Ep 69 - Owen Long - From Bulldog Nation to Spain

He went from a driveway hoop decision to a passport stamp and a pro contract. Owen Long joins us to tell the real story behind chasing basketball dreams, from growing up around Alabama’s football-first culture to stepping into the intensity of Sikeston Bulldogs basketball and learning what “standard” actually means when the gym is packed and expectations are high. 

We get into the parts most people skip: how recruiting feels when the interest is inconsistent, why being labeled “just a shooter” can both help and limit you, and what changes when you’re undersized at the college level and have to defend, handle, and think the game faster. Owen walks us through Maryville, the jump to Youngstown State, and the move to Emporia State, along with the transfer portal reality behind the headline including credits, tough conversations, ego checks, and the search for a program that truly values you. 

Then we go overseas. Owen breaks down professional basketball in Spain, from the physical play and constant motion offense to the everyday routine of lifting, practicing, recovering, and living inside a different culture with a language barrier. He also shares the moment he realized he could compete there and the bigger moment when he knew it was time to come home, start the next chapter, and still feel proud of everything the game gave him. If you love small-town sports stories, college basketball insight, and honest perspective on overseas basketball, this one delivers. Subscribe, share the episode with a Bulldog, and leave us a review so more people can find the Doghouse.

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Transcript

Cold Open And Bulldog Nation Welcome

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Alright, Bulldog Nation. It's time to get in the dog house. This is where Titan Pride lives, where we tell the stories that make this town special. From the legends of the past to the faces shaping our future. Whether it's basketball, community, or just that good old Bulldog grip, we've got you covered. You're listening to the Dog House, the voice of Titan. What is up, Bulldog Nation? Episode 70. That's what we're on, Micah. 70. 70. And we got a great guest for us for you today. It's a former Bulldog, former standout here, collegiate player, and played professionally overseas. Yeah. So he has had quite a career, quite a trek literally around the country and around the world. Around the world. What do you say? It was 10 hours or something like that. 10-hour flight from Miami, I think he said. Yeah. Yeah, it's insane.

SPEAKER_04 1:02

You are Micah Harris.

SPEAKER_01 1:04

I'm Matt Tanner. We are the coast of the dog, co-host, the co-host of the doghouse. Thanks for listening to us once again. We're excited to come to you today. We are so we recorded our episode with our guest earlier in the week, and Micah and I just left F3. Yeah. With uh Luke went with us too. And we're we're recording early on a Saturday morning. We are before Aaron even wakes up. Oh well, it we could have recorded at 11 and she might not have been up. Actually, she'll probably get up here in a minute and want me to go get Starbucks and then she'll go back to bed. That's typically how that works.

SPEAKER_05 1:42

Well, that's probably I will probably grab some coffee for Becky on the way back home.

SPEAKER_01 1:46

Confident. And look, we we left a little bit early. They were still doing some things, but Luke's got to work this morning. He's got a jerk of a boss. And so we did get our nicknames for those that are concerned. Oh no. I am Bubba and Lucas Gump. Bubba Gump. Bubba Gump. So not at all what we thought they might come up with, but that's okay. First they went Batman and Robin, and I was like, yes, yes, and Blair khakis said, No, that's too cool. I'm like, dang it. Thanks a lot. I tried. That's right.

SPEAKER_05 2:19

I always want to suggest it, Batman and Robin.

SPEAKER_01 2:21

Oh, you did. Okay, yeah. That was cool. That was cool. But anyway, we're excited to be here. And as our first time with F3, the Forge. It's really cool. Really cool. We're we're very excited about it. And we'll be there some more. Before we get too far along, we want to give a shout out to our partners.

Sponsors And Community Shout Outs

SPEAKER_01 2:44

First up, and certainly, and then the other is not least by any stretch, but our first partner we'll talk about is Mercy Phoenix, M-E-R-C-I Phoenix for all your healthcare staffing needs, EMT, EMS, RNs, LPNs. Mr. Jody Cheney talked to Jody the other day, and they are he's got some in like Indiana and Tennessee and he posted something the other day. He posted one. Exactly, right? It was don't don't hold us to this, it was like $40 an hour. You can go back and look.

SPEAKER_05 3:16

Yeah, I shared it.

