👋 LRA Members - Introduce Yourself

Cool reflection on how your rooting interest has changed over time, and why. Virginia fans are definitely lucky to have a winning basketball program that makes character such a central piece of success. I have plenty of friends who are fans of other schools who say things like: I want you to lose, but I love/respect/admire your coach.

5 Likes

I happened to like UVA’S basketball and so did my mom.
Now I act like a now it all at basketball sometimes even though I don’t have a right.

3 Likes

My intro. I grew up all the way from illinois to Kansas back to Chicago then Georgetown Ky and finally my hometown of Fayetteville Tennessee. I always played all sports in the neighborhood but Kentucky you had to play basketball. I was as good at baseball but moving to Tennessee in 5th grade made me somehow focus on hoop even though my new hometown was an prolific football area with at least 15 NFL players over the years. My dad started the youth basketball program there and we had a lot of real players and it flourished. By the time I was in HS we had a great program lead by Kyle Bills and we did real things. State tourneys an all for a town of 7000 people.

So as far as recruiting then I was the same year as Kenny Anderson and Bobby Hurley and probly 10 other elite point guards. I was known but unknown as well. My senior year I had interest from Vanderbilt with CM Newton and Stanford among others all saying I should sign early. I cant fail to mention my first offer was David Lipscomb College and the legend Don Meyer as a sophomore whereI grew up in their camps and became friends with his son Jerry.

As my senior season went Vandy and Stanford backed off but my HS team went to play in the Memphis Invitational that year. I was unsigned at Christmas as it were but we made our mark. We won the first game as a small “country” team and next up was Treadwell who had a sophomore named Anfernee Hardaway averaging 36 per game and an complete phenom. We won somehow and I think thats what sparked interest in me as a real D1 PG. So in the late signing period after Kenny and Bobby etc were signed schools came calling. Whoever needed to fill the 1989 PG spot. Uva was one of them who I never even considered.

Outside of my parents I was very luck to have had a lifetime mentor named Raymond Fraley from my hometown. Die hard UNC fan and ardent Poopsheet reader. He sent me to Dean Smiths camp yearly where I was always named one of the top campers etc. In any event he called JeffJones and had him come see me play in HS and I think Dave Odem as well. They needed a back up for John Crotty and offered me a grant in aid at a dinner in Nashville during the 89 NCAA tourney. I was smart enough to say I would think about it haha at 18 years old. I mean this was Terry Holland …

funny note going back I went to the ACC tourney in Atlanta the month before, and there were some young alumni that met me knowing I was being recruited and the guy gave me a frase I have used ever since “If you go to The University of Virginia it will change your Life”. man I wish I knew who
told me that even though then it didnt mean much as I didnt know what UVa and Cville was all about

So I finally signed UVa, coach Holland even flew to my hometown for that which was incredible, and yes it changed my Life. We all worked in DC in the summer and played there etc. I will never forget driving to CVille down 29 with John Crotty who said “this is your home for the next 4 years” as we came over the last hill looking down. And thats what it was and still is.

My 4 years were great. Ups and downs playing wise early but always great great people all around and by my 2nd-3rd year I was a regular. I made countless friends at the University among the sports teams (especially football) but as well among the University Jeff Jones took over after Coach Holland and always emphasized that. Be part of Uva.

We made 3 NCAAs and won 1 NIT while
I was there I played with men who are all my brothers now and I learned and hopefully taught a lot to back then. My last year as co captain with Ted Jeffries we went our furthest to the Sweet Sixteen and lost to Cincinnati which featured Nick Van Excell. hurts more now than then.

After Uva I was gonna go play in Europe but instead took a job in NY that UVa professor Ed Burton got me on the American Stock Exchange. I was there and then Citigroup until after 9/11 when I moved to Brasil with my two young sons (now 20 and 17) I actually played 3 years of basketball in Salvador Bahia there before returning to NY to work again on Wall Street. I now have twin 5 year olds and am in Jersey City NY if anyone is ever up here.

So how I became a UVa fan was totally by fate but completely perfect. Would not have it any other way. Go Hoos.

16 Likes

Love this story thanks for sharing. So wish I was in town next week for the game. I’d buy you a beer and bend your ear all night. Love having you here in the community. Your presence is one of the things that got me to stick around.

3 Likes

we will definitely get that beer man. I can talk all day about our guys. tried to keep it short as i could here. thank you sir

2 Likes

I’ll take you up on that. One of my favorite parts of playing with Larkin was hearing him tell stories from his travels on the road

1 Like

I am no Larkin but I got stories for days mayne ha

2 Likes

Forgot to start with. Doug Smith Uva basketball 1989-1993. But am known as Fresh or DFresh

6 Likes

The stories are the important part. Plus you’re a Hoo so that raises your standing in my book.

3 Likes

@DFresh11 Enjoyed every word! Really glad we got you here on LRA.

