Influential Harlem Ballers

[keefe]

For those who weren't around for it, Al McGuire skimmed the cream of the nation's basketball crop. I laugh at how people speak of blue bloods and such because Marquette epitomized Blue Blood with Al McGuire as coach.

I came across this listing of Harlem Legends; there are three Al McGuire recruits listed. Impressive.

http://www.cream-the-memoir.com/?p=140

[keefe]

My favorite line is from the Meminger bio:

a standout point guard under Al McGuire at Marquette going 78-9 while he was there

Marquette was 78 and 9 with Meminger at the point. Bert lost almost twice as many just last season. Think about it.

[TedBaxter]

Former Thomas More High School star Nigel Wallace listed as well.  I think Wallace ended up at Mt. San Antonio JC in California, but I'm not sure what happened to him after junior college.

[Rudy]

I remember Steve Bertt came in with Iona. He and Terry Reason (I am pretty sure it was Terry Reason) put on a shooting clinic. They went shot for shot for much of the game. It was something I have not seen in person since then.

[brandx]

Very interesting article - although he missed two of the greatest legend of all. Connie Hawkins & Pearl Washington. One of my greatest basketball thrills ever was seeing the "Hawk" play for the 1st time.

Lots of MU players and near-MU players mentioned (Gary Springer).

And of course, the greatest leaper ever at MU - Artie Green. Nobody was even a close 2nd.

From an online article about Artie:

There was something special about Artie Green. I could never figure out how at such an early age, he could play like the older dudes (and they knew it, too). They would regularly pick him on their squads when the game was light or they needed a fifth man for a full. He was small, but he could somehow hold his own, as they chased him up and down the court trying to rattle him and make him cough up the ball. He did sometimes, but most times he shook them silly, with grace beyond his years. His handle, even then, was magical as he seemed to just have an invisible string on the ball, making it respond like a yo-yo at the slightest jerk. Artie was the big guys' favorite little guy and they took him everywhere, and after a while, they began to let him play.

Artie's confidence grew immensely from the praise, and he wasn't even 13 years old yet. By the time he was about 14, he had won more trophies than most guys would ever win in a lifetime. I remember once that he was actually throwing some of the smaller ones out of the backyard window for fun. I guess he had so many of them, it didn't matter as his house already looked like a gold mine. He had a superior game to all the kids his age, and even years older. He was feared as a secret weapon by other teams, capable of winning a game all by himself. His reputation grew with every tournament and he played regularly as a mid-teen with Butch and the unlimited-age squads.

After a while, everybody was coming to the games just to see Artie Green play. You knew something remarkable would happen when this guy touched the ball, which happened almost immediately. All the players knew he was the man. The more gifted players resented his popularity, and tried at times to run the show. But quickly, the chant from the crowd was an instruction, more specifically a plea to give Artie the ball. He would accept the pill, trapped deep in the corner by three men. But his confident deception helped him to dance his way through the defense, with twists and turns that made the ball disappear at times, reappearing only at the bottom of the net. Cheers could be heard for blocks, as they hammered out applause for the move, always with Artie smoothly backpedaling to the other end of the court.

All the applause and praise had done something besides make Artie great, it had also dulled his sense of reality and made life itself a hop from one game to another. His hanging out with the older dudes made him want to be like them and do the things they did. They were really suppose to be looking out for him, but they were actually helping to destroy a talent in the hood that hasn't been seen since. Artie had now matured into the high school ranks, and more importantly, developed a jumping ability that now made him a big man on the floor at the guard position, dangerous at all times. His jumping helped to make him legendary and this metamorphosis made him unreal. If you took your eyes off him for a second, he'd throw it in your face. And he didn't do it thunderously, he did it smooth as he sliced his way to the basket, off that magical dribble, rising high into his float to the hoop. Above everyone on the floor, up there where there's no one to fear, he'd deliver the ball down the net with a “flush.” He didn't have to run to do this either. A step was all he needed, as he left you standing there on earth, rising high above the rim for a quick dunk back down into your face. He did this all over the court, with rebounds and high steals, tip-offs and blocked shots. Pretty soon, they started calling him “Grasshopper.” Damn, he could jump. And without much effort at all, he had become one of the top schoolboy prospects in the country. Even more important, there in the hood he was now a god. No one could stop him, and after a while, no one tried.
The confidence had changed to arrogance somewhere along the way, as Artie would skip practices and show up late for games. Once, he even walked out in the middle of a game because the coach didn't start him, another time because he was pulled out for a rest. Even the officials felt his wrath, as he took the entire crowd with him one time after fouling quickly out of a game down on Lenox Avenue in Harlem. It was remarkable to see the five fouls come so quickly against Artie. The sixth one sent him angrily to the bench, but only to get his stuff. After some choice words for the ref. and a total disregard for the coach, Artie simply left, taking nearly the entire park of hundreds of fans cheeringly with him. Even the remaining players and officials stopped the game in total awe of the great exodus.

