In the midst of a long and slow offseason, I thought it would make for a good discussion to share about you previous experiences playing ball. I understand there are those that haven't(doesn't make you any less of a fan) but for the ones who have, it would be interesting to know some of your backround. Things like how long did you play? Did you start? What position?
First off myself:I started for Junior Varsity as a Freshman in High School. Sophomore year, I made the transition to Varsity being the first off the bench. Started both my Junior and Senior years at the small forward position, both years advancing to the state finals only to fall short. As a junior I earned second-team all-district; as a senior, 1st-team all-district and 2nd-team all-region. Spent 2 years as a preferred walk-on at Old Dominion University. Thanks, please share your experiences.
Eighth team all archdiocese as an 8th grader.
CYO basketball 10th man of the year as an 8th grader.
Great at rockin rec specs and cheering our team on to our 2-10 record. Lot's of enthusiasm on the bench.
Quote from: Lockdown D on September 21, 2010, 09:17:58 PM
First off myself:I started for Junior Varsity as a Freshman in High School. Sophomore year, I made the transition to Varsity being the first off the bench. Started both my Junior and Senior years at the small forward position, both years advancing to the state finals only to fall short. As a junior I earned second-team all-district; as a senior, 1st-team all-district and 2nd-team all-region. Spent 2 years as a preferred walk-on at Old Dominion University. Thanks, please share your experiences.
Congratulations... ::)
I was a 6'9" 235 lb. power forward in high school and was offered by UCLA, Kentucky, UNC, Kansas, and Duke. Averaged 23 and 8 while checking the opponent's best offensive threat. Generally brought the ball up the court as the "power point," jumped center, and played about 30 minutes/game.
Put all this aside to pay my own way at MU where I scrapped basketball for academics. Thought I would put all my efforts into curing the world of it's most rampant disease, i.e. tooth decay. Never looked back for one minute.
At present, while I can still hold my own on the basketball court with today's studs, I've shrunk to 6'0", but my putting has improved to 22 putts/round.
I got cut by the freshman team at my highschool Loyola Academy, however i still play all the time and i have played intramural basketball at marquette every semester so far. I am currently playing in the 3 on 3 league at the rec center. I have no athletecism but i can shoot pretty well. I compare myself to a 5'10 version of brad miller.
No organized basketball history whatsoever, but I did coordinate the tent schedule freshman year for our season tickets, and in my junior year I was able to sneak eight of those 8 oz. Millers into the arena inside my parka. ;D
Quote from: 4everwarriors on September 21, 2010, 09:34:28 PM
I was a 6'9" 235 lb. power forward in high school and was offered by UCLA, Kentucky, UNC, Kansas, and Duke. Averaged 23 and 8 while checking the opponent's best offensive threat. Generally brought the ball up the court as the "power point," jumped center, and played about 30 minutes/game.
Put all this aside to pay my own way at MU where I scrapped basketball for academics. Thought I would put all my efforts into curing the world of it's most rampant disease, i.e. tooth decay. Never looked back for one minute.
At present, while I can still hold my own on the basketball court with today's studs, I've shrunk to 6'0", but my putting has improved to 22 putts/round.
Post of the month.
I was 6'6" tall, slow as used motor oil, shot that only a mother could love (and rumor was she even laughed at it) and am still picking spliters of pine gains when I was in eighth grade from my backside, now that I am in my 50s. My vertical leap was 1", if I was motivated and had some priest with a paddle on my ass.
Yeup, I was the star of my neighborhood -- which was a middle class suburb full of football players (I could not play that well either).
I blame my lack of a professional basketball career on the Dominican Sisters. For eight years of Catholic grammar school, I knelt during the consecration every day. They said if Jesus hung on that cross for three hours, I could kneel for 15 minutes. Well Sister, I was kneeling forever and the knee was not meant to be a sustainable load bearing joint.
Funny, I couldn't get a lawyer to take my case... so I went to Marquette, got a degree and lived happily ever after.
