[JRutledge]

I was watching a highlight of the North Carolina-Asheville vs. North Carolina and saw a kid that I officiating while he was in HS and during his AAU career when he was a freshman. The kid's name is Kenny George and he was the 7-6 player that got dunked on a couple of times by UNC.

I just wanted to know what players have you officiated that are playing at the college level now or at the pro level. Also do you have any stories about the players that showed they were "Big time" or where the kids exceptionally nice and cordial?

Just last year I officiated Jarred Bayliss that is playing at Arizona as a true freshman. I had him in a tournament that brought a lot of Division 1 players to play each other all across the country. I also had a kid or two that were going to other Division 1 programs; I just do not know all of their names and would have to research a little to know exactly where these kids ended up. Bayliss constantly thought he was fouled every time he made a jump shot. I even told him one time, "This is the Midwest, we do not call that around here."

I officiated Bobby Frasor during his junior year and he is now at North Carolina in a game when everything he put up went in. The same went for his teammates.

The most famous pair I had last season was Jeffrey and Marcus Jordan (Yes that Jordan). Jeffrey is now at Illinois as a walk-on. I had Jeffrey on three different occasions. The first time I officiated him it was in the United Center about 2 years ago. The next two times were last year. Funny thing I had their school twice in the same week (last season) and their parents were in attendance for the first game. The second game they had filed for divorce on Friday and the game was on that Saturday. Obviously the place was packed both times, but not to see the games so much, to get a look at MJ (I do have a funny story I will tell about that game that did not involve me directly). Both Jordan's parents and family were vocal, but nothing out of the ordinary or purely unsportsmanlike. But as much as their parents might have said to us, the kids were a joy to work for. They never said a word about being fouled or even or the officiating. There was even a time when Jeffrey went to the basket and was cleanly blocked several times with some contact; he never said a word about a foul or the amount of contact. He just got up and kept coming. There are kids that are not even talented half as much as these two are and these kids did not say a word or even act like they were not getting treated fairly.
Do you guys have any similar stories to tell about players, parents or anything about how coaches might have expected you to "protect their All-Americans" like was said to me a few years ago. But that is another story for another day.

Peace