Despite the bratty antics, Artie continued to excel, winning MVPs and Most Outstanding awards where ever he played. I remember truly believing that even though NY Knick, Walt “Clyde” Frazier was a proven professional in the NBA, I still thought he would catch hell trying to guard Artie Green. In fact, Artie had played against many of the pros and college stars and left them all with the same feeling about his prowess, that the kid was a natural and guaranteed to someday go pro. His game was spectacular, but his discipline had become non-existent. Through all the many levels, Artie had come through toward the earning of his respect, the real game for him was just beginning.

Purely on say-so from Butch Lee himself, Artie was recruited by Marquette University. Butch had told his coach of Artie, saying “If you think I'm bad, wait to you see this kid - he's unbelievable!” Though other colleges around the country wanted Artie Green, some even better suited toward his open style of play like UNLV, he chose Marquette. Unlike Butch Lee, a really bright guy both in the books and on the court, Artie's grades did not match the strength of his game. He was pure basketball, and even that ability was nurtured incorrectly. He was so good, so early, that no one ever thought to teach him anything. You don't practice a jumpshot if you never have to use one. His ability to penetrate defenses off the dribble helped him to develop a false sense of security. He scored absolutely at will and was allowed to not to play the team game at times. With freelancing as a forte, most coaches backed away from harnessing his athleticism. He was so good (and everybody told him he was so good, for so long) that he had no real need to practice, and many times he didn't. This was the case as far back as the biddy leagues (ages 12 and under). If you played the game for the sake of the team, making Artie conform- you lost most times. If you let Artie be the team- you won all the time. It wasn't suppose to work that way, but it did. Most coaches only saw the gold gleam of trophies that Artie would bring. Not realizing that, as good as he was, he never really learned to play the game. Instead, he was caught in a game that would eventually play him.