Quote from: Lockdown D on September 21, 2010, 09:17:58 PM
In the midst of a long and slow offseason, I thought it would make for a good discussion to share about you previous experiences playing ball. I understand there are those that haven't(doesn't make you any less of a fan) but for the ones who have, it would be interesting to know some of your backround. Things like how long did you play? Did you start? What position?
First off myself:I started for Junior Varsity as a Freshman in High School. Sophomore year, I made the transition to Varsity being the first off the bench. Started both my Junior and Senior years at the small forward position, both years advancing to the state finals only to fall short. As a junior I earned second-team all-district; as a senior, 1st-team all-district and 2nd-team all-region. Spent 2 years as a preferred walk-on at Old Dominion University. Thanks, please share your experiences.
You win. :P
I played point guard all throughout Junior High and Freshman year. Then I sprung up to 6'2" and instantly my coach moved me to center. After one year of Junior Varsity ball at center I knew I wanted to go back to a guard or small forward position (I'm not JMay or anything, I wasn't expecting much of a future in basketball on a terrible high school team that won three games my Sophomore year) so I never tried out for varsity and started regularly playing streetball on the mean streets (next to the mean cornfields) of Natomas, California in the shadow of the world's most dilapidated professional basketball concrete box, Arco Arena.
I can still shoot the lights out and have great court presence. But I'm a bit too slow and unathletic to be playing any serious ball.
Quote from: SacWarrior on September 21, 2010, 10:51:25 PM
I played point guard all throughout Junior High and Freshman year. Then I sprung up to 6'2" and instantly my coach moved me to center. After one year of Junior Varsity ball at center I knew I wanted to go back to a guard or small forward position (I'm not JMay or anything, I wasn't expecting much of a future in basketball on a terrible high school team that won three games my Sophomore year) so I never tried out for varsity and started regularly playing streetball on the mean streets (next to the mean cornfields) of Natomas, California in the shadow of the world's most dilapidated professional basketball concrete box, Arco Arena.
I can still shoot the lights out and have great court presence. But I'm a bit too slow and unathletic to be playing any serious ball.
I watched DeMarcus Nelson and the Natomas gang take apart my alma mater, Bellarmine, at our house during the NorCal playoffs.
Back to this thread...
Cut my freshman year so I decided to go Varsity.
Varsity Speech and Debate.
Much like Dwight Schrute's German is pre-industrial, the same could be said, unfortunately, about my game: very intramuralish.
I take out my life's court frustrations daily on 4th graders. lol
Quote from: 4everwarriors on September 21, 2010, 09:34:28 PM
I was a 6'9" 235 lb. power forward in high school and was offered by UCLA, Kentucky, UNC, Kansas, and Duke. Averaged 23 and 8 while checking the opponent's best offensive threat. Generally brought the ball up the court as the "power point," jumped center, and played about 30 minutes/game.
Put all this aside to pay my own way at MU where I scrapped basketball for academics. Thought I would put all my efforts into curing the world of it's most rampant disease, i.e. tooth decay. Never looked back for one minute.
At present, while I can still hold my own on the basketball court with today's studs, I've shrunk to 6'0", but my putting has improved to 22 putts/round.
And your real name is Sidd Finch?
Quote from: The Sultan of South Wayne on September 21, 2010, 10:36:06 PM
You win. :P
There is a lurker on here who played on the same high school team as Shawn Kemp. I believe he threw a no hitter for Marquette's baseball team too.
Of course, our law school team beat his law school team. We had a ringer though.
Edit to add my resume:JV Freshman and Sophomore years, was on the Varsity squad Junior and Senior years. started one game at Shooting Guard senior year (regular starter was suspended for drinking). Was promptly torched for 50+ points by Kirk Manns (went on to play at Mich State). Suspension was miraculously lifted against the starting guard. He still thanks me to this day whenever he sees me.
I was an above average scoring threat in 5th - 7th grade at St. Alexanders. I reached my peak as a 5'10" point forward in 8th grade for St. Romans B team. Our team's dream of being the first B team to make the Padre Sierra tournament came to an end when St. Martin of Tours beat us in the closing seconds by hitting a half court shot. My basketball career then hit the wall when I made the freshmen team, but was not allowed to travel to away games. I took that as a sign and finished my career playing WA/WM rec basketball where I played center at 5'11" 180lbs.
