Former walk-on Greg Terrebonne watched from the stands while the LSU men’s basketball team scrimmaged on the PMAC court Oct. 28.”When you spend every day with people, you have friends … you have memories,” he said. “I’m there to support my friends and my team. It’s really not hard to watch at all.”Terrebonne had every intention to be on the court for his third season and play in front of the fans who frequently cheered his name.”I enjoyed Greg,” said Nathan Butler, general studies senior. “We’d always chant, ‘Ter-re-bonne!’ Greg wasn’t a big guy or the most athletic guy, and you feel like he’s more connected to you.” But when new coach Trent Johnson implemented an open walk-on tryout process this September, the outcome put freshman Zach Kinsley on the bench and left Terrebonne in the stands.The open tryouts — a departure from former coach John Brady’s trend in hand-picking walk-ons out of high school — require Johnson’s walk-ons to prove themselves each and every year for a spot on the team.”I always knew in the back of my mind that [Johnson] didn’t have to keep me,” Terrebonne said. “He wasn’t obligated to. I was coach Brady’s walk-on.”Terrebonne said his doubt didn’t stop him from putting in a summer’s worth of long hours in the gym.”I just thought this would be a new beginning and that everybody would have a clean slate and get an equal chance,” he said. “All summer I just worked really hard on my conditioning and ball handling, hoping that I would get a chance and maybe come off the bench and play a few minutes.”A first-offense DWI charge also came during the summer — an incident Terrebonne said was an uncharacteristic mistake.Johnson said the charge had no bearing on his decision to cut Terrebonne from the walk-on tryouts.”With all respect to Greg and to Greg’s parents, we had that discussion,” Johnson said. “If there was going to be anything done with that, it would have been done a long time ago.”Terrebonne said he entered the fall hoping Johnson wouldn’t make him try out to keep his position.”It’s really hard when you’re at a tryout and trying to display offensive skills,” he said. “Everyone else is trying to make a statement and be a top dog.”But Johnson firmly believes in the open walk-on process, a system he implemented in Nevada in 1999.Walk-On’s Bistreaux and Bar owner Brandon Landry, a former walk-on for Brady, observed the tryouts at Johnson’s request. Landry said he judged work ethic and attitude rather than basketball skills. “We sell burgers and beer,” Landry said. “We don’t have the right to say who should be on the team.”The process included two rounds of tryouts and several days of decision-making.In the end, Johnson chose Kinsley out of 22 contenders. Kinsley, a Baton Rouge native, played at St. Michael The Archangel in Baton Rouge and at St. Thomas More Prep in Connecticut.Kinsley said he felt slightly intimidated to try out alongside a walk-on with two years of collegiate experience.”I knew I had to try a lot harder,” he said.Terrebonne said assistant coach Keith Richard delivered the news in his office.”He said they decided to go with the other guy, because Zach has a better upside,” Terrebonne said. “They said, ‘We’ve got four years to work with him,’ and they also said he was taller than me.”Johnson said the decision was based solely on the walk-on’s ability to help the team.”I felt Greg was more of a two [player] and Zach was more of a three [player],” he said. “It’s about position skill sets. We felt that Zach was the best player.”Johnson said Kinsley will have to try out alongside new hopefuls every year.Brady, now at Arkansas State, usually hand-picked his walk-ons rather than open tryouts to the campus. Brady said he chose his walk-ons primarily based on their loyalty to the program.”Realistically, a walk-on won’t change your program,” he said. “Greg came on board with us because of his love and passion for LSU. He was grateful for the opportunity.”It’s an opportunity Terrebonne didn’t want to end this way — watching from the stands.”I’m not bitter about it or bitter toward whoever cut me,” he said. “I’m thankful for the two years I got to be here.”—-Contact Amy Brittain at [email protected]