By the time he got to Marquette, life was gaining on him fast. School work was a problem (it had always been), not to mention that the recruiting head-coach had retired. The new coach was not impressed with Artie's razzle dazzle reputation, and he focused on another star player to lead his team named, Sam Worthen. Sam was a bonafide 6'5 point guard of the highest order, a real team player personified. Through a lack of proper developing court education and mis-use as a young player, Artie did not effectively learn to play the point. He was erratic and given to poor leadership. His abilities were still all there, but they just weren't organized, or necessary. No one needed a 6' jumping jack, with a shaky jumper and an unstable presence on the floor. So Artie was benched hard, sometimes embarrassingly on national TV. The years at Marquette killed his confidence and his chances, and you could see it in his play in the tournaments when he returned home every summer. Suddenly, there were other players on the court besides “Mean” Artie Green. Players that really weren't as good but were made better by Artie being brought down some pegs. He could still wow the crowds at times, but he couldn't hold their attention captive anymore.
His remaining time at school was disastrous, almost non-existent. At NBA draft time, the Milwaukee Bucks did Marquette a hometown favor and drafted Green in the final round of picks, the absolute last man chosen out of hundreds of players. Actually, even this was undeserved, as Green had no real resume to make the pros, he had (as always) only the still raw abilities. I heard he did well at the try-outs but in the end he was cut. It wasn't the worst thing in the world that could happen (at least it shouldn't have been), as it had happened to many others from the neighborhood trying to make the pros. But they all accepted it better and went on with their lives, because for them it was always just an obscure chance. For Artie Green though, it was a sure thing that didn't show. The remaining quarters of his life had finally caught up with him, and the blur of his youth would now slow him into another reality, where he didn't have the ball and for once no one would give it to him.
Artie never graduated from Marquette, and remained in Milwaukee. Amidst the confusion and disappointment of it all, he escalated his acquaintance with drugs (a long time casual association developed by the homeboys looking out for him back on the block). He eventually wound up in trouble with himself and the law, ending up in prison. Looking back on it all, he was probably more prepared to fail than to succeed. Every summer visit home was greeted by supposed well-wishing homeys, that immediately got him as high and misdirected as an air-ball. He played in the tournaments under many of the negative influences of his environment. Drug dealers, playing out their NBA fantasies, would recruit him and others for their super teams. They gave of their talents in exchange for unlimited hits on the pipe, hard cash and the adulation of the crowds.
Believe it or not, many of his friendly suppliers wished him well. They just wanted to in some way be a part of his successes, a part of the “Artie Green euphoria.” Everybody was trying to be accepted by somebody, and Artie was a fast way to be accepted by all. So, if you couldn't dunk the ball, at least be there to pass it. This type of caring and sharing helped to destroy him. When he didn't make the pros, it broke a lot of people's hearts. When last I saw him, some years ago, he seemed so out of place without the cheering crowds, the girls and the entourage. Nobody really even knew who he was or cared, and he looked as though he was trying to forget who he was, himself. It broke my heart again to finally realize that we all in one way or another, had really broken his heart.
They have long since remodeled Bill Robinson Park into a real basketball playground, with swings, a jungle gym and even a giant painting where the handball court use to be of the park's namesake, the great tap dancer, Bill “Bo jangles” Robinson. Too many years later, I found out who Robinson was. That he lived just across the street in the famed Dunbar Apartments, and worked out regularly in the little “vest-pocket” park that eventually was named in his memory. Be that as it may, I doubt that at the time when we were running full courts there as kids, that anybody knew why the park was called Bill Rob. Yeah, there was a lot of dancing going on there alright, slick moves worthy of all the prestige of the mural's grand image of Robinson in high-hat, tie and tails. But I'm sure no one then knew what he looked like or what he did. All we knew is that we played ball there- hard. And at one time, just for a moment, it was proudly renamed, “Grasshopper Gardens,” for what Artie Green looked like and for what he did.

[Dawson Rental]

Very interesting article - although he missed two of the greatest legend of all. Connie Hawkins & Pearl Washington. One of my greatest basketball thrills ever was seeing the "Hawk" play for the 1st time.

Lots of MU players and near-MU players mentioned (Gary Springer).

And of course, the greatest leaper ever at MU - Artie Green. Nobody was even a close 2nd.

When I saw Gary Springer, the first thing I thought was; "didn't we almost get him?"  Does anyone remember the details?

[brandx]

When I saw Gary Springer, the first thing I thought was; "didn't we almost get him?"  Does anyone remember the details?

Hadn't heard the name in a long time, but I remember Majerus recruiting him hard when Hank was coach.

[THEbig0]

Funny coincidence on the timing of this post. I was just rewatching the movie Rebound this week about Earl Mantigault and wondering if Al recruited him at all. Seemed like the type he would like. There is also a line knocking Meminger in there as not as good as the Goat.

[TedBaxter]

Very interesting article - although he missed two of the greatest legend of all. Connie Hawkins & Pearl Washington. One of my greatest basketball thrills ever was seeing the "Hawk" play for the 1st time.

Hawkins and Washington were from Brooklyn, not Harlem.

[brandx]

Hawkins and Washington were from Brooklyn, not Harlem.

Guess I didn't pay enough attention to the title of the thread. I knew Pearl was from Brooklyn, thought Connie was from Harlem.

[sailwi]

Earl the helicopter, a playground legend that to my knowledge never played college ball.  Interesting analysis of Artie Green although a few more paragraphs would have made it easier to read.  I still remember Bob Bach (MU radio) saying "fastern your seat belt the anti-gravity man Artie Green has just checked in".  Artie was a high flyer but no J what so ever.

