wow moments

[kdogunc]

I was at a gym about 10 yrs ago to play some pickup basketball. There was a guy there about 6'4. He was the best player out,there by far. He never lost agame no matter how bad his teammates were. He could shoot dribble and and play defense. After the games we started to talk. I asked him where does or did play basketball. I was shocked when he said Methodist university. No disrespect to Methodist but that hit home. Here was one of the most gifted players i had played with and he didn't play D1. I thought how did this guy not be good enough for atleast a low level D1 scholarship. Well I didn't want to pry, but it did make me think how many kids slip through the cracks or just how good you have to be to be a D1 athlete. Have you guys had moments where you've seen ppl do somethings and are wowed when you learn they weren't a D1 athlete?

 

[notUNC71-00]

Originally posted by kdogunc:
I was at a gym about 10 yrs ago to play some pickup basketball. There was a guy there about 6'4. He was the best player out,there by far. He never lost agame no matter how bad his teammates were. He could shoot dribble and and play defense. After the games we started to talk. I asked him where does or did play basketball. I was shocked when he said Methodist university. No disrespect to Methodist but that hit home. Here was one of the most gifted players i had played with and he didn't play D1. I thought how did this guy not be good enough for atleast a low level D1 scholarship. Well I didn't want to pry, but it did make me think how many kids slip through the cracks or just how good you have to be to be a D1 athlete. Have you guys had moments where you've seen ppl do somethings and are wowed when you learn they weren't a D1 athlete?

Usually has to do with something outside of athletic ability.

 

[gunslingerdick]

Originally posted by notUNC71-00:

Originally posted by kdogunc:
I was at a gym about 10 yrs ago to play some pickup basketball. There was a guy there about 6'4. He was the best player out,there by far. He never lost agame no matter how bad his teammates were. He could shoot dribble and and play defense. After the games we started to talk. I asked him where does or did play basketball. I was shocked when he said Methodist university. No disrespect to Methodist but that hit home. Here was one of the most gifted players i had played with and he didn't play D1. I thought how did this guy not be good enough for atleast a low level D1 scholarship. Well I didn't want to pry, but it did make me think how many kids slip through the cracks or just how good you have to be to be a D1 athlete. Have you guys had moments where you've seen ppl do somethings and are wowed when you learn they weren't a D1 athlete?

Usually has to do with something outside of athletic ability.

I used to play ball at the downtown Y here in Lynchburg. A local business owner (beer distributor) is a huge UVa guy and ofetn had UVa athletes stay here in Lynchburg and work for him during the summers. One summer in particular, Harold Deane, Jamal Robinson and Curtis Staples were playing pick-up games all the time down at the Y. And what struck me was that these guys were D1 ball players. Because, yeah, they were good. But there were some 35-40 year old dudes that played that were able to hold their own. Sure, Staples was bombing shots from all over and Robinson got to the rack at will. But there were other guys that were doing the same thing. Now, maybe the trio from UVa weren't playing real defense. But I was just amazed at how some average Joes were competing and even beating them at times.

 

[bleeduncblue]

I used to play a lot of rec league ball in Chapel Hill. Do you remember a guy from the late 90's named Orlando Melendez? Barely saw the court for the Heels but man was a freak! I remember thinking "If this dude cannot get playing time, how stinking good are the starters??" I saw him (two times) grab a tennis ball off the top of the backboard ... THE TOP. He had a great outside touch too. Just amazing!

Also played with Ronald Curry a few times, Octavius Barnes (UNC football), Brian Bersticker, and a few others. Pretty cool to see those guys in that environment.

 

[coolwaterunc]

I always wondered why Melendez didn't get any burn while he was here. He used to put on a show during warmups. What was the deal with him anyway? Did he just lack a decent basketball IQ or something?
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[gunslingerdick]

Originally posted by coolwaterunc:
I always wondered why Melendez didn't get any burn while he was here. He used to put on a show during warmups. What was the deal with him anyway? Did he just lack a decent basketball IQ or something?
Posted from Rivals Mobile

He couldn't hold onto the ball. I remember on more than one occasion, he had a breakaway dunk and just fumbled the ball out of bounds.

 

[heelmanwilm]

In intramural ball at unc we made it to the finals and played the grad school team (how that was fair is beyond me) they had bruce buckley, a near 7 footer who played a couple years earlier at unc, and some other ex players. At first i was so impressed to meet these guys but then when we played buckley and this other goon who was a foot taller than anyone proceeded to push off, hand check, and cheap shot. And as if that werent bad enough they trash talked too. We were way over matched and they were rubbing it in til we said screw up and went after them hard. We had a couple of lacrosse players and a shot-put guy off the track team. The game ended in a big brawl as the student refs were just in awe and wouldnt call anything against the ex players. They won the game but we won the fight.
Posted from Rivals Mobile

 

[Raising Heel]

Originally posted by kdogunc:
I was at a gym about 10 yrs ago to play some pickup basketball. There was a guy there about 6'4. He was the best player out,there by far. He never lost agame no matter how bad his teammates were. He could shoot dribble and and play defense. After the games we started to talk. I asked him where does or did play basketball. I was shocked when he said Methodist university. No disrespect to Methodist but that hit home. Here was one of the most gifted players i had played with and he didn't play D1. I thought how did this guy not be good enough for atleast a low level D1 scholarship. Well I didn't want to pry, but it did make me think how many kids slip through the cracks or just how good you have to be to be a D1 athlete. Have you guys had moments where you've seen ppl do somethings and are wowed when you learn they weren't a D1 athlete?

Had a similar experience at a hidden gym (sorry, insider secret) on campus when I was a student at UNC. A bunch of guys from my dorm were playing there when some random dude showed up and asked to get in. He wasn't that big -- maybe 6' and 180 lbs. -- but he drained every shot he took. It was unreal. Of course we had to ask what the deal was. Turns out he was a former UNC JV player but was kicked off the team. We didn't ask why.

As not-71 said....