 "Photo: Shane MacDowell")
It took Amare Stoudemire, center/forward of the Phoenix Suns, a year to come back from microfracture knee surgery and become the player he once was. The Portland Trailblazers' No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA draft, Greg Oden, is still battling back from the severe operation.
Chris Banks, forward for the UNH men's soccer team, can be added to that list and has come back stronger than ever. Through eight games this season Banks leads the team with five goals and is tied for the lead with senior Kyle Urso with 10 points.
Banks, en route to becoming the 2006 America East Striker and Rookie of the Year, tallied 28 total points with 14 goals before offseason knee surgery put the sparkling young rookie's collegiate career in jeopardy. The surgery was done to repair damaged cartilage in his knee due to the wear and tear over the years and put him on crutches for six weeks.
Banks said he definitely worried if he would be able to fulfill the incredible potential he showed in his rookie campaign. Although limited to six games last year and slowed by nagging injuries, he said he trained harder than ever to prepare for a comeback this season.
"You see players all the time going out and never coming back to the same player that they were," he said. "It was really a fresh start this year and I wanted to prove to myself and everyone else that I can still play and score at a high level."
The 6-foot, 1-inch junior is a presence to be reckoned with on the pitch, but he doesn't just rely on his size and speed to outplay defenders.
"I think one of my strengths is just hunting down the ball and attacking it, wanting to score," Banks said. "You won't see that many forwards having the ability to be in the right place at the right time to hunt down the ball and get it."
Growing up in Westborough, Mass., Banks said his biggest inspiration was his older brother Casey who also played collegiate soccer at Keene State College. Choosing to come to UNH, the school attended by his mother and sister, was a decision made by him and his family because it was a "good fit."
"Only coach Rob [Thompson] realistically said 'if something happens and you don't end up playing soccer, you're going to want to be at a school you enjoy,'" he said.
Thompson is now benefiting from the fruits of his recruitment labor. Not only is Banks a scoring threat, his goals often come when the Wildcats are tied or face a deficit. About halfway through the season, he already has one game-winning and two game-tying goals. In addition to getting back up to 100 percent during the offseason, the coaching staff really pushed him to improve his game to become even more of a potent scorer for the Wildcats.
"There are a few things when I talked to coach at the end of last year that he wanted me to improve upon," he said, "like fitness, my first touch, finishing more chances."
They say great athletes are always trying to get better, and Banks is following suit.
"In the past I'd get five chances in the game and finish one, but when you don't get many chances a game you need to be 1-1 or 1-2," he said. "I just need to get better and that'll come with practice."
A thousand-point scorer in basketball for his hometown Westborough Rangers, Banks said he was better at basketball than he was at soccer. Perhaps it's because he models his game after the New England Revolution's Taylor Twellman, but Banks chose soccer and never looked back.
With UNH's record sitting at 5-1-2, they will need their dangerous striker to keep finding the back of the net in order to maintain their momentum and superb play.
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