BobcatAttack.com - For Fans of Ohio University Sports

Welcome Guest!
Create an Account

site search

where to watch

about us

advertise with us

help

BobcatAttack.com Message Board

Ohio Basketball

Topic: MBB Stories

Topic: MBB Stories

Author

Message

Cellis033
General User

Member Since: 11/11/2021
Location: Powell, OH
Post Count: 1,575

Status: Offline

MBB Stories

Posted: 3/24/2022 11:43:43 PM

Interesting question I just thought of, but have any of you past students / O-Zoner's on here have ever ran into a player on campus or got the privilege to play pickup with anyone? Only have ran into Granger / Clayton (classmates) on campus so far.

Chase
OU Engineering Technology and Management '24
Honda of America Assembly Equipment Engineer

Muck Fiami
Kant read, Kant write
Bowling Green Normie School
what even is Kron's mascot

OhioCatFan
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 14,164

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/25/2022 12:53:46 AM

Cellis033 wrote:

As a student I once played for the WOUB Golder Voices against the Post Toasties, but never played against an actual real varsity ball player. Many years later, as an employee in a noontime pickup game at Ping, we had two members of the women's team show up (I can't remember their names). We put one on each team, and they were the stars. I remember one play when due to a switch I was guarding one of them on a drive to the basket and she juked around me so quickly that I hardly knew what happened. We had a few guys who could match up with them, but not me!

The only BLSS Certified Hypocrite on BA

"It is better to be an optimist and be proven a fool than to be a pessimist and be proven right."

Note: My avatar is the national colors of the 78th Ohio Veteran Volunteer Infantry, which are now preserved in a climate controlled vault at the Ohio History Connection. Learn more about the old 78th at: http://www.78ohio.org

shabamon
General User

Member Since: 11/17/2006
Location: Cincinnati
Post Count: 6,433

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/25/2022 6:02:12 AM

I once beat Kenneth van Kempen in beer pong.

bobcatsquared
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 5,204

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/25/2022 6:35:34 AM

As the tallest player (6-0) on a 4-person team, I was once had to guard Jason Terry, over a foot taller, in a Gus Macker game.

SBH, cc-cat and myself were part of an intramural softball team that scrimmaged the basketball team (Danny Nee, John Devereaux, Vic Alexaner, etc. . .) in a game that included a keg near home plate.

Last Edited: 3/25/2022 6:39:03 AM by bobcatsquared

Bobcat Love's Sense of Shame
General User

Member Since: 7/30/2010
Post Count: 3,479

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/25/2022 6:44:42 AM

I lived on the same floor as NBA legend Marin Bota briefly, and Jeff Halpert got drunk at my house once. Brandon Hunter used to drive loops around Court/Congress a lot in an Escalade or something similar.

I didn't play against him, but my roommate at the time played in a pick up game with Stephen King, a guard TOS recruited who basically never got any time. Roommate was on the football team, and the game was mostly football players who went after King pretty hard. He said Stephen King absolutely dominated and was the best player on the floor by a factor of 10.

jumper80
General User

Member Since: 5/11/2006
Post Count: 123

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/25/2022 7:22:13 AM

I had to guard Gary Trent in a pick up game circa 2005 or so at a lifetime fitness in Columbus Ohio. He was Back home from playing in Greece as I recall . He was like touching a piece of granite .
I am roughly 10 years older than Mr Trent . I preemptively apologized for fouling him during this game.
He graciously took the opportunity to work primarily on his outside shooting which at least during this game still wasn�t very good.

Good guy and and just so unbelievably strong .

100%Cat
General User

Member Since: 1/17/2013
Post Count: 2,533

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/25/2022 7:48:45 AM

I played pickup in Ping on different occasions with Nick Terry and Basra Fakhir.

oldkatz
General User

Member Since: 12/22/2004
Post Count: 1,423

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/25/2022 9:17:06 AM

Playing for the West End Tavern over 30 softball team (training table was.....interesting), we played the coaches' team. Watched Cleve Bryant throw a ball over the backstop from left field trying to get the runner at home.
Got my last softball home run over Danny Nee in right field when he misplayed a bloop hit. He showed up to have a beer and hear the band play a night later, laughing about it.

"All my inside sources tell me I have no inside sources." Salvatore "money bucks" Mafiosiano.

shabamon
General User

Member Since: 11/17/2006
Location: Cincinnati
Post Count: 6,433

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/25/2022 9:24:26 AM

I can personally corroborate that Stephen King would dominate everyone at Ping. He finally carved out a decent role in the rotation his senior year.

Jeff Halbert... solid guy to have on your mid major basketball team, but asking your kinda chubby white guy from Minnesota to guard NBA dunk contest participant James White at Cincinnati is one of the funniest mismatches I've ever seen.

Last Edited: 3/25/2022 9:28:56 AM by shabamon

SBH
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 3,932

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/25/2022 11:11:58 AM

bobcatsquared wrote:

As the tallest player (6-0)...

