Ever hooped against a Husker?

[Chad A]

I played pickup - but not on the "main" pick up court.  The B court... haha.  All the football players were on the main court.  Not me.  I did get matched up against Naciska Gilmore a few times in the summers - I provided no contest in the paint.  There was also a women's basketball guard who would own me and my friends.  Think it was Sheila Mcpherson... again no match from me as she rained threes over my slow butt.  Got to play a couple games 3 on 3 with and against Scott Frost his first summer back from Stanford.  Crazy what you remember.  I don't remember him scoring on me every time down the court, but I do remember stepping in to stop a cross court pass from him - my only positive play.  I switched to playing pickup volleyball instead of basketball after those experiences.

 

 

[HuskerPower #nato73]

I guarded Erick Strickland in a switch situation in 8th grade, for like a second.  He was a man and let's just say I was not.  

 

Guarded Vershon Jackson (Football TE) in a charity game once.  Not a good matchup for me either!

[Ashfan]

Was a good friend of the late Curt Hedberg and so played with most of the players on the team at that time, in the mid 70's. My favorite memory is when I was playing in a pick up game with Andre Smith on the other team. He went up for a defensive rebound and was looking down the court as he grabbed the ball. I went up on his other side, flicked the ball out of his hands with my right hand and put the ball in the basket with my left. All of the kids waiting to play were laughing and hooting (I'm 5'8"). Smith spun and glared at me. I thought "oh shit". Then he nodded and said "nice play, little man".

 

Like others here I played against a lot of football players too. In one game I was guarding a DB named Sammy something. He was quick as hell and I was focusing on him entirely. No one called out the pick that was set. And it was set by Dave Rimington. I hit him going full speed and at an odd angle. I managed to make it to the end of the game but after it ended I walked out one of the side doors in the old Coliseum and threw up. I think my spleen is still somewhere around my left ankle. Oh, and the back up QB Mark Mauer was the biggest douche I played against. Any time you called a foul on him he'd ask if you wanted to go outside to fight and if he missed a shot, you fouled him, even if you had fallen down and were four feet from him.

 

I also played with a lot of good players when I was at Duke, like Bob Bender, Jim Spanarkel and some from other schools like UNC and NC State.

[aphilso1]

I got picked up as the 10th man in a pickup game at the Rec in '06, and the other nine players were all scholarship football players.  They had me guard Andrew Shanle because  I "didn't look very athletic" but I should still be able to hang with him.  Spoiler alert: I could not "hang" with Andrew Shanle or anyone else on the court that day.  In related new, Terrence Nunn was an absolute freak of nature athletically.

[Handy Johnson]

2 hours ago, Ashfan said:

Was a good friend of the late Curt Hedberg and so played with most of the players on the team at that time, in the mid 70's. My favorite memory is when I was playing in a pick up game with Andre Smith on the other team. He went up for a defensive rebound and was looking down the court as he grabbed the ball. I went up on his other side, flicked the ball out of his hands with my right hand and put the ball in the basket with my left. All of the kids waiting to play were laughing and hooting (I'm 5'8"). Smith spun and glared at me. I thought "oh shit". Then he nodded and said "nice play, little man".

 

Like others here I played against a lot of football players too. In one game I was guarding a DB named Sammy something. He was quick as hell and I was focusing on him entirely. No one called out the pick that was set. And it was set by Dave Rimington. I hit him going full speed and at an odd angle. I managed to make it to the end of the game but after it ended I walked out one of the side doors in the old Coliseum and threw up. I think my spleen is still somewhere around my left ankle. Oh, and the back up QB Mark Mauer was the biggest douche I played against. Any time you called a foul on him he'd ask if you wanted to go outside to fight and if he missed a shot, you fouled him, even if you had fallen down and were four feet from him.

 

I also played with a lot of good players when I was at Duke, like Bob Bender, Jim Spanarkel and some from other schools like UNC and NC State.

Mark Mauer, who was the Head Football Coach at Hill Murray High ( think Creighton Prep) was busted at a motel in Fridley MN with a “C” note, a pocket full of Viagra & and an undercover cop posing as a hooker about 3 years ago...

[Dead Dog Alley]

Johnny Benjamin.  Might have been the most talented basketball player ever to set foot on campus.  His talents didn't extend to being able to keep out of trouble with the law, unfortunately.