SPEAKER_01 3:18

Yeah, I did too. I shared it. It was like $40 an hour and a $500, some kind of stipend and a housing expense, or I go back and look at their post. Pretty lucrative to me. I thought so too. $40 an hour is pay. That was paramet or yeah, paramedic or EMS or EMT or something. Yeah. Yeah. They're so he's got stuff all over. And if you're interested in that, reach out to him. Uh you can reach them on their Facebook page, Mercy Phoenix or Mercy Phoenix.com. And also during this podcast, you'll hear their commercial. I was gonna say ad. Yeah. And at one point through here, and it's got a phone number on there, or reach out to them. They're they're looking to fill those spots and they're expanding all the time. So if if it's something you're interested in, like I said, reach out to them. Also want to give a big shout out to Greengrass guys. Certainly, last but not least, of our partners, Mr. D. Bizzle, Mr. David Bizzle, they will basically they will get your lawn right. Right. They are top-notch in what they do. Actually, my neighbor, Bobby Crozier, he's he's his wife is we're we're all good friends, but she told me yesterday, she's like, Bobby's secretly mad because your yard looks so much better than his. I'm like, I told him what to do. Like, just call D. He'll make it right. It's just I don't do anything other than mow it and edge it. So, but he will again we talk about he is the turf guru, man. They have all the yards are the fields in Sykston looking right, the baseball fields, football fields, soccer field. They look, they just look terrific. And he will make your yard look very similar.

SPEAKER_05 5:07

Just got off the football field, look very soft and oh yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 5:10

Well, it's still it's dormant, basically, and it's well, it'll be starting to kind of come out of that dormancy. Now the temperature's starting to warm up a little. That it's all Bermuda.

SPEAKER_05 5:19

I was thinking that's Bermuda, right?

SPEAKER_01 5:20

Yeah, yeah. And mine's fescue, so that's why we oversee the fescue to try to each year to try to continually thicken it up because there was a Bermuda base there. But it will eventually, you know, you try to choke that out to where it stays green like that year-round. And fescue is a cold weather grass. It's really, you have to water the heck out of it in the summer. But he's got he can make your make your Bermuda yard look good too. Don't, don't, don't sleep on that. It's not just fescue. Give a shout out to those guys and again patronize both of those. They are our sponsors and they are a huge help to what we're able to do. Going down our list of shout-outs, give a shout out to Luke. Uh, we don't have our graphics on the screen. Actually, we weren't able to do it this week because we did a virtual through an app called Riverside. It's essentially like a recorded Zoom call, but and it I can download audio and video or just one or the other. And so we'll have the audio on our podcast and then the video on YouTube. So be ready, look out for that. But uh Luke normally does our our audio, or excuse me, our video and all our graphics and things like that. And so that that'll be back up next week with our guest. Shout out to Aaron. Shout out to Aaron, she's still asleep. Try not to be too quiet. Thanks for we'll try not to wake her up today. Give a shout out to Justin, our general nuisance. Talked to him. He was in DC this week, uh hobnobbing with the I guess the title insurance lobby in in DC.

SPEAKER_05 6:56

You said he had to leave Sunday, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_01 6:57

Yeah, yeah. He texted me a few times. I know he was out there until Wednesday or Thursday. He's back home now. He texted me last night. Shout out to Tucker, Tucker Cheney for all his help with our YouTube or excuse me, our video editing. Shout out to Derek and Brian James for all their stats and lore and just general sports information about the area and about uh bulldog, bulldog basketball and bulldog sports in general as well. And shout out to Tyler Anderson, Twisted Arrow Woodworking for a cool sign on the wall. We appreciate that very much. And don't forget to like, share, follow the doghouse on Facebook, TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube. And you can catch our podcast on Apple, Spotify, Amazon Radio, iHeartR, excuse me, Amazon Music, iHeart Radio, and just a whole list of podcast sources where you can you can download and check out our podcast. You can also uh check out our website, thedoghouse.bussprout.com, where there is also a player on there, and you can go back and listen to episode 15 from 15 forward, which started with Coach Holyfield. But if you want to go back and listen to the first 14, there is a link on our Facebook page to one of the Apple streams. We got two Apple streams. It's I can't correct it. I've just given up on it and moved on. But there is a link on our Facebook page. If you want to go listen to the first 14, you can click on that stream and it'll play the first 14 actually. Also, if you're interested in partnering with us, give us a shout, give us a call, or hit up Micah or me, and we'll we'll get in touch with you. And if you're interested in some swag, let us know. We'll be happy to get it to you. But we are we are ready to move on with our with our guests this week, Micah. It's it's quite an interesting story. It is in sort of where he where they started and where he be where he's at right now, kind of a full circle story. Yeah. Started in Alabama and he's back in Alabama.

