CSNbbs

Jay Bilas discusses "warriors" on the basketball court in an ESPN story, players who never quit. Bilas writes;

"A warrior is wholly committed, and brings total and complete effort to every practice, every game, and every play. Warriors play hurt, play hard, and leave their hearts on the floor. Warriors lead, and do so with their actions far more than with their words. A coach never has to worry about a player with a warrior's mentality, because that player is always going to bring everything he has, and raise the level of every player around them."

He didn't mention any warriors from the MAC. Who would you nominate as the Warriors (past and present) of the MAC?

<a href='http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/story?columnist=bilas_jay&id=1722050' target='_blank'>http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/columns/stor..._jay&id=1722050</a>

Also the article ends with a thoughtful and in depth discussion of defensive strategy and fouling when a team is up by 3 with a few seconds to go and the opponent has the ball.

Kent--Demetric Shaw & Trevor Huffman, 1998-2002
Easy call, Shaw especially.

Paris McCurdy and Shawn Parrish, Ball State, 1988- 90

Nate Thurmond (BGSU): San Francisco Warrier

The one player I saw perform at Central Michigan that best fits this mold was JEFF TROPF (1977-1979).

With a gag of disgust I nominate Brandon Hunter. That guy was the definition of a court warrior.

Anthony Stacey - that guy killed us late in games!

Steve "House of" Payne -- BSU, 1993-95...

The Miami folks particularly enjoyed watching him play, I'm sure...

:D

I think Juby Johnson is a current player who fits the description.

I wanted to say A. W. Hamilton too, but I thought I'd sound like a homer. So, I'll throw in Turner Battle with Hamilton to lessen the severity of my homerism.

Folks for Toledo already mentioned Dick Miller and Brett Fedak. I'd add Steve Mix, an undersized center on a very good Toledo team from the late 60s who went on to play forward for something like 13 years for the 76ers, including 6 All-Star game appearances, and former point guard and current color commentator for UT basketball games Jay Lehman, perhaps one of the best ball-handlers we've ever had. Assist number high, automatic at the free throw line (and he got there a lot).

Boykins from EMU is an obvious choice. I would also, maybe to the surprise of many of you, add BSU's Patrick Jackson. Back in 2002 when I was at the MAC tournament, the Plain Dealer ran a story where the MAC players voted on different items. Some crazy percentage, like 90%, of the players said that Jackson was the most feared player in the conference.

I would also add Antonio Gates during Kent's Elite 8 run along with the others you have mentioned. Gates had ice water in his veins that year.

Hunter? Seriously? He only showed up every other game at best.

Currently - Keith Tripplett - Toledo.

BSU4U Wrote:Hunter? Seriously? He only showed up every other game at best.

You won't find a Herd fan who'll say Hunter didn't come to play.

Using The Bilas definition there's no way Hunter was a warrior. When he decided he wanted to play, he was unstoppable (which is why its no surprise a Marshall person suggested him with some of the games he put up in H-ton), but when he didn't want to play he brought the whole team down and could be a major headcase. Luckily for OU he grew up a lot his senior year.

My OU suggestion would have to be Geno Ford. Hands down. I'm sure there are plenty who saw their teams play against him who would agree.

I'd have to go with Central Michigan's Dan Majerle. I saw him at BG one game, where the last half or so of the second half they decided to play him at center. He just took over. Remember, he wasn't very tall but he was very strong. Nobody could handle him. You could tell by the way he played that he had decided to be the "warrior" in that contest. He of course went on to play the same way both defensively and offensively for several years in the NBA.

I'll sound like a homer I don't care....going to prolly have to go with 5 here and they are prolly the best starting 5 to ever play together at BG back in the 80s. They all had hearts like lions and the mental and physical toughness to get the job done:

David Greer
David Jenkins
Colin Irish
Bill Faine
Keith Taylor

Will also have to throw in Cole Magner;he doesn't play much but when he does he makes things happen.

Non-BG:(some already said)
Dan Majerle,Trevor Houffman

HeHateMiami Wrote:My OU suggestion would have to be Geno Ford. Hands down. I'm sure there are plenty who saw their teams play against him who would agree.

You mean OU Head Basketball Coach Geno Ford?
Whoops, I forgot, you hired the New England guy instead...
Yeah, you sure wouldn't want a guy like Geno Ford sitting on your bench these days.

Quote:My OU suggestion would have to be Geno Ford. Hands down. I'm sure there are plenty who saw their teams play against him who would agree.

You can still see Geno Ford's MAC team play. :D

Hand's down, Geno's the best assistant in the MAC. If Ohio's program is smart, he'll be the MAC's next head coach. That would scare me more then any recruit O'Shea gets.

Then again, we are talking about the OU athletic adminstration. :withstupid:

Falcon Frenzy Wrote:Will also have to throw in Cole Magner;he doesn't play much but when he does he makes things happen.

Gimme a break :rolleyes: . All of a sudden missing shots translates into "making things happen"????

TJRocket Wrote:

Falcon Frenzy Wrote:Will also have to throw in Cole Magner;he doesn't play much but when he does he makes things happen.

Gimme a break :rolleyes: . All of a sudden missing shots translates into "making things happen"????

Stick with the topic numb nutz..You don't have to be a big scorer to be a warrior...of course you have to see the guy play more than twice a year before you can comment....but I guess I should rephrase for the Rocketally Challenged....He makes things happen on defense, by causing turnovers, diving for the ball and never gives up when he comes into the game. He also sparks the offense.

I will give you an A for an effort for trying to make fun of something you absolutely have no knowledge of. I can also see where carrying a grudge against someone who threw a touchdown pass against you this past year could of aided to your attempt at a cheap shot.

Mike Ensminger and Rob Mestas, and currently Juby Johnson. An opponent that comes to mind would be Paris McCurdy. Dan Majerle.