Lockdown D where did u go to high school?
I was so talented as a grade school hoops player, that I was recruited to wrestle in high school. That wrestling coach sure knew talent.
I practice free throws every night.
I still can't hit more than 40%.
I'm pretty sure I touched the net once in high-school. There are conflicting reports on that one, though.
I watched Concord at the semi-state at the Coliseum in '88? with Kemp. I was 6.
Quote from: MUDPT on September 22, 2010, 09:25:59 AM
I watched Concord at the semi-state at the Coliseum in '88? with Kemp. I was 6.
Yes that was 1988 -- later that season the Concord Minutemen were drilled in the state finals by Chander Thompson's Muncie Central squad. Two years later Concord went to the state finals without Kemp where they lost to Bedford-North Lawrence and Damon Bailey. I still believe that game holds the record for the biggest crowd to ever see a high school basketball game (40K+). I still have the t-shirt, anyway.
Quote from: indeelaw90 on September 22, 2010, 06:21:56 AM
There is a lurker on here who played on the same high school team as Shawn Kemp. I believe he threw a no hitter for Marquette's baseball team too.
Of course, our law school team beat his law school team. We had a ringer though.
The one and only Don D. is a lurker on this site? Get a handle and start posting, buddy. Steve Larkin had nothing on you! :)
Quote from: mug644 on September 22, 2010, 12:23:09 AM
And your real name is Sidd Finch?
Went to high school with Sidd, but my handlers got me on a different AAU team.
Quote from: MUDPT on September 22, 2010, 09:25:59 AM
I watched Concord at the semi-state at the Coliseum in '88? with Kemp. I was 6.
you aren't one of his many kids are you?
I was a beefy 5'1" PF in 7th grade at Sacred Hearts. Only action I saw on the court was during a scrimmage against St. Alphonsus, brought the ball up court because our PG was hurt, swished back to back 3's from the top of the key. Quickly I felt like I was Starbury in this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3gw47Unu1g
Went on to miss my next 6 3's (I was not hot as a pistol), and never really got off the pine much after that.
In a game in 4th grade I scored 1/2 of my team's first half points (4/8) and then sat on the bench the entire second half.
Score 8 points on Doc rivers in high school....not saying how much he scored on me..it was a little higher.
I killed it on my intramural team at MU...and by "killed", I mean killed our chances at winning. I prided myself on my high assist to turnover ratio, due to a ton of turnovers.
When I played, I subscribed to Coach Dale's advice to Strap: "Don't shoot the ball unless you're wide open, under the basket, all by yourself!"
for those of you who don't know me, here is my story...
http://basketbawful.blogspot.com/2009/06/livin-large-part-1.html (http://basketbawful.blogspot.com/2009/06/livin-large-part-1.html)
6th grade: Made travelling team, played sparingly and scored 12 points (for the season, not per game) and had maybe 15 travelling calls.
7th grade: cut
8th grade: cut
9th grade: Made B-team, scored maybe 30 points for the season but including a game winning 3 pt play at the buzzer, after which I immediately announced my retirement. Team was about 5-22 for the season.
Marquette: Mike Deane was coach. Attended games sparingly and then not at all.
Law school: Made my comeback by joining an intramural squad around the same time D-Wade joined MU. Got dunked on once (never knew guys who played intramural law school ball dunked). Quit.
Umm...really?
A thinly veiled thread about how great you were at bball?
Congrats dude.
For the record....I was our Freshman team's sixth man before deciding playing JV my sophomore year would have meant riding the pine, as the best 3 or 4 freshman usually got bumped up and would play ahead of the sophomores on the bench.
Focused on golf, best decision ever.
Despite being a 2-year starter for my (very bad) HS varsity team, the best way to describe my basketball abilities would be to tell you that I was a 6'4" tight end who was recruited to play (small-time) college football. I played the post and was the epitome of a garbage man. I pretty much just hung around the basket waiting for put backs. I couldn't shoot a lick (still can't) but I was actually my team's leading scorer as a senior, primarily because I had a ton of opportunities given the number of shots we missed.
