Another effect of being on Facebook: I sometimes forget to post things to the blog. I’ll do a Facebook update and think I’ve covered a topic, when all I did was offer up a blurb that demanded a more in-depth accounting here. Here’s one story I should have shared with you.
The last game I covered was a girls game two weeks ago. I made the short journey to the high school where Eric Montross, Greg Oden, and Michael Conley all played their high school ball. It was pretty cool looking around and seeing the jerseys of guys who have made it to the NBA hanging from the walls.*
(How about Raytown product Tyronn Lue still hanging around in the Association? I thought he was done then heard he got traded last week.)
I sat through the game, did a quick interview, and when I returned to the scorers’ table, all my stuff had been moved and the table put away. I found a folding table near one of the locker rooms and sat down to crank out my story.
About 30 minutes later, the boys team rolled in from their game. I was right outside their locker room, and they were just kind of milling about waiting to see what their coach wanted them to do. I was busy writing, but since they were standing right around me, I was also sneaking glances at them. A full six members of the team have already signed LOIs or committed to play D1 ball.** I was trying to pick out who was who in between sentences.
(Four of the kids are committed to Louisville. Rick Pitino’s been spending some time in Indy, I guess.)
Eventually they got the all-clear and headed out. A few moments later, someone approached me from the locker room doors and asked if I worked for the Indianapolis Star. I told him what paper I worked for, without looking up, and tried to wrap-up my story. The gentleman walked by me and sat down in the first row of bleachers, about five feet away. I forget exactly how it went from there, but we ended up having a 10 minute converstaion while I was doing my final edits and sending the story in. After we had been talking for a moment, I looked up and realized it was the coach of the boys’ team. This isn’t just any coach we’re talking about. Here are a few of his accomplishments: over 500 wins, four state championships, the longest winning streak in Indiana history at 50 games (over the final two years of the Oden-Conley era), and a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. So one of the best coaches in state history, and he’s hanging out, talking to me!
I made a mental note not to say anything stupid.
Before the team arrived, a parent came in and asked me for the girls’ score. He told me the boys had a close game themselves. So naturally I mention this to the coach.
“I hear you had a close one tonight?”
“No, we won by 19.”
Great. Idiot.
Anyway, other than that it was a nice conversation. I felt better about it than my story. It’s not every day you get to talk to a Hall of Famer. Lord knows I would never have chatted up Bud Lathrop back in my KC days.
Speaking of Indiana hoops, some love for the girls. The #1 team in the nation is right here in Indianapolis. Another local team was ranked in the top 15 earlier this year, and a team from South Bend is currently #5. I’m not sure what it is in the water, but it’s not just the boys around here who can hoop. I better get that basket in the driveway soon.