SPEAKER_02 9:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 9:08

It's a I don't I don't want to give too much away, and we'll let we'll let Owen tell his own story, right? But it's quite interesting. It's again episode 70. I forgot to say this while ago, season two, episode 28. 28. Yep. And we look forward to for to you hearing the rest of our podcast today. Thanks for sticking with us, and we'll be right back after the break. Hey,

Meeting Owen Long And His Journey

SPEAKER_01 9:33

thanks for sticking with us after the break. We are now moving on to our to our VIP guest this week. Another another Bulldog Nation, I guess, a standout that while he was in school, and even after even after uh his stint and Bulldog Nation, Micah, we're fortunate to have Owen Long here, who is the the we call we we're Bulldog Nation knows him as the lefty, the lefty shooter, right?

unknown 10:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:07

And he got matter of fact, he got way less technicals than his brother did, like by a whole lot. However many Parker got, Owen got zero.

SPEAKER_03 10:16

I think zero is the number.

SPEAKER_01 10:19

Yeah. So we we we have Parker on, if you got if for our listeners that remember, we had Parker on a few weeks ago, and we were teasing Parker, and we said, you know what, Parker, you may be the you may have the most technicals by any person that stayed on the team. And so I don't know if that's a good record to have or not, but he but he he owned it. He said, Yeah, I think I did. So without further ado, let me introduce our guest. Today's guest took a basketball journey that started in Sykeston and eventually carried him all the way to professional basketball in Spain. Along the way, he competed at multiple college levels, battled through transfers, adapted to new systems, new cities, and experienced the reality of chasing the game far beyond Southeast Missouri. From Meryville University to Youngstown State University to Emporia State University. His path his path was anything but ordinary. Then came the opportunity to play professionally with is that Phoebui? Phoebe Palma? Phoebe Palma, where basketball became more than just a sport. It became life in another country, another culture, and another level of competition. Tonight we talk about the grind of college basketball, the reality of overseas ball, the lessons that come from adversity, and what it means to represent Sykston everywhere you go. Owen Long. Welcome to the Doghouse. Welcome to the Doghouse, O. I appreciate y'all having me. Absolutely. And for those that don't know, we are using our virtual uh recording via it's an app or a website called Riverside. And Owen is actually in, as we like to call it, the BAM. There and he's in Alabama. And Micah and I, well, Micah's at his house and I'm at my house, but we're in Sykston. And it's just really cool that we got the technology that we can do this. It's sort of like Zoom, but it's it's a little different, but it's basically the same. We're fortunate to be able to do this and fortunate that Owen's able to uh take some time for us and is willing to join us on here and uh spend a little bit with us and just tell us about his journey. And

Alabama Roots And Choosing Basketball

SPEAKER_01 12:30

Owen, talk about so we talked a little bit about this, Mike, if I remember, with when Parker was on. Your dad went to school with me and other people, but he was schooling Sykeston. Then he moved after I think his freshman or sophomore year to Alabama, and then you guys came here you're right before your junior year, right? Yep, yep. Talk about maybe talk about how like where you guys started playing and kind of work your way up and then how you got here and kind of go through the high school part a little bit before we get to those.

unknown 13:07

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 13:07

Well, we we started playing basketball at a very early age, but eight around eight years old, we we got pretty serious. We were actually big into baseball, and I remember this one moment, but dad asked us, you know, do you guys want to go to Disneyland with the buddies? Do you want to have a basketball goal? And we uh we chose the basketball goal out in the driveway. I don't know. So that moment, I think dad and all of us sort of realized, you know, this is gonna be a serious thing. So yeah, we we played, you know, through Alabama in high school, played at Jasper, we competed in Birmingham. There's seven A's in Alabama, we played in 6A and some some pretty good competition in Birmingham, some some good athletes. You're definitely getting some carryover from football athletes who can really run and jump. So that was that was definitely a good experience for us. And had, you know, from AAU and you know, around eight years old, we were playing with those Birmingham kids as well. So we were used to playing, you know, like I said, against pretty good good athletes. And then after our sophomore year, we sat down with dad and and we were all talking about you know, potentially moving or going to another school, a better basketball opportunity. Alban was a big football state. And I think Sykesman was always on the on the back of dad's mind. He always kept up with how the Bulldogs were doing, and of course, Coach James and him were always in communication.

SPEAKER_01 14:32

So we uh we took a visit to Sykes didn't actually they they've been friends, they've been we could say boys like from back in the day, even when they were here. Carter and I were friends, but they remained friends. And Brian was with your dad at UAB, he was like a GA assistant, yeah, brad assistant essentially, while while Carter was at UAB and played basketball there. So it wasn't like they didn't know each other and all of a sudden you reached out to him. I mean, they had been friends for years and years and years, and Brian lived down there with him. So one thing I was thinking about when you were talking, you and you mentioned it. Tell a little bit about the difference. You I've heard you and Parker and your dad talk about the the foot the difference, like when it's football season there, it's football season and nothing else. Kind of talk about that.