I graduated as my school's all-time leader in blocked shots, FG% and (presumably) moving screen violations. My career highlights include missing a dunk on a breakway, grabbing 6 consecutive offensive rebounds off of my own misses, and banking home a halfcourt shot at the buzzer...to get our margin of defeat under 20.
Yelled at a ref who called me for double-dribble in 7th grade. Was benched immediately. Haven't laced up the high-tops since.
8th grade, B team, 3rd string
But I could knock down the 3 from the top of the arch like nobodies business, so I worked up from there on the freshman team.
Played Rec Ball Soph, Jr and Senior years on the Ticks, Tenacious D (minus) and The Replacements respectively. Won about 3-5 games total. Still could knock down that 3 ball. Also got great at committing flagrant fouls.
For awhile a lot of our Better players played Rec Ball because they were not fans of the HS coach. That was my excuse too.
Quote from: thowell on September 22, 2010, 07:39:34 AM
Lockdown D where did u go to high school?
Denbigh High School in VA
Quote from: Victor McCormick on September 22, 2010, 01:50:24 PM
Umm...really?
A thinly veiled thread about how great you were at bball?
I read my OP and can see where it sound a little bit like bragging, but as a relatively anonymous poster I have no intention of that. Just wanted to start a topic to find out about other posters and felt I should share about myself regarding my questions.
Quote from: Benny B on September 22, 2010, 02:06:53 PM
Yelled at a ref who called me for double-dribble in 7th grade. Was benched immediately. Haven't laced up the high-tops since.
Lol...The parents of my team let the refs hear about everything they called against my team. There wouldn't be anything left more me to say. THEY LET THEM HEAR IT!
Quote from: Lockdown D on September 21, 2010, 09:17:58 PM
In the midst of a long and slow offseason, I thought it would make for a good discussion to share about you previous experiences playing ball. I understand there are those that haven't(doesn't make you any less of a fan) but for the ones who have, it would be interesting to know some of your backround. Things like how long did you play? Did you start? What position?
First off myself:I started for Junior Varsity as a Freshman in High School. Sophomore year, I made the transition to Varsity being the first off the bench. Started both my Junior and Senior years at the small forward position, both years advancing to the state finals only to fall short. As a junior I earned second-team all-district; as a senior, 1st-team all-district and 2nd-team all-region. Spent 2 years as a preferred walk-on at Old Dominion University. Thanks, please share your experiences.
What's your point? To know about people's background in hoops or to brag about walking on at Old Dominion? It strikes me that the latter was your point.
You have an impressive background, but maybe it's time to move on from the "glory days?"
Leave the guy alone. It's impossible to tell his intentions while reading his words without inflection on the Internet.
I find it interesting that some people here are actual students of the game instead of asshats like myself that just enjoy drinking and screaming. And not just at bball games. All. The. Time.
i was such a standout on the freshmen team at my high school that they banned me from ever touching a basketball again... as a matter of fact they said the only thing that they would allow was for me to touch the ball with my feet. so, i played varsity soccer for three years...
Quote from: Skatastrophy on September 22, 2010, 03:34:51 PM
I find it interesting that some people here are actual students of the game instead of asshats like myself that just enjoy drinking and screaming. And not just at bball games. All. The. Time.
See that's good to know too. FWIW, 7th grade B team was as far as I got. I took that as a hint and started working on my training for a life of screaming and drinking.
Finished up my one-season long basketball career in the 8th grade with the mighty St. Mary's Roadrunners back in New Mexico.
I probably had something like 8 min all year when it was clear that I couldn't even in-bounds the ball without steping on the line and was so nervous that when someone would even think about passing the ball to me a little bit of pee came out. Later in life as a spectator in The Pit, I finally did grasp the concept of the 3-second lane violation and slowly discovered what all the paint/lines on the floor stood for.
