Let the NBA have its dunk contest; I'll take straight on basketball. I graduated from Mater Dei in 1970 an ya got your ass clobbered if you tried to dunk in our games and we all could do it. From '68 on we started the same as 10th graders through our senior class at 6'6, 6'5, 6'4 and two of us at 6'3 and coach Tardie just drilled us if we tried one in a game. The only time he cracked a smile after a dunk was when Ralph did it against our arch rival Servite in our final conference game as seniors. He stood there in his suit and tie with his hands on his hips after the shot, shaking his head, with this "you're going to pay for that" look and the crowd going crazy in what was then a crowd of 650 in the old Monarch Gym. Today MD plays in the Murillo Center that seats 5000. That was our last home game we ever played so Tardie backed away in the locker room after the game. But backed to the point…just play ball and win.
Peace for Ukraine!