SPEAKER_03 15:26

Yeah. Well, I think weather, of course, has a has dictates a lot with with football and in in states where of course it's going to be snowy and and cold around August, October. It's more usually basketball. You know, in the Midwest and even up in Sykes, and even though it's southeast Missouri, the weather is still different. So overall, I mean, Alabama football has, you know, being the powerhouse they have with Nick Saban and Paul Bear Bryant and all the Hall of Fame players and all that kind of stuff, just the overall state sort of is going to be a football state for the rest of the time. So high school is, you know, everybody is almost like many tailgates. It's almost like many, many little universities as everybody gets together, and you know, football is is is definitely the the big vibe down here. And you know, kids instead of wanting to be in the gym, they want to be outside in the sunshine in 75, you know, with the pads on, trying to go play Alabama Auburn. That's that's the the big dreams.

SPEAKER_01 16:27

Yep. So, all right, so I cut you off there. Kind of go back. So you guys basically had a family meeting and said we're moving to Sykston, so to speak.

SPEAKER_03 16:37

Yep, yep, yep. So I can't really remember there's like a Simo Elite camp. And when we were visiting Sykston, we went to that Simo Elite camp. I mean, we actually played two-on-two. We were just shooting in the field house. You know, we we pretty much made up our mind that Sykeston was the next target, but we were playing and shooting in the field house, we got to see it and everything like that. And and Kevin O'Fred actually came and played Park and I in two-on-two. And after that two-on-two game,

Moving To Sikeston And Bulldog Culture

SPEAKER_03 17:06

we really just got to see, you know, Fred walking in. It's a pretty big-size dude walking in. So we're like, you know, this guy looks like a million bucks. And then Kevin, of course, was a bulldog and and could, you know, was talented as well. So after that two-on-two game, we just sort of saw the level. They were more like Parker now as far as how they viewed basketball and how they had worked at it their whole life. So we wanted to come to Sykes and and play with guys like that. And of course, seeing the fieldhouse and everything like that, I'm like, we couldn't imagine playing in front of thousands of fans for a high school game because you're not getting that down in Alabama. Really? Yeah, no, not at all. And then we went to elite camp, and that was a good experience as well. And we came back after that elite camp. And I think we just we all decided as a family that Sykeson was the next move. And then yeah, then we loaded up and went to Sykes and I think mom, yeah. It was me, mom, and Parker. We all loaded up. I don't know if dad, dad was with us. He might have been going back and forth at that point with with the Cardinal. But yeah, we we saw farmland and cornfields, and I'm sitting in the front seat and I'm looking at Parker. I'm like, oh, what are we getting into? Just because it was a little bit of a different scenery. But yeah, that was the start.

SPEAKER_01 18:22

Yeah, yeah. So, of course, I recall right after you guys got here, of course, Aaron and Emily, and you know, they had swag for you guys shirts and bulldog stuff, and tried to get you into the into bulldog nation, get you in there pretty quick. How was how were the practices different with Coach Hollyfield than say Alabama or whatever that you had?

SPEAKER_03 18:52

Yeah. So just the intensity and you know, Hollyfield, what a lot of people don't understand, but we're doing stuff in the summertime with Hollyfield. You know, you're you're going and playing in tournaments. You know, I think the Rip City Classic, and one we went to in Union, Tennessee, I think, you know, whether it's the weight room or at that time, Fred was big in the Vertimax and doing that kind of stuff. So I mean, we were we were working on our bodies and and you know, Coach Will had us doing a lot of drills and we were playing up and down. So we were getting in basketball shape three or four months before every every everybody else. Where in Alabama, you know, it's football season. You're enjoying the football, football, you know, season and all that good stuff. And then basketball starts, you know, in November ish or uh mid-October. So that's just the that's the that's a huge difference. And then of course the intensity of of Coach Hoffel and how he runs it, definitely more more military feel. It definitely that structure and that intensity is is honestly what helped me even at the the college level as well.

SPEAKER_01 19:59

And so you didn't even when you're in Alabama, you guys didn't even you couldn't get a ball out, from what I understand.

SPEAKER_03 20:06

I mean you could you could definitely get a ball out. I think Parker and I, maybe uh another kid or two would would be in the gym, but just overall having serious practices and and taking things at at that that next level as far as getting ready for the season, you're not really sniffing that until you know Octoberish.

SPEAKER_04 20:28

Wow. That's crazy. They practice football year round.