Tom Copa?? ;D
Quote from: MerrittsMustache on September 22, 2010, 01:59:59 PM
Despite being a 2-year starter for my (very bad) HS varsity team, the best way to describe my basketball abilities would be to tell you that I was a 6'4" tight end who was recruited to play (small-time) college football. I played the post and was the epitome of a garbage man. I pretty much just hung around the basket waiting for put backs. I couldn't shoot a lick (still can't) but I was actually my team's leading scorer as a senior, primarily because I had a ton of opportunities given the number of shots we missed.
I graduated as my school's all-time leader in blocked shots, FG% and (presumably) moving screen violations. My career highlights include missing a dunk on a breakway, grabbing 6 consecutive offensive rebounds off of my own misses, and banking home a halfcourt shot at the buzzer...to get our margin of defeat under 20.
Freshman year, a buddy and I would go to the Rec Plex and literally play one-on-one, full court, up to 100. It took forever, even though a lot of the shots were uncontested layups. Each time down we'd call out who we were impersonating, and then try to mimic our play/moves as that person. Most of those people were not basketball players.
I am getting tired just thinking about it and probably couldn't make it for a game up to 6 now, much less 100.
Also played some (if by played some you mean rode the pine and could do nothing worthwhile on the court other than shoot from 25 feet) in high school. My favorite part of practice was shooting free throws. Damn you, Buzz.
Also, I once puked into a cup until it overflooded at Pizza Joe's while standing at a little table with the place packed. I think ZFB cleaned it up.
I played varsity my frosh, soph, junior years (loved the game) and then the summer going into my senior year played in a summer league hosted at UWM. Bo was there at the time, gave a nice speech to a few of us telling us how much he loved us (I think he made it legal by showing a video on how to box out), and I didn't pick up a basketball for two years after that summer. While I never figured my quitting had anything to do with Bo, I'm now convinced he can take the fun out of basketball without players even realizing it. You can literally see this happen to UW opponents throughout the course of a game.
Quote from: Avenue Commons on September 22, 2010, 03:29:39 PM
What's your point? To know about people's background in hoops or to brag about walking on at Old Dominion? It strikes me that the latter was your point.
You have an impressive background, but maybe it's time to move on from the "glory days?"
Personally, I think it's interesting to hear scoopers' playing backgrounds. I never would have guessed that so many posters never played much beyond middle school.
Quote from: avid1010 on September 22, 2010, 09:27:25 PM
I played varsity my frosh, soph, junior years (loved the game) and then the summer going into my senior year played in a summer league hosted at UWM. Bo was there at the time, gave a nice speech to a few of us telling us how much he loved us (I think he made it legal by showing a video on how to box out), and I didn't pick up a basketball for two years after that summer. While I never figured my quitting had anything to do with Bo, I'm now convinced he can take the fun out of basketball without players even realizing it. You can literally see this happen to UW opponents throughout the course of a game.
You were Markolf-ed?
I got talked into playing tavern-league ball by guys from my muni-league softball team. At the time had a 3-pack-a-day camel's straights habit. Agreed to be the '6th' man if I didn't have to run too much. Showed up for first game just in time to hear "great, now we have enough players and don't have to forfeit"! We played full court pressure for about 3 minutes and I ran off the court to throw up in the drinking fountain. I committed 5 quick fouls trying to get ejected, but they "let" me stay in because of our lack of players. Finally called the ref names and was banished from the league.
I stuck to playing in my driveway after that. Finally quite the cigarettes years later.
Quote from: MerrittsMustache on September 22, 2010, 09:59:19 PM
Personally, I think it's interesting to hear scoopers' playing backgrounds. I never would have guessed that so many posters never played much beyond middle school.
I'll do one better (worse?). I never played "organized" basketball in my life. Not sure why because I played every other sport. My memory is fading, but I imagine it was because I was a wrestler and a swimmer and those sports overlapped basketball. Only one of my four brothers ever played any basketball (the only one who wasn't a wrestler). I'm a big fan and watch quite a bit of basketball, but I don't have the understanding that comes from having played. I helped coach my son's team (it's his favorite sport), but I was pretty much worthless for game planning and strategy. I was good at teaching some fundamentals, mechanics and footwork, though.
Played sparingly in 5th-7th grade. I played center since I was the tallest on the team. I was 5-10 in 7th grade. Didn't grow much after that and not having any talent, I didn't play after 7th grade.
