For all the scoopers...

[NYWarrior]

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.

[thowell]

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)

[4everwarriors]

So Dude give us the inside skinny on Gardner.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

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

[mug644]

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.

[seakm4]

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.

[drewm88]

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.

[AlumKCof93]

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.

[leever]

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.

[Avenue Commons]

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.

[PaintTouches]

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. 

[pbiflyer]

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.   
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.

[ZiggysFryBoy]

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!

[Wade for President]

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.

[MileHigh]

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.

[ATL MU Warrior]

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?"

[thowell]

D.Gardner high school team so he knows how to come back and win.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIAXPUlpVDE

[muarmy81]

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)

[tower912]

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.