak to start the month but with a win at Lee can start a new month and the postseason next week riding a three-game win run. "We're back on track."