[brandx]

Earl the helicopter, a playground legend that to my knowledge never played college ball.  Interesting analysis of Artie Green although a few more paragraphs would have made it easier to read.  I still remember Bob Bach (MU radio) saying "fastern your seat belt the anti-gravity man Artie Green has just checked in".  Artie was a high flyer but no J what so ever.

Derrick was a better shooter.

[Texas Western]

My favorite line is from the Meminger bio:

a standout point guard under Al McGuire at Marquette going 78-9 while he was there

Marquette was 78 and 9 with Meminger at the point. Bert lost almost twice as many just last season. Think about it.

We were the undisputed no 2 program , after UCLA ,during the period Al was coaching. We were also the team everyone wanted to watch play.  We still benefit from that legacy today and that is why we are a nationally recognized team even though not a blue blood today

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

My favorite line is from the Meminger bio:

a standout point guard under Al McGuire at Marquette going 78-9 while he was there

Marquette was 78 and 9 with Meminger at the point. Bert lost almost twice as many just last season. Think about it.

Perhaps Buzz's greatest weakness.... identifying talent at the PG position. 

[keefe]

We were the undisputed no 2 program , after UCLA ,during the period Al was coaching. We were also the team everyone wanted to watch play.  We still benefit from that legacy today and that is why we are a nationally recognized team even though not a blue blood today

People need to realize that "Blue Blood" is predicated on the strength of the head coach more than the institution. Was UNC a "Blue Blood" before Dean Smith and would they be as successful had they stayed with Matt Daugherty? How would one characterize the UCLA program? It was nothing before Wooden and has been inconsistent since. Yet no other school dominated a single sport in the way Wooden's UCLA teams did.

It will be interesting to see how Duke fares once K retires. Like UNC, they had a successful program - far better tradition than pre-Wooden UCLA, but were never a dominant power until the arrival of a special coach. UNC was fortunate to have a Roy and not a Hank ready to take over. It is interesting to note that Duke doesn't really have a Roy groomed, rested, and ready so there is substantial uncertainty about their ability to promote from within.

What this does illustrate is the importance of keeping a coach longer than MU has been able to do post-Al. Having to retool 2-3 times in every ten year span is debilitating to the program. People often say correctly that Crean left MU in better shape than what he found but the manner of his departure had more of an impact than people realize; many of the subsequent issues stem from Crean's untidy departure.

 

[keefe]

Perhaps Buzz's greatest weakness.... identifying talent at the PG position. 

How dare you, sir! You forget yourself. Bert told us repeatedly he had a lock down defender game changer PG at the helm of last year's squad.

Your words are mean spirited and hateful. Take your venom elsewhere.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

How dare you, sir! You forget yourself. Bert told us repeatedly he had a lock down defender game changer PG at the helm of last year's squad.

Your words are mean spirited and hateful. Take your venom elsewhere.

It seems unfairly menacing that a snake that can literally "stand up" and look a full-grown person in the eye would also be among the most venomous on the planet, but that describes the famous king cobra.

King cobras can reach 18 feet (5.5 meters) in length, making them the longest of all venomous snakes. When confronted, they can raise up to one-third of their bodies straight off the ground and still move forward to attack. They will also flare out their iconic hoods and emit a bone-chilling hiss that sounds almost like a growling dog.

Their venom is not the most potent among venomous snakes, but the amount of neurotoxin they can deliver in a single bite—up to two-tenths of a fluid ounce (seven milliliters)—is enough to kill 20 people, or even an elephant. Fortunately, king cobras are shy and will avoid humans whenever possible, but they are fiercely aggressive when cornered.

King cobras live mainly in the rain forests and plains of India, southern China, and Southeast Asia, and their coloring can vary greatly from region to region. They are comfortable in the trees, on land, and in water, feeding mainly on other snakes, venomous and nonvenomous. They will also eat lizards, eggs, and small mammals.

They are the only snakes in the world that build nests for their eggs, which they guard ferociously until the hatchlings emerge.

King cobras may be best known as the species of choice for the snake charmers of South Asia. Although cobras can hear, they are actually deaf to ambient noises, sensing ground vibrations instead. The charmer's flute entices the cobra by its shape and movement, not by the music it emits.

[real chili 83]

It seems unfairly menacing that a snake that can literally "stand up" and look a full-grown person in the eye would also be among the most venomous on the planet, but that describes the famous king cobra.