Trumpian hyperbole to be sure.

bobcatsquared
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 5,204

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/25/2022 12:44:47 PM

SBH wrote:

bobcatsquared wrote:

As the tallest player (6-0)...

Trumpian hyperbole to be sure.

Not only the tallest, but also the smartest. . . ever to play the game.

cc-cat
General User

Member Since: 4/5/2006
Location: matthews, NC
Post Count: 3,887

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/25/2022 2:18:09 PM

bobcatsquared wrote:

SBH, cc-cat and myself were part of an intramural softball team that scrimmaged the basketball team (Danny Nee, John Devereaux, Vic Alexaner, etc. . .) in a game that included a keg near home plate.

Their superior basketball skills did not remotely transfer to the diamond.

Cellis033
General User

Member Since: 11/11/2021
Location: Powell, OH
Post Count: 1,575

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/25/2022 7:44:45 PM

cc-cat wrote:

bobcatsquared wrote:

SBH, cc-cat and myself were part of an intramural softball team that scrimmaged the basketball team (Danny Nee, John Devereaux, Vic Alexaner, etc. . .) in a game that included a keg near home plate.

Their superior basketball skills did not remotely transfer to the diamond.

LOL. Sounds like it was a lot of fun.

Chase
OU Engineering Technology and Management '24
Honda of America Assembly Equipment Engineer

Muck Fiami
Kant read, Kant write
Bowling Green Normie School
what even is Kron's mascot

OUs LONG Driver
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Location: Copley, OH
Post Count: 660

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/25/2022 11:05:51 PM

Played a ton of Ping Hoops from 2002-2007. Played Hunter, Esterkamp, Harris, Barrett, Walther, Troutman, Davis, Williams, McGowens, Annen, Halbert, etc.

Hunter was physically absurd to play against and I only did maybe twice. He just had this look like he was going to dunk not only on you but actually dunk you.
Now most of the guys coming to Ping aren't going to give you close to 100% and are there just to get some exercise. However, if you get out to a lead they will turn it on so you don't get one over on them. That's when it's fun.

Delvar was the loudest and maybe funniest. Bubba would shoot it from about one step over half court regularly, and Halbert had the BVP knack of stripping the ball off you before you could get the ball above your shoulders any time you got close to him.

Lots of good memories of Ping Hoops and some of my closest friendships were forged there.

mid70sbobcat
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 676

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/26/2022 12:13:13 AM

In the 70's I played against Billy Brown, later a college coach, Chuck Seltzer transfer from LaSalle, Early Jones -- you know him or you don't -- and Phil Miller a great shooter from Waverly, OH if I recall. Scott Love played now and then.

Living in James and walking to Grover was sooo nice.

GoCats105
General User

Member Since: 1/31/2006
Location: Seattle, WA
Post Count: 7,069

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/26/2022 2:39:03 PM

Played at Ping one time where Troutman, King, Halbert and Whit Davis were all on the floor. It was Troutman/King and Halbert/Davis and they each picked their five and we played a few games. I was Sonny's spot up man in the corner. Any time he drove to the hoop I waited for him to dish. Made a couple threes and we won a couple games.

I do remember guarding Bubba Walther one time and for anyone who watched him play knows how deep Bubba will pull up from. At the time I think he was in his transfer redshirt year because I knew he looked familiar from his time at Akron, but couldn't put the 2 together. Anyway, he pulled up from beyond the volleyball court line and splashed one right in my face. Needless to say I started picking him up at half after that.

Unrelated, but when I was Xavier I used to play with a "lunch bunch" at their rec center a few times a week. Byron Larkin was a regular there and organized most of the games. Dude could still go at it well into his 40s and got to see him go up against guys like BJ Raymond a couple times. Byron has an old school game but still knows how to win. Guy is great. And I'll agree with Long Drivers sentiment about them not going full out. But when they do...man it's over.

Last Edited: 3/26/2022 2:45:23 PM by GoCats105

Ohio69
General User

Member Since: 12/20/2004
Post Count: 3,023

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/26/2022 11:46:50 PM

I didn�t know who it was at the time, but I was Fast breaking it @ Grover once and was gonna lay it in and this kid yells for the ball so I toss it up and he literally flies over me and dunks it. It was Jason Kent. Then he transferred and I was like, dude, you just ruined a great story for me �.

George Reid knew I didn�t belong and used to take it easy on me and let me score and etc. in games at Grover as well. But, he�d toss me around every once and awhile too and laugh about it. He was just a good dude.

I got a favorable grade in an accounting class because I sat next to Tom Jamerson and another player and the prof thought I was on the team too, and Tom told me to keep quiet and just let him think so �.

Got to know Walter Offut. Great kid.

Can somebody hit a pull up jumper for me?.....