But in High School I was a manager for all 4 years. Then I got "called up to varsity" my sophomore year. I worked both JV and Varsity games that year. That just happened to be the year that Dominican High School won the WISAA championship over Marquette High (1991). That team was led by Shannon Smith. The head manager was Peter Ranola, who went on to be a manager at MU for 4 years. Then I was head manager for the next two years. I learned a lot about basketball in those 4 years.
I had a chance to be a manager for KO, but I declined due to the time commitment.
Quote from: bork on September 23, 2010, 08:53:00 AM
Played sparingly in 5th-7th grade. I played center since I was the tallest on the team. I was 5-10 in 7th grade. Didn't grow much after that and not having any talent, I didn't play after 7th grade.
But in High School I was a manager for all 4 years. Then I got "called up to varsity" my sophomore year. I worked both JV and Varsity games that year. That just happened to be the year that Dominican High School won the WISAA championship over Marquette High (1991). That team was led by Shannon Smith. The head manager was Peter Ranola, who went on to be a manager at MU for 4 years. Then I was head manager for the next two years. I learned a lot about basketball in those 4 years.
I had a chance to be a manager for KO, but I declined due to the time commitment.
I too declined to be a manager for Majerus, because I didn't want to clean up after he shat in a t-shirt in the middle of a meeting.
I didn't pay attention to college or pro basketball until 2002 - halfway through my freshman year at MU. Played hockey and golf growing up.
I was on the team in high school but didn't play much....Still, I loved the game and became a manager at MU for my soph through senior seasons. The first year was with Dukiet, the last two with Kevin. He was demanding as hell, but I learned a lot during that time with him and the rest the folks in the program.
Quote from: NYWarrior on September 23, 2010, 10:53:21 AM
I was on the team in high school but didn't play much....Still, I loved the game and became a manager at MU for my soph through senior seasons. The first year was with Dukiet, the last two with Kevin. He was demanding as hell, but I learned a lot during that time with him and the rest the folks in the program.
I'll bet Kevin taught you some new words too. BTW, are the managers compensated?
Quote from: 4everwarriors on September 23, 2010, 11:05:26 AM
I'll bet Kevin taught you some new words too. BTW, are the managers compensated?
I did get nifty basketball shoes, sweatsuits that made me look like a pimp (blue velour with gold trim anybody?), and a few free meals at Miss Katies Diner but I was not compensated per se. The head manager and KO's nephew (also a manager) did have scholarships. The hours were long, but I really enjoyed the experience.
As for Kevin's vocabulary, I kept a running list of spectacular insults and vulgarities during my time with the program (in between diagramming plays and taking other hoops related notes). I have that stuff somewhere --- ROLFMAO material.
I went to Kings Fork High School and I was a manager for all 4 years. The team won the AAA state champship in 09.On that team was 4 D-1 basketball players( davante gardner-Marquette, jaquon parker-Cincinnati,Jay copeland-Ball St.,and Jamar Wertz-UMBC)and 2 D-1 football players(Dominique Patterson-Virginia Tech,and Derek wright-Towson)
So Dude give us the inside skinny on Gardner.
Quote from: NYWarrior on September 23, 2010, 11:55:56 AM
As for Kevin's vocabulary, I kept a running list of spectacular insults and vulgarities during my time with the program (in between diagramming plays and taking other hoops related notes). I have that stuff somewhere --- ROLFMAO material.
that would be a must read cracked sidewalks blog! NSFWorSC
I moved to a new school in October of 7th grade and one of the first things I did was try out for the basketball team. I made the team, with a roster height of 4' 4". Seriously. I was the 2nd string point guard (and the 6th string center) on the B team, scoring no points all season.
I still had the courage to try out in 8th grade, and when the coach called me into his office and offered me a manager position, I knew my career was over. Luckily, I learned the next day that I would have an operation to repair a hernia, so I declared that I was out for the season with an injury. Rather than apply for an 8th grade redshirt, I focused on soccer, much to my future success.
