my hoops playing days

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this is a brag, but it's only a little brag, not a big brag
I was very good for a h.s. player - 18 p.p.g. my junior year
but I wasn't great - not even close
I also played 2 years for a small college - Division 1 - leading scorer on the freshman team - 8 p.p.g as a sophomore sometimes starting sometimes 6th man
couldn't stand the varsity Coach and quit after my sophomore year

but what I can brag about is some of the players I got out on the court with

in h.s. in the DC area we played John Thompson's team - St. Anthonys - his very first coaching job

they were awesome - at the season's end Sport Magazine named them the #1 h.s. team in the country - of course they crushed us

I had 11 points - I had double figures on a John Thompson team - of course, all of his teams were known for great defense

Thompson won a National Championship coaching Georgetown and Pat Ewing in 1984 and appeared in 3 Final Fours and was named Coach of the Year 7 times

my college - 2,400 students played Pitt - 35,000 students - this is not unusual - I guess the big colleges that do this consider it a practice game or a scrimmage

iirc Pitt only beat us by 12

my claim to fame______________(-:/

against Pitt I had a 3 point play on Billy Knight who was picked as 2nd team All America and became an NBA and ABA all star

the funny thing is - he didn't foul me - he didn't even touch me - just came close - but the ref called it

on the local DC area playgrounds I got to get out on the court with Austin Carr

he was the best h.s. player and one of the best college players I've ever seen - in h.s. he was like a 17 year old Oscar Robertson - just totally unstoppable

his 61 points in an NCAA tournament game - 1970 - is a record that still stands and may never be broken

there were no 3 pointers at that time - if there were he prolly would have had 75

his record scoring average of 50 p.p.g. in 7 NCAA tournament games also still stands

in college he was truly fantastic - his NBA career was not nearly as strong but he was named an NBA All Star in one of his years

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