By Paul Gotham
****Remember, try this without research. Make like Wally, and release your inner James Joyce. Show us your stream of consciousness as you try to decipher the answer.
The list of NBA players from Marist College is a short one. I am on that list. It does not matter that Marist had no history of NBA players before me, I was taken second overall. Yeah, I was humming a Jackson Five song all the way to training camp. My first year I started 71 games. I followed that by starting all 82 the next year. Four times we advanced to the Eastern Conference finals. Four times we went home empty-handed. We gave everybody plenty of excitement. Three of those losses came in a seventh game. “Miller Time” gave us the hops. I guess we just came up a little short on the barley. I finished my career with over 5,000 rebounds, 12,000 points, 1,000 assists and 1,000 blocks. Some might know me as the “Dunking Dutchman.”
Who am I?
The only player I ever heard of coming from Marist is also the same guy who played alongside Reggie Miller of the Pacers for many years on those teams that just couldn’t quite win it all. The EXTREMELY tall Dutchman …. I think he was about 7’5″ …. also had a soft touch on the short jumpers. His name is Rick Smits …THE ONLY player from Marist that I ever heard of.
Boy, it’s on the tip of my tongue. The Dutchman clue should be a give away, but I am blanking here. Pacers? Would have to be. Marist, Iona those downstste schools. Jeff Ruland is Iona. Who is Marist. I give up.
Good going Wally. NOW I know it – LOL!
And this after a long wedding weekend? You the man! I thought Smits was only 7 even.
You are right again. 7’4″
Rik Smits it is!
Once again, great job and discussion.
I’m gonna have Aunt Bea make a blueberry for you guys. I look forward to this every week. I never know any of these answers, but I sure do learn a lot.