Basketball, as a player, fell by the wayside until intramurals at MU. In my first game, within the first five seconds, I stole a pass and went in for an uncontested layup. I made it. I really did. Then I don't think I ever scored again. I was a pass-first point guard (now with a roster height of 5' 9") and had many assists.
The MU basketball camp I turned the ball over on the baseline and chased this kid down the whole court and swatted his breakaway layup. There was a wall 10-15 feet away and i swatted him off of it. Chris Grimm was reffing the game and John Cliff was my coach. Cliff went so crazy that he ran up and picked me up and carried me off the court. And told me that was one of his best swats he's ever seen. Easily my best moment.
Quote from: seakm4 on September 23, 2010, 02:44:28 PM
The MU basketball camp I turned the ball over on the baseline and chased this kid down the whole court and swatted his breakaway layup. There was a wall 10-15 feet away and i swatted him off of it. Chris Grimm was reffing the game and John Cliff was my coach. Cliff went so crazy that he ran up and picked me up and carried me off the court. And told me that was one of his best swats he's ever seen. Easily my best moment.
Sounds about the same as one of my career highlights My freshman year we were playing against a nearby school in some room with hoops they tried to pass off as a gym. They stole the ball from our point guard at the top of the key and took off on a fast break. I chased the kid down and swatted the layup away. The wall wall was no more than 4-5 feet from the baseline. It bounced off the wall, came back, and nailed him in the face. It was awesome.
As for my experience, I was leading scorer on that freshman team thanks to luck and opportunity, not great talent. Soph year I was 7th man on varsity (only because we were a small school hit with some injuries.) We were an undersized team in a farm boy league, and it sucked. At 6-1 160, my scrawny ass usually gave up about 3 inches and 40-60 pounds on my matchup. Got solid minutes, averaged 2 points a game. Bad shin splints forced me into early retirement. College coaches, NBA agents, and groupies everywhere mourned.
Triumphant return in C league intramurals with a 2nd and 3rd place finish to cap off my hall of fame resume.
I moved towards the end of my 7th grade. At that time, I was very tall for my age and the kids at my new school asked if I played ball. Not only do I play ball, I said, but my team was 64-4 last year and 32-2 when I moved. They were so excited, the coaches scheduled a practice my first week to see how good I was. What I failed to tell them was that at my old school, I was on the B team. They figured that out early on during that first practice.
I did go on to play and start throughout high school, but that's my bball story I tell most often.
I scored 8 points in a freshman high school game (which we won 55-18). Also, once hit 5 consecutive shots from somewhere near the free throw line on my driveway.
Quote from: Skatastrophy on September 22, 2010, 03:34:51 PM
Leave the guy alone. It's impossible to tell his intentions while reading his words without inflection on the Internet.
I find it interesting that some people here are actual students of the game instead of asshats like myself that just enjoy drinking and screaming. And not just at bball games. All. The. Time.
Fine then. I played in high school and still ball fairly regularly. I probably could have walked on at mid-major D-1 schools, maybe Marquette while I was there in mid-90's. But never tried so that's only a guess.
I used to kill it back in the day. Sure it was only in gym class, and yes we were playing a girls team but...
I have never played basketball in an organized setting, just "streetball" and yelling kobe as I toss paper into the garbage can.
In Jr High, I was 6'1". (same height I am today). So, i played center most of my career. Fast forward to Sophomore year in high school. Freshman year, I was still playing center. Over the summer, everyone else grew, I did not. So they made me a gaurd. Small detail, as a center, I never really learned to dribble the ball. I ended up on the 30-30 team - We were up or down by 30 and I got to play.
We ended up playing Derek's team. I got in. He ended up gaurding me. After 3 straight steals and dunks by him, I was yanked. Coached pointed out that track season started soon and I should focus my energies there. ;D
I am sure that my ability to make up with my lack or ball handling with an equal lack of speed and quickness, I would have been a monster success.
last winter, playing with my buddies in 4 on 4 in a grade school gym. ZFB hits four 2s and a 1 (playing 1s & 2s) in a stunning 11-2 victory. oh yeah, got a dime on the other bucket. lick my balls!
