Post by Non Alum Dave on Apr 12, 2022 11:39:51 GMT -5
Probably going to ramble a bit, but - seeing Joe's comment on the other thread about AAU got me wondering. When did things start to go crazy in the AAU world (and prep schools too)?
Thinking back to my younger days here in Central Mass, it seemed like another world from what I can recall. In high school in the 70's, I don't have any recollection of AAU basketball at all, and prep school seemed to be pretty much a post grad deal. Kids in our area played on summer high school leagues. Maybe the elites did play on traveling teams, but never heard any buzz about it.
In the 80s and into the early 90s, I got my summer hoops fix from the Bay State Games (they still exist?) and the Boston Shootout. The Bay State Games were pretty popular; I would watch a lot of the rising high school senior division games (where I once saw this kid sitting on the end of the West team bench dribbling a ball around his chair endlessly while the game was going on. His name was Derek Kellogg); also saw many local college guys in the Men's division. One year the Central team included Mashburn, Breslin, Powell, Walker, and Ted Bettencourt. I specifically remember Mashburn getting in a scuffle over a loose ball with BC's David Hinton - that was fun. And of course, the Shootout was great as well.
So when did everything turn, and why?
Another memory just popped in my head: anyone else remember that season ending all star game(s) that would be played each year at the Hart (put on by the New England Coaches Association?)? I think there was a D1-D2 game, and maybe a D-3 game too. Think that ran from sometime in the 90's into the early Willard era. I guess that's gone the way of the Edsel too.
Thinking back to my younger days here in Central Mass, it seemed like another world from what I can recall. In high school in the 70's, I don't have any recollection of AAU basketball at all, and prep school seemed to be pretty much a post grad deal. Kids in our area played on summer high school leagues. Maybe the elites did play on traveling teams, but never heard any buzz about it.
In the 80s and into the early 90s, I got my summer hoops fix from the Bay State Games (they still exist?) and the Boston Shootout. The Bay State Games were pretty popular; I would watch a lot of the rising high school senior division games (where I once saw this kid sitting on the end of the West team bench dribbling a ball around his chair endlessly while the game was going on. His name was Derek Kellogg); also saw many local college guys in the Men's division. One year the Central team included Mashburn, Breslin, Powell, Walker, and Ted Bettencourt. I specifically remember Mashburn getting in a scuffle over a loose ball with BC's David Hinton - that was fun. And of course, the Shootout was great as well.
So when did everything turn, and why?
Another memory just popped in my head: anyone else remember that season ending all star game(s) that would be played each year at the Hart (put on by the New England Coaches Association?)? I think there was a D1-D2 game, and maybe a D-3 game too. Think that ran from sometime in the 90's into the early Willard era. I guess that's gone the way of the Edsel too.