SPEAKER_03 20:33

Yeah, yeah, for sure. And you know, the the coach might be over there on the stands watching a football game while you're practicing.

SPEAKER_01 20:45

When did you when did you realize basketball might be more or that you wanted to do this past high school? When did you realize that? Was I here or did you already kind of have the those, as they say, hoop dreams before that?

SPEAKER_03 21:01

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. I had I had big hoop dreams at a young age. Dad, you know, one thing I'm very appreciative of of Dad, I'm but they they allowed me to have huge dreams from my early kid. I mean, I thought I was gonna be Steve Nash or Steph Curry or somebody, but and they never told me, you know, you might not be as good as them, or you gotta see how you grow, how high you can jump, how how fast you can run, all that stuff that that plays into it. But they allowed me to have this huge imagination and have those goals, and that's honestly what what kept me going and and striving to get a scholarship, even though, you know, my even after my junior year we had zero offers. But that that imagination, that drive, that you know, that belief they had in us and everything allowed us to keep going.

SPEAKER_01 21:47

Yeah. Talk a little bit about that if you don't mind. Like how how did that go down with your recruiting and stuff like that? How how did that all happen? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 22:00

So I actually my first I got a little bit of some interest. I'm at an AU tournament my sophomore year or excuse me, yeah, in Alabama. I was playing on the AU team. We played in some decently big time tournaments in Atlanta. I mean, I had some games where I played, you know, pretty well. I mean, I had a little bit of interest here and there, some letters, whatever, but it was always the same thing. Like how, you know, I was a late bloomer.

Recruiting Reality And Earning Offers

SPEAKER_03 22:24

How how tall is he going to get? How big, all that kind of stuff. And then really, my first personal text and all that kind of stuff was probably Coach Tricker after the lead eight game against St. Mary's, which crazy enough, I don't know if he saw me in warm-ups and saw something, or he just saw spurts during the game. But he texted me and said he really liked my game and wanted to keep an eye on me and was definitely interested and kept in touch with me uh my summer year going into my senior year.

SPEAKER_01 22:53

Yeah. And then you you guys had you had some workout, did like Central Michigan, I recall maybe. Did you went up there and had some workouts and stuff?

SPEAKER_03 23:03

Yeah, that summer we went to some elite camps, went to Missouri State, went to SEMO, went to Central Michigan, Central the Missouri State camp. Parker played really, really well. I actually thought he might squeeze an offer that camp. And their assistant coach, who's now the coach at Austin P, I forgot his name. But he that's Corey. Is that Corey?

SPEAKER_01 23:27

Yeah, Corey Gibson. He's from here.

SPEAKER_03 23:29

Yeah. Yep. And he he really liked Parker. And then uh Central Michigan, we both played we were on the same team, which was awesome. That's always a good thing if Parker and I were on the same team at Elite Camp, just so you're not spread it out or anything like that. And we both played about as good as it gets, and our team won all the games and everything. And they were interested, but didn't want to pull the trigger. And I think SEM, Rick Ray, like even Parker might have been hurt during the elite camp, but Rick Ray came during a scrimmage and and really liked Parker as well. But Central Michigan was the school I wanted to go to. That was at that point, you know, it was far away, and I liked the the look of it and everything. It was a sort of bigger school. And yeah, I wanted to go to Central Michigan. I thought I thought that was a chance.

SPEAKER_01 24:15

That's a high mid-major. I mean, yeah. Wasn't that when that wasn't Drink there? Wasn't he their football coach? Or my where was he? No, he was at Appalachia State. Oh, okay. There was who's a guy wasn't there a guy there that was saying row the boat or something? Or that that with in the football. I'm anyway, I'm chasing that. They're the Chippewas. When you Yeah, that's right, the Chippewas. I'd have to I'd have to look that up now that I'm thinking about it. When you're when you kind of look back at your at your Sexton career and how how did playing at Syksten like the expectations, because here, I mean, and you know you played it. The expectations is, you know, we it from not just from the from the bulldog nation, so to speak, but Coach Holofield is like we're gonna be good, we're gonna work hard, we're gonna do all we're gonna represent ourselves well. How did that prepare you for like the next level?

SPEAKER_03 25:14

Yeah. So Coach Holofield, I had a little bit of a different adventure than with Coach Holofield. He he's big into psychology. He's great at reading people, body language, attitude, personality, you know, in in basketball. You're sort of expressing your personality with the way you played. I mean, I was not big into defense. I didn't like getting in the stance. I hated getting my face in there, getting dirty. I was, you know, I like, you know, my hair was looking good. I like being, you know, that was just sort of that was just sort of how I rolled. Um and Coach Hoff who challenged me from day one to, you know, you're gonna have to get in a stance, you're gonna have to rebound on the on the bottom of that two, three zone, and you know, really push me to do things that I was uncomfortable with for sure. Because if he, you know, I just want to run around with the ball in speed threes and you know, running on the court and hearing the ooze and offs.