[cipsucks]

With a minute to go in my sophomore year in high school, I got in the Hampton/Fairmont basketball game because we were way ahead.  Someone from Fairmont was fouled and I was lined up inside Derrie Nelson on the lane.  Looked at him, and told him, "You ain"t getting the rebound."  I was right.  Fairmont made the free throw.  For full disclosure sakes, I knew him and he was laughing when I said that.

[AuroranHusker]

29 minutes ago, cipsucks said:

With a minute to go in my sophomore year in high school, I got in the Hampton/Fairmont basketball game because we were way ahead.  Someone from Fairmont was fouled and I was lined up inside Derrie Nelson on the lane.  Looked at him, and told him, "You ain"t getting the rebound."  I was right.  Fairmont made the free throw.  For full disclosure sakes, I knew him and he was laughing when I said that.

 

Great story-telling, cip.

 

 

[tjp21]

Grew up getting to play one on one vs a future Husker in our driveway every night (younger brother played football at NU).  Dominated him in hoops but decided I’d let him win just enough that he’d continue to play and not run off to find something better to do. The 7 years I had on him probably didn’t hurt either. 

[TZAHL]

Got picked up as a 9th-10th man a few times.  Got to waller around on the skins team against some of the younger post players and push around Vinson Hamilton a bit on help D. Couldnt guard Troy Piatkowski very well so guess I was a liability on D so the couple times I eventually got moved to the young post guys (Brant Harriman maybe?)  Since I was the shortest guy on the skins team T Lue got the assignment to guard me so I tried to post him a lot. Scored a little face up jumper on him from the right block.  Belcher knew where to find the mismatch!!  Was more fun to watch Cookie and Larry Florence go at it and marvel at Belchers length and Larry’s calves. 

 

Got walk on Andy Scheindt to sneak into a residence hall tourney semifinal with us. 

 

Too many football player encounters to remember.   

 

Anyone ever play with high jumper Shane Lavy? He was fun to throw 3/4 court oops to and had a Shawn Marion jump shot. 

 

I pretty much lived at the rec so got lots of action.  Shevin Wiggins and Eric Warfield played all the time. Tommie Frazier was good passer and John Cook had a good midrange game. Boyd Eppley was rather aggressive and intense. Wish I would have written all the encounters down in a notebook or something because it was actually quite amazing looking back. 

 

Bet if you go in on Thursday at 1130 you can pry still get in a game with coach cook.....and 1/4 of the history professors. Anyone on the ‘noonball’ Facebook group?  

[Noah121]

Never hooped it up against a Husker cager, but my dorm floor's intramural basketball team once faced a squad of Husker gridders.

 

Our big man fouled out in the first half and the skunk rule ended the game with 6 minutes left as we trailed 17 to 58.

 

This was part of a 17 game losing streak for me among all intramural sports that spanned two academic years!

[basketballjones]

I played with some guys during Doc’s era, that I’m not 100% sure I wasn’t more useful on a basketball court than. I know some of you laugh at that - but there’s a reason I am so hard on Doc’s “reach recruits” like Mike Smith.

 

I was friends with Barry Turner (football player), and he was honestly better than some of the guys on the team in that era. Absolute freak athlete. Nicest dude in the world also. Suh could hoop - but he’s literally the worst human ever. I stayed away from him. Both lived on my floor.

 

But my two highlights will always be getting a concussion and seriously straining neck muscles from a screen at half court by Corey Simms - and playing against a very fat, out of shape, and rusty Joe McCray.

 

wild times man wild times....

 

edit: I forgot - there was like a 2-star Husker football wide receiver recruit that came in really late. Everyone thought he was going to be an absolute star and a late season steal. I don’t think he ever played a second of football - but he was far and away a better basketball player than a few guys on the b-ball team. Zero question. Cannot remember his dang name.....

Edited April 4, 2019 by basketballjones

[HuskerFever]

Nobody has hooped with Standhardinger? With as many parks as Lincoln has, I'm in complete shock.

[Shawn Eichorst's Toupee]

2 hours ago, basketballjones said:

I played with some guys during Doc’s era, that I’m not 100% sure I wasn’t more useful on a basketball court than. I know some of you laugh at that - but there’s a reason I am so hard on Doc’s “reach recruits” like Mike Smith.