King cobras can reach 18 feet (5.5 meters) in length, making them the longest of all venomous snakes. When confronted, they can raise up to one-third of their bodies straight off the ground and still move forward to attack. They will also flare out their iconic hoods and emit a bone-chilling hiss that sounds almost like a growling dog.

Their venom is not the most potent among venomous snakes, but the amount of neurotoxin they can deliver in a single bite—up to two-tenths of a fluid ounce (seven milliliters)—is enough to kill 20 people, or even an elephant. Fortunately, king cobras are shy and will avoid humans whenever possible, but they are fiercely aggressive when cornered.

King cobras live mainly in the rain forests and plains of India, southern China, and Southeast Asia, and their coloring can vary greatly from region to region. They are comfortable in the trees, on land, and in water, feeding mainly on other snakes, venomous and nonvenomous. They will also eat lizards, eggs, and small mammals.

They are the only snakes in the world that build nests for their eggs, which they guard ferociously until the hatchlings emerge.

King cobras may be best known as the species of choice for the snake charmers of South Asia. Although cobras can hear, they are actually deaf to ambient noises, sensing ground vibrations instead. The charmer's flute entices the cobra by its shape and movement, not by the music it emits.

Are you Keefe's son?   

[real chili 83]

Back on topic.....

Roll the clock forward 20 years, and Artie is at MU.  He's a highly acclaimed recruit.  He comes to campus, and experiences a coaching change.  New coach gives him limited minutes because he does not play team ball.  Artie transfers after is freshman season.

Makes you wonder why Artie did not transfer back then.  How times have changed.

[keefe]

Back on topic.....

Roll the clock forward 20 years, and Artie is at MU.  He's a highly acclaimed recruit.  He comes to campus, and experiences a coaching change.  New coach gives him limited minutes because he does not play team ball.  Artie transfers after is freshman season.

Makes you wonder why Artie did not transfer back then.  How times have changed.

A reflection of changes in society. Artie had a number of problems both on and off the court but when he got out in front of the break he could electrify the Arena with his throw downs.

[real chili 83]

A reflection of changes in society. Artie had a number of problems both on and off the court but when he got out in front of the break he could electrify the Arena with his throw downs.

I do recall some of those issues.  It's too bad He didn't connect with Hank completely.  Hank could have been a father figure to him.

[real chili 83]

I also recall Artie being given a tryout by the Cowboys as a defensive back.

[keefe]

I do recall some of those issues.  It's too bad He didn't connect with Hank completely.  Hank could have been a father figure to him.

Al and Hank were completely different personalities. What Al saw as raw material Hank viewed as slag. Hiring Hank Raymonds to follow Al McGuire was the single worst decision in Marquette basketball history.

[real chili 83]

Al and Hank were completely different personalities. What Al saw as raw material Hank viewed as slag. Hiring Hank Raymonds to follow Al McGuire was the single worst decision in Marquette basketball history.

That's a little harsh.  Hank was a dedicated soldier.  He knew the game better than 98% of all others in the game.  Hell, John Wooden used to call him for advice.

With that said, the best individual contributor can be the worst leader.  I get your point Keefe.  Hank was a wonderful human being.  He doesn't deserve to be lumped in with the words "the single worst decision".   

The administration screwed up when they did not hire Denny Crummy to succeed Al.

[MikeDeanesDarkGlasses]

That's a little harsh.  Hank was a dedicated soldier.  He knew the game better than 98% of all others in the game.  Hell, John Wooden used to call him for advice.

With that said, the best individual contributor can be the worst leader.  I get your point Keefe.  Hank was a wonderful human being.  He doesn't deserve to be lumped in with the words "the single worst decision".   

The administration screwed up when they did not hire Denny Crummy to succeed Al.

When a coach is hired and doesn't perform, all blame should be put on the administration.  Whoever made that hire is the one at fault as its residual effect was one that eroded the foundation that Al built.  Hank shouldn't be the one to blame at all.  The folks in the ivory tower are the ones who should be crucified.  Why is it that in our society that these people often are the ones who get the pass?  CEO's, general managers, etc .....  There's a lot of incompetent folks out there in high positions.