SPEAKER_01 26:15

So him telling you, so him telling you you're gonna have to guard, you're like, okay, even when I get to college, I'm gonna have to guard too, right? You're not gonna be able just to stand in the corner and knock down threes all the time.

SPEAKER_03 26:27

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. And even in college, that was that was definitely a label, but uh, you know, I I did enough, you know, where I was playing defense, but I always wanted to conserve enough energy when I got on offense. I had enough to let it go and do my thing.

SPEAKER_01 26:43

But yeah, I love it.

unknown 26:46

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 26:47

How so when you got to college after leaving leaving Sykston, was there a part of your game that like it translated real easily and then others didn't not as much? Or how how did that how did that look?

SPEAKER_03 27:01

Yeah, so honestly, my shooting ability is uh you know what translate the most, you know, at any level. If you can get those feet ready and make shots, or you can create your own shot and and put in the hole, you're gonna have the chance to get on the floor. As far as defense, athleticism, all that good stuff, position was going to be the big thing for me in college. You know, as a shooting guard or a wing in college, being six six one, six two on a good day, you're undersized. So that was the biggest thing for me was guarding wings and shooting guards. So in college, I ended up being fortunate enough the way my path was, I ended up having the ball in my hands a lot uh after my freshman year. Um, but that was the biggest thing for me was just being in the right position, all that good stuff, just because I was undersized for a two. So I really had to work hard on, you know, I like standing straight up. I was a little bit more relaxed with the ball and I had to get more intense and get that handle a little tighter, of course. But that was that was my biggest transition.

SPEAKER_01 28:07

I I was gonna say I I felt like too, just as a I I was biased. I I thought you guys were good and could play at the next level, but I I thought your ball handling really picked up because you were you played some, you didn't play a whole lot of point guard and do a whole lot of ball handling at Sykston, but you did some at the next level, right?

SPEAKER_03 28:28

Yeah, yeah. And the big thing with Sykeson was we had a lot of guys that wanted to have the ball. You know, you got Kevin, me, Peyton. We all could could handle the ball and everything like that. But I was more comfortable at that time with getting those feet ready and and relying on Parker or Kevin or whoever to hit me for a shot. And I'm I'd squeeze in a couple pull-ups once in a while if I was really feeling it. But it was, you know, Parker was very, very good and and Kevin as well. Even Peyton had a great IQ of of finding shooters, and we all played together. But in college, it's a more more position basketball. I mean, now it depends on what program, what level, but typically, you know, the wings and the twos are are, like I said, a lot taller and and athletic, and you're either getting to the rim or you're getting those feet ready to shoot. But in college, yeah, my after my freshman year of college when Parker went to SEMO, that's when I started sort of putting everything together. And a lot of that was also development as well, physical development. I finally reached probably my my full height, my body started to come together. I started getting some muscle, started jumping a little higher, and and everything like that.

SPEAKER_01 29:36

So, how tell us a little bit. So, right after high school, you guys were went to see Coach Stricker. He offered you guys, you guys both got a full ride, you're twins, you're together there at Maryville. How was that? Tell us a little bit about how Meryville was. So you had a year with Parker, and then Parker left and went to Simo, like you said, after after you're in his freshman year at Maryville. How was that playing with your brother and then not with him?

SPEAKER_03 30:06

Yeah. Being with Parker, you know, out there, you know, he said y'all are twins, you almost have a sixth sense, just that connection we had. He was always looking for me. And I always was reading Parker. You know, I could sort of read where he was going and I could find openings, and and I always felt like, you know, I had to be ready when he had the ball in his hands. So there was just a comfort there with Parker. But individually, you know, there was also a want that, you know, what who can I be without Parker? And so when he left the C left for SEMO, that was a big opportunity for me to almost prove to myself, you know, you can sort of form into the player

College Transition And Life Without Parker

SPEAKER_03 30:48

you want to be as well, which was handling the ball and and creating for others and myself. So it was it was definitely an adjustment for us, even socially, um, just being together all the time, living together, but it's also very, very good for us. But yeah, it was there was it was mixed feelings about it, but it ended up working out. Sure.

SPEAKER_04 31:09

So like going to Maryville, y'all both were recruited together. How important was it for y'all business to go originally to play together for y'all?

