When Belleville East and Belleville West tangled Thursday across the river at the Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout, it evoked memories of the old KMOX/Coca Cola Shootouts held each year in St. Louis under the direction of longtime Shootout kingpin Keith Pickett.
The Columbia resident excelled at bringing the top players and top teams from around the country to several St. Louis venues, first the old Kiel Auditorium, then the old Arena and eventually Scottrade Center.
These were the days when shootouts were still a relatively fresh new phenomenon, when players like Alonzo Mourning, Kenny Anderson an others gave local basketball fans a chance to see exactly what level of high school superstars were out there.
On Thursday, there was a definite old-time Shootout vibe in the air at Scottrade. Volunteer coordinator Jim Powers and his staff put on a great show with eight games showcasing some of the top talent in the St. Louis region plus Chicago teams Whitney Young and Glenbard East.
Like a lot of good things, Pickett's event eventually went away, bothered by weaker attendance and the lack of major sponsors. There also were shootouts being held across the country, many sponsiored by giant shoe companies trying to lure players into shoe deals once they turned pro or linked to their potential college choices.
But having covered many Shootouts back in the day, I still marvel at the memories. I remember 7-foot-5 Shawn Bradley signing autographs for youngsters staring at him in disbelief, like they were talking to a giant.
There was the famous Alonzo-Mourning vs. LaPhonso Ellis matchup, giving the East St. Louis Lincoln Tigers a chance to strut their stuff, and Teddy Dupay's phenomenal 3-point shooting displays in the days before his career was eventually grounded by gambling allegations.
Another highlight was seeing Kevin Garnett and Ronnie Fields from Chicago Farragut take the court in what at the time were the first baggy long shorts we'd seen. While that style caught on quickly and is still the nom today, it was so fun watchin the high-flying pair light up the Scottrade Center with dunks and power moves.
If you haven't been to the Coaches vs. Cancer Shootout — which a year ago gave fans a chance to see University of Florida star Bradley Beal of St. Louis matched against Butler recruit Roosevelt Jones of O'Fallon - do yourself a favor. Find out when the event is next year and get a ticket.
It's definitely worth the price of admission- and all funds generated go toward cancer research.