GroverBall
General User

Member Since: 12/3/2012
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 1,246

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/27/2022 1:06:18 AM

Highlight of my early basketball years was hitting a jumper on Eric Hilton at center court in Grover in the early-mid 1980s, I was probably 15 or 16. Roger Smith came back for a grad degree or maybe work for the university after his playing career and he played regularly with us in Grover, especially the noon Sunday game that attracted a lot of players. Great guy. Same with John Rhodes who is a spectacular person, and later Ed Sears. When I moved back to Athens and was playing at Ping I was in games with all those guys mentioned by others above, Troutman, Halbert, King, Davis in the late afternoon weekday games. King was in Ping seemingly daily, often just shooting alone on a side court. Delvar Barrett often came to the Sunday game in the early 2000s, he also may have stayed for a grad degree. Some of the football players balled too, Kareem Wilson was a regular and his athleticism always astonished me -- and the guy was a rock. I also played with TOS and his staff and some of the women bball players over the years. Local doc and OU walk-on Jason Reed was a regular player. Good times.

GroverBall
General User

Member Since: 12/3/2012
Location: Athens, OH
Post Count: 1,246

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/27/2022 1:12:04 AM

Played pool with Shaun Stonerook in the CI once, he was pretty hilarious and seemed like a good dude.

BillyTheCat
General User

Member Since: 10/6/2012
Post Count: 9,800

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/27/2022 12:42:12 PM

GroverBall wrote:

Played pool with Shaun Stonerook in the CI once, he was pretty hilarious and seemed like a good dude.

Clark Kellogg just gave Shaun a big time shoutout on the NCAA show. Plugged his Westerville bakery.

Jeff McKinney
Moderator

Member Since: 11/12/2004
Post Count: 6,102

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/27/2022 8:02:23 PM

Got to know Shaun's parents. Fun people. Shaun is one of my all time favorite Bobcats. Loved his game and mojo.

RSBobcat
General User

Member Since: 8/22/2010
Location: Columbus, OH
Post Count: 4,408

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/27/2022 9:50:40 PM

John Patterson, 6'11" frosh lived down the hall from me in Ryors Hall my frosh year '77. He never got much PT. Tall but not strong and not aggressive - was just not his nature. He had a single room. My room mate and I came to OU together from west of Dayton cornfield country. John was from Cincy. We connected immediately. He turned me onto Parliament/Funkadelic, Lakeside, etc. I turned him onto Roy Buchanon, Robin Trower, Pink Floyd, etc. We both of course Loved Hendrix! Great Guy! He started calling us the "Grey Boys" (Think Not Black or White). Could add some recruit visit stories - but prolly best not here....

I can still see him bending over to actually walk into a dorm door. We stayed in contact for several years, but sadly have lost track of what ended up with John.....

RS Bobcat

RSBobcat
General User

Member Since: 8/22/2010
Location: Columbus, OH
Post Count: 4,408

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/27/2022 10:02:42 PM

One of my favorite memories is driving to St Louis for the sweet 16 game. I had my OHIO Bobcats magnets on side and back of car for the Long drive. I don't know how many times fellow Bobcats passed me and made whoop whoops w/honking, w/big thumbs up etc., in the middle of nowhere Ohio, Indiana, Illinois etc., was cool as hell!

Last Edited: 3/27/2022 10:03:37 PM by RSBobcat

RS Bobcat

The Optimist
General User

Member Since: 3/16/2007
Location: CLE
Post Count: 5,561

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/28/2022 1:16:19 PM

Around 2010 or 2011, I would regularly see members of the team playing pickup in Ping. I was usually there lifting. At the time, there were weights upstairs and when I'd finish lifting I'd go to the hallways overlooking the courts from above. Multiple guys from those teams ran the court often but DJ Cooper is the one I remember seeing a handful of times. His court vision/passing stood out even more in pickup games.

Last Edited: 3/28/2022 1:26:11 PM by The Optimist

I've seen crazier things happen.

shabamon
General User

Member Since: 11/17/2006
Location: Cincinnati
Post Count: 6,433

Status: Offline

RE: MBB Stories

Posted: 3/28/2022 1:27:20 PM

The Optimist wrote:

Around 2010 or 2011, I would regularly see members of the team playing pickup in Ping. At the time, there were weights upstairs and when I'd finish lifting I'd go to the hallways overlooking the courts from above and do pushups/sit-ups. Multiple guys from those teams ran the court often but DJ Cooper is the one I vividly remember watching a handful of times. His court vision/passing stood out even more in pickup games. It was real easy to get stuck watching those games

One time I caught the team playing in Ping and saw an altercation between KVK and Bubba Walther. They were on different teams and were arguing about a rule or a foul or something. KVK demonstratively slams the ball onto the floor out of bounds. Bubba picks it up and chucks it at Kenneth when his back was turned. Then Kenneth turns around headlocks Bubba down to the ground.

Another time at Ping, I was in a pickup game and guarded former women's player Lauren Revesz. Big, thick post player who trucked through me about three or four times.

Showing Replies:	1 - 25 of 30 Posts
Jump to Page:	1 \| 2 Next >

View Other 'Ohio Basketball' Topics

There are 254 Active Visitors on BobcatAttack.com

254 Guests
0 Registered Users

There are no other users looking at this page.