SPEAKER_03 31:20

I think honestly, I was a little bit reluctant to go to Maryville. I sort of wanted to go my own path. Individually, I sort of saw like, you know, if I'm paired with Parker, they're always going to group us as point garden shooter. So I always felt like that was going to be a big thing, maybe holding holding me back. Do I think Parker and I could have been in college together for four or five years and and been amazing together and and did a lot of cool stuff for sure? But individually or selfishly a little bit, I wanted to go my own route. But yeah, I think at the end of the day, when we made our decision, it felt felt right, still felt that comfort was still there that we were gonna go together and and be together and live together and all that kind of stuff.

SPEAKER_04 32:04

And y'all even got to play against each other later on in the career, right?

SPEAKER_03 32:08

Yep, yep. Two times.

SPEAKER_01 32:13

Yeah. So was Stricker there your second year at Maryville, or was did he was he gone at that point? He he was gone. Okay, so y'all played one year for Stricker then?

SPEAKER_03 32:27

One year for Stricker, yep, yep.

SPEAKER_01 32:29

Okay, okay. So how did it how'd you get to Youngstown? How did that you so let me back up? You went played two years at Maryville, then you went for a year to Youngstown State, which is in Ohio, Youngstown, Ohio. How did that come about?

SPEAKER_03 32:45

Yeah, so uh I actually came back to Maryville, of course. We got a new coach, and honestly, dad was huge in my recruiting process at that time. He was really, really good at you know, his insight and what he felt was the right situation. I mean, he I didn't want to go back to Maryville, and he actually sat me down and told me that he felt like Maryville was the the best, best opportunity and spot for me. So after that year, I I I put up a pretty good season, and I was fortunate enough that after that, I was like, you know what, I'm gonna go to Division I too. And so I had people recruit me in the portal, of course, and I had a couple offers from Division Ones, but I feel like Youngstown wanted me the most. I mean, they were the first one I think that offered me early. And mom or the family, we uh drove up there to Youngstown and got to see. We had dinner with the head coach, and it was a it was a good experience. I actually wanted to go to South Alabama, which is Division One down here in the Sunbelt. Yep, yep. And their coach called me the day that I committed to Youngstown, basically told me, hey, we just signed a Auburn guy, TCU guy, and a Memphis guy. And we were there's one spot for you, and we gave it to a grad, grad transfer from VMI, which is in a division one as well. But she basically said, I'm sorry, but that's just how the business goes. And I was upset, but I I called the head coach at Youngstown, was like, hey, I'm in, let's go. So that was sort of what happened then. And yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:17

But so but you put you went in the portal, which is kind of what the is is is what you have right now. You went in the portal and were able to transfer and just kind of went on. Okay. Okay. And then you were there one year. That's correct.

SPEAKER_00 34:34

Yes.

SPEAKER_01 34:34

Then how did you how'd you get to Emporia State? Which is, Micah, if you recall, that's in the MIAA. That's what SEMO used to be in. That's the conference SEMO used to be in when they were Division II, was at the MIAA. So how how did that come about with Emporia State? Because that seems like worlds apart as far as geography, even.

SPEAKER_03 34:55

Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Youngstown, believe it or not, I actually wanted to be a penguin. I want to be at Youngstown. I got in, I broke my hand. I had some unfortunate things happen. I had some good moments, but after the year, I decided, you know, the way Coach Calhoun was going, and he's now at Cincinnati. He's moved up and he Yeah, he's he's done really well, but he was big into the portal, and every college coach is the same. They always want to find the best players they can get. And so he basically told me, hey, you can stay and you might you'd be a rotational guy. You might squeeze starting mints, you might be it, but you know, probably, you know, I'm gonna go and try to get some guys. And he was honest and upfront, and I said, I appreciate that. But I sort of knew in the back of my head, probably at the end of the season, that I was gonna go somewhere that valued me. And Coach Doty recruited me and Parker really, really hard. Actually, the year the summer after we tricker got fired and we were in the portal. Coach Doty and them, they drove all the way from Kansas. I think they're in the final four in New Orleans, or going to New Orleans one, and they drove to Winfield, had the Cardinal, came in the house, in-house visit, and offered us then. So Doty had been on my radar, and so yeah, that's how I committed Emporia and Doty and I really I was I'm a I was a Doty fan I'm a Doty fan for sure.

SPEAKER_01 36:19

Yeah, yeah. So well, I I went to this game, but that so that was when Parker. So you were there two years, correct?

SPEAKER_03 36:30

At Emporia, yes. I was at two years at Emporia.