I played high school basketball overseas in London, where we played in two different divisions. One was the DODS schools (Dept of Defense...basically American Air Force bases scattered across England), and another was an international conference (playing by international rules...wider/traingle lane, etc). While attending a private American school in the heart of London, it was awesome whenever we played DODS road games, primarily cause while on base, you were basically in little America (drive on the right side of the road, US $ was currency, you could buy skittles and twinkies and other great American junk food).
I was incredibly fortunate enough to play tournaments in Frankfurt, Brussels, Athens, Paris, Spain, etc. I was all-conference/all-tourney both my junior/senior yrs. I was/am 6'4" and was a pretty good all-around player (but prided myself on rebounding).
Road games were always hostile events. I'll never forget having a police escort leaving a gym in Athens after beating the Athens U-18 team (Rony Seikaly's team if you remember him), with the crowd chanting "London Bridges falling down!" Incredible memories.
Solid thread gentleman. Fun to hear everyone relive their glory years.
I didn't play any ball in high school. I spent my time running through the woods and around a circle. But it paid off because I ended being an all conference, all state and all new England track athlete. Also got a ton of freebies at Nike nationals.
But I did play some rec ball and intramurals at Marquette. We lost the championship but got to play on the court at the al. I also managed to have a head on head collison at the rec center...cutting open my eye and having public safety show up after i bloodied up the court. One of my finer moments at MU.
Played for a couple of years in HS with very little to show for it. I was a late bloomer so I still grew a couple of inches after HS and gained a TON of weight. Currently 6'6" and about 225...at HS graduation was 6'4" and maybe 170.
Two highlights of my "career":
- When I was a freshman at MU there was a campus-wide 3-point shooting contest sponsored by USA Today. Anybody who wanted to enter showed up at the Rec Center on day of the contest. You had 30 seconds to make as many 3-pointers as possible. I made 10 which was good for a tie for 3rd place (top 3 shot at halftime of a men's game at the BC). I ended up losing the tiebreaker but the guy that beat me couldn't make the game so I went anyway and ended up winning the whole thing. Prize was $250 for books. I remember I tried to buy a $10 book and get the remainder of the value of the certificate as "change" so I could get drunk. Good times.
- when I lived in Miami I got invited by a friend of a co-worker to play in a scrimmage against the WNBA team (Miami Sol) at the very new American Airlines Arena. I only played about 10 minutes of the 40 minute scrimmage but on three straight possesions I hit two threes (nothing but net) and had a big two-hand dunk after cutting down the middle of the lane. Randy Pfund was in the stands and I remember him staring at me after this like "who the F is this guy?"
D.Gardner high school team so he knows how to come back and win.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIAXPUlpVDE
Played varsity basketball during SOPH, JR, and SR years of High School. Started my JR and SR years. Went to WI State Semi Finals in D2 my senior year. Averaged 10 pts and 5 reb a game that year. Football was my real sport but never played in college. (You can only be a 6' 3" slow white PF in Northern WI)
Played freshman and JV ball. Dive on the floor type of kid, would always guard the other team's best player in pick up games because I loved to play defense. Nice stand still shooter. 6th man freshman year, high of 10 points. 7th man sophomore year, high of 10 points also. I knew I wasn't going to try to play varsity after a disagreement with the coach. The starters were tall and slow and he had them playing a packed-in 2-3. We were supposed to be running a zone offense to give them practice. I made 4 straight baseline jumpers when the ball was swung to me. He stopped practice, chewed my abe, and sat me for the rest of practice before yelling at me some more for showing up the starters. Then he sat me the next two games to show me who was boss. Injuries and foul trouble gave me a lot more minutes as the season went on and I started a couple of games, but when it was announced he was going to coach varsity, I decided that I was done. I bumped into him a couple of weeks after the start of basketball practice my junior year and he asked me why I didn't come out for the team, that he had plans for that shot of mine. I just shook my head and walked away.
Won <6' as a freshman, scoring 18 in the final. Won Dorm B as a soph, lost in the finals open B as a Jr. Played Gus Macker a couple of times before I decided my ankles had had enough and my family needed me about 8 years ago.