 

I was friends with Barry Turner (football player), and he was honestly better than some of the guys on the team in that era. Absolute freak athlete. Nicest dude in the world also. Suh could hoop - but he’s literally the worst human ever. I stayed away from him. Both lived on my floor.

 

But my two highlights will always be getting a concussion and seriously straining neck muscles from a screen at half court by Corey Simms - and playing against a very fat, out of shape, and rusty Joe McCray.

 

wild times man wild times....

 

edit: I forgot - there was like a 2-star Husker football wide receiver recruit that came in really late. Everyone thought he was going to be an absolute star and a late season steal. I don’t think he ever played a second of football - but he was far and away a better basketball player than a few guys on the b-ball team. Zero question. Cannot remember his dang name.....

1

 

One of my buddies said he ejected Suh from an intramural game for screaming "I will end you" and running at some guy after the guy tried hacking him to prevent a layup.

[AuroranHusker]

8 minutes ago, Shawn Eichorst's Toupee said:

 

One of my buddies said he ejected Suh from an intramural game for screaming "I will end you" and running at some guy after the guy tried hacking him to prevent a layup.

[huskerbill85]

Yes. Chris Balham. He wasn't too good his freshmen year but his 4 year improvement was remarkable.

[Nighthawk]

No...but we had to boot a couple Huskers and their wives/girlfriends (lol...I was too young to care at the time) out of our seats at Kemper arena during the Big 8 tournament one year. 

[Red Rum]

I sat on the bench watching Davidson smoke my high school team. One of the Kelsey's dunked on us at a team camp once. Cool story bro. 

[Art Vandalay]

4 minutes ago, Red Rum said:

I sat on the bench watching Davidson smoke my high school team. One of the Kelsey's dunked on us at a team camp once. Cool story bro. 

 

Played city league with the Kelsey bros for a while. Incredibly athletic for how big they were

[Minnesota_Husker]

I use to work with a couple of former Creighton players(it was awful because we kept losing to those blue jay jerks).. Played ball one time. They went like 10% speed but it was pretty obvious how much better they were. It also was guys who were 6'8+ so there is that.

 

One of the guys who played was a former Div 2 baseball player and he was the best.. VERY athletic. 

[basketballjones]

On 4/4/2019 at 9:32 PM, Shawn Eichorst's Toupee said:

 

One of my buddies said he ejected Suh from an intramural game for screaming "I will end you" and running at some guy after the guy tried hacking him to prevent a layup.

I have many, first hand experiences with Suh. Not a good person. I personally do not root for his success. 

[HuskerFever]

Just now, basketballjones said:

I have many, first hand experiences with Suh. Not a good person. I personally do not root for his success. 

 

You mean the time when he was drinking and driving and slammed into 3 parked cars the weekend of/around Halloween, but the university, media, and police kept a fairly tight lip about it because we were playing a ranked Oklahoma team the next weekend?

[Silverbacked1]

13 hours ago, HuskerFever said:

 

You mean the time when he was drinking and driving and slammed into 3 parked cars the weekend of/around Halloween, but the university, media, and police kept a fairly tight lip about it because we were playing a ranked Oklahoma team the next weekend?

 

Those cars jumped in front of his car because they knew he was going to be very rich soon!

[AuroranHusker]

On 4/5/2019 at 12:31 PM, Minnesota_Husker said:

I use to work with a couple of former Creighton players(it was awful because we kept losing to those blue jay jerks).. Played ball one time. They went like 10% speed but it was pretty obvious how much better they were. It also was guys who were 6'8+ so there is that.

 

One of the guys who played was a former Div 2 baseball player and he was the best.. VERY athletic. 

 

Care to elaborate on any names of these three dudes.

 

 

[Minnesota_Husker]

On 4/6/2019 at 11:36 PM, AuroranHusker said:

 

Care to elaborate on any names of these three dudes.

 

 

Brody Deren, Chad Millard and the last guy was a baseball player at Wayne State and played independent baseball for a few years named Dustin Jones. 

 

Brody is crazy strong/big/hard to move. 

 

Chad didnt really seem to like basketball much but he actually had some pretty impressive skills when he wanted.