Dennis Trammell didn't come up to Muncie as a ballyhooed newcomer sporting statistics fans can brag about.
Trammell said he was not recruited much by Ball State coming out of high school and was pleasantly surprised when, after he announced his intent to transfer from New Mexico State, looking "to get into a program where I could get better every day," the Cardinals expressed interest in having him.
The junior guard arrived at BSU in 2002 after averaging 5.6 points and 1.9 in two seasons as a reserve for the Aggies.
Nevertheless, after sitting out last season due to the NCAA guidelines, Trammell has established himself as a leader for the 2003-04 Cardinals, not only in the scoring column (team-best 13.4 points), but also as a captain. More softspoken than outspoken, he is a calming presence to the court and the Ball State locker room.
Coach Tim Buckley said Trammell possess "poise, confidence, leadership."
"He has those leadership qualities that you could see in him last year," Buckley said.
Trammell admitted that last year was somewhat disheartening, as the Cardinals struggled to a 13-17 record and he could only sit on the bench during games.
"Personally, it was frustrating, because the game is like a test," he said. "In a class, you do all your homework, you study and do all that. Then you take a test, get the grade on that test and you can say 'Now I'm doing something.' Last year I didn't have that test, so I didn't really know how good I was getting. It was tough on me not knowing where I was standing. I just had to have faith and trust in the system that I was getting better every day."
However, Buckley saw that frustration in a different light.
"I really thought that when we didn't play well last year, he took it personally," Buckley said. "It would have been very easy for him to say 'Well, I'm not playing this year, that doesn't fall on me.' He was disappointed and troubled when we came in to practice the day after a loss because he wanted to do something to help make it better.
"When you see a guy react like that, you know you've got someone who's special."
Although Buckley wants him to be a more assertive rebounder, dependable is another label he gives Trammell, as shown by his 33 minutes per game, nearly ten more than any teammate. He also averages 2.7 assists, second only to Peyton Stovall's 3.7.
Most importantly, Trammell said, he believes he brings a positive attitude.
"The main thing, I think, is my will to win," he said. "I've got the attitude, 'I want to win every time I go out.' That's a big attribute at the college level."
Success is something Trammell experienced a lot at Westinghouse High School in Chicago, where he was class valedictorian. His team went 100-3 and won the Chicago Public League in each of his three seasons.
"He has an outstanding program that he comes from," Buckley said. "His high school coach not only did a good job of teaching him basketball, I think he was an intense coach. I think Dennis is used to being in pressure situations and handling them with poise."
And he remains grounded no matter how well he handles them. When his turn to speak at a post-game press conference comes, Trammell always begins by thanking God, "because without him I wouldn't be here."
"I have faith that when things go wrong, it's going to be all right," he said. "It's really driven me through a lot of my career. I realized that it's not all me, it's God. With that frame of mind, I think I've stayed humble like that."
Humble, but also a leader.
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