2 Likes

thanks @Daniel_G

1 Like

Man that was a great story. Thanks for sharing. Crazy that you had the opportunity to play with and against some great nba players dating all the way back to hs. I do have a question. You mentioned that you were real good at baseball too, did you ever play again? Do you still like it? Great story. Interesting too given how different the recruiting process is now too. Gave a nice perspective. Thanks @DFresh11

1 Like

@Benrekosh Thats the cool part of the ACC then. EVERY game there were 3 to 7 soon to be NBA players on the court. One reason I chose UVa for less PT than other schools is I wanted to be among the best and it made me waaaaaaaay better for it. Also in HS played against Darnell Mees team every year to go to state He was 6-7 PG outta Cleveland Tennessee and ended up playing with Bryant at Denver for couple seasons. I also played my AAU ball in Memphis every year and if you dont know Memphis HS basketball it is REAL We had a team out of Nashville that included former Hoo Shawn Wilson (rip) who is a Lifetime friend and teammate. Between him and Chris Havlicek I dont know who is funnier. Anyway in Memphis is where I made a name for myself which is not easy to do. Met Penny again in State AAUs and beat them but in the Finals I think he had had enough and they took the championship. If my senior year of AAU was not after signing was over I would have been nearer the top PGs in the country I think. top 20
not top 10 I would say. Vanderbilt came back late and Clemson was always around. Had offers from Nebraska and Texas AnM and visited Arkansas State which I loved but probly cant get into detail on that visit hahhahh. Purdue offered late as well. So I mentioned Mr Fraley my mentor. He wanted to be sure I went to UVa (smart man) so he introduced me to a guy named Gregory Macdonald who was the author of all the Fletch books back in the day. He rolls up in a caddy that seemed like 50 feet and said “Bones ( my nickname then) you have a pinto or you have this caddy. you take the caddy everytime. Go to Uva boy”. So that was that.

Sidenote. After i signed with UVa Dean Smith wrote me a letter saying had they not signed Kenny Harris out of Petersburg he was coming to my house. Wished me luck and offered his fone number if I ever needed anything (transfer portal? hahah). Huge class by him and I made sure to always have solid games against UNC so he would regret it.

My game in HS was getting to the basket and shooting midrange and setting other guys up. It became obvious in ACC if I was gonna see real action I would need to stretch defenses with long range shot. I was hard headed at first but figured it out.

Baseball. Man it was such a perfect game when you were young and playing with and against all your friends from town. Who needed Travel? The. All Stars after. As basketball became more year round I wrongly quit playing baseball where I was as good probly as hoop. But I really wanted to be great at basketball so felt I had to be all in.

Funny story when I moved to NYC after school I found 2 roommates in 1993 on the upper east side. Guys that played basket and baseball at Catholic University in DC. One of whom happened to be Brian Cashman who became the GM of the New York Yankees and still is. An awesome guy and friend and hope he is HOF someday. Definitely still like baseball but is a sport I would much rather play than watch.

9 Likes

That’s awesome! So many cool guys you had the chance to meet and be around. Thanks for sharing

1 Like

Hi All. SEAS 2000 Grad. UVa Air Force ROTC Commissionee. I’ve lived in the UK and Germany for the past 15 years and stay up really late for the UVa football/basketball games (my wife went to Baylor, so she doesn’t appreciate me screaming late at night @Daniel_G… National Championship game she was at least awake getting ready for work ) My kids were all born here and think football is soccer. LOL!

Anyways… I don’t post much… I just lurk and consume. Thought I’d just introduce myself in case I post every once in a while and people ask who the heck is that guy? Fun fact… both Paul Guttman from Streaking the Lawn (my roommate) and Kris Wright from theSabre lived in my first year dorm.

6 Likes

Wow, thanks for sharing @DFresh11! It’s so cool to hear stories from those who have played at such a high level, especially when it’s at UVA in the ACC

3 Likes

And I love knowing that there’s someone else on here whose time zone means they’re staying up into the wee hours of the morning watching some of these UVA games this year now that @Daniel_G is stateside. Thanks for sharing @jazznutUVA!

3 Likes

@jazznutUVA @shaza_od I should start a late night basketball support thread for us poor fans who wake up at 2am most nights. haha I have to say its well worth it! Thanks @jazznutUVA for sharing, and keep staying up late! Also would love to hear from you more! the more the merrier!

3 Likes

@jazznutUVA & @shaza_od. I have to apologize and let you know that I have left the Late Night Club until next season. We just arrived back in Virginia and are here for the rest of the spring. Keep representing UVA for me on that side of the lake while Im away. Thanks!

2 Likes

Very cool jazznut and great name. Friend from growing up is Air Force in Germany. Name Curtis Schull. and we all appreciate the service and dedication to late night Hoos support

4 Likes