cologino wrote:
tony lucas says, " bring it!"
I helped coach Tony Lucas a long time ago and was on the bench that night he went 10/10 from the 4th quarter thru the 3rd overtime.
He is often overlooked when the discussion of the greatest in Columbus high school history.
He was a leader in the area, if not the leader in scoring his 3 years at Hartley, 30 points a year each year as a freshman thru his junior year.
I always felt he was led a bit astray by the folks at Youngstown State. Jim Cleamons recruited him and left shortly afterward for the NBA. I always thought Tony's talent was beyond that level but his decision to leave Hartley and go to Maine Central Institute may not have been a step in the right direction.
Looking back,I wonder if he would do anything differently?
I always found him to be a very nice guy, he used to referee 4th grade little league games and put on dunkfests at halftime, amazing stuff. For all his talent he was very coachable and a good teammate.
It is a good example of how even the most talented of us in this world don't make it to the big-time, how fine the line is for not only having the ability, but getting the breaks, being in the right place and how important every decision can be in shaping our future. I hope he is doing well!