SPEAKER_01 36:33

And then Parker was two years at Missouri, what, Southern? Yeah, Missouri. And that's in the same conference. And so we drove out with your parents to Emporia, or no, yeah, we went to Emporia to watch you guys play there, played one another and guarded, or did you guard one another, or did he just guard you maybe?

SPEAKER_03 36:53

He just guarded me. I probably switched off. We we switched, we played a switch in defense, so we yeah, we switched one through four. So but I I I guarded Parker some, and he actually got the rebound that caught was a huge rebound. We lost that game, and Parker I had the ability, the opportunity to box him out, and he got the rebound and got fouled with about a minute 30 left, and was a huge turning point in that game. So that's a typical Parker play, and yeah, yeah, that was a huge moment for them.

SPEAKER_01 37:24

Two of the dirty work, you know. That's Parker. Yeah. So the transfer deal was kind of becoming kind of a thing then, and they're super common now. It's you you just hear about it all the time. What's the hardest part about changing teams that nobody really talks about? You know, they're like, oh, okay, Owen went from Youngstown to Emporia or Maryville to Youngstown. And kids do it all the time. You know, Dontrez and Jadis, you know, they're they they transferred some teams. So how what's really what does that look like behind the scenes as far as being the transfer? Not not the portal, but what's it look like for you personally? How does that work? Mentally, physically, all that stuff.

SPEAKER_03 38:12

Yeah, yeah. My first time in the portal when I was younger, it was more stressful, and I was probably relying more on dad as far as insight, my decision making. Actually, after Youngstown, I sort of told my parents, hey, you know, I already I want to make this decision and I want to go somewhere like that I was valued and everything like that. So in a way, it's it's it's

Transfer Portal Pressure And Finding Fit

SPEAKER_03 38:40

almost it's good for you in a way, just because you learn sort of investing yourself and making the right decisions, but also it can backfire and be a bad decision. But yeah, as far as my first time in the portal, it was stressful, and but my second time it was more like I already knew it was the right decision. I'm betting on myself and I'm gonna make the the most out of this opportunity that I'm given. And so yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_04 39:06

I don't like it. I think just talking to kind of Don Terez's mother, I work with her. Like they could have come back to Lindenwood, but I know sometimes when you go into Portal, you don't have that opportunity to to tell them did you experience that? Like where you had an opportunity to come back to the school or yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 39:24

Yeah, so I could have I mean, I could have came back to Youngstown, but I I just felt like I wasn't valued as much as Emporia. And of course, even at Maryville, I had to sit down one-on-one actually, like a Zoom call, and look him in the face and say, Hey coach, I'm not I'm not coming back. I'm I'm gonna go Division One. So that's also a hard conversation. So yeah, the portal can can give you a lot of mixed feelings as far as stress and and nerves and not knowing what's next, but I was fortunate enough and during when I transferred from Youngstown, I already sort of knew where I was going. And I had previously talked to that coach, so I felt like he really valued me and and I knew where where my next destination was going to be.

SPEAKER_01 40:16

It's almost like going to play pickup basketball and you're the last kid that gets selected, you know, nobody wants them kind of thing. How does that weigh on you? I mean, it's a could it be if you don't get picked, so to speak, is that is that a little bit of an ego? Oh yeah, I mean, it's a little bit tough on your ego?

SPEAKER_03 40:34

Yeah, it's definitely a reality check for sure. You know, if you're betting on yourself like that and you're basically like, you know what, because you know the whole point of college is getting your degree. And that was hard for me to see at that time. I was strictly thinking about basketball and big dreams. I had a big imagination, but degree is is what you're so when you transfer your credits and all that stuff, you're losing credits. Um, you might have to, you know, take retake classes, you know, all that kind of stuff plays in into parts. So it's it's more than just basketball. So when yeah, that's also another thing, you know, a kid could think that he's gonna hit the portal and and go division one from a division two and and not get any division one looks and then go to a worse division two than he was at the year before. So it's just it's a it's a lot. Right.

SPEAKER_04 41:29

So my wife my wife just walked in around.

SPEAKER_01 41:34

It's all right. You're good. So you've you played for let's see, did you play for four different coaches then essentially? Yeah, yeah, four. So I guess including Holofield, was there one of them? Which one of them challenged you guys, or which one challenged you the most? I know you talked about Holofield saying you're gonna have to get dirty, so to speak, but was there one of them that really you felt like you developed the most under?

SPEAKER_03 42:14

As far as developing and and that kind of stuff, I would say every coach I played for had their own flavor.

SPEAKER_01 42:24

No, it's not yeah, don't don't I'm gonna put you on the spot because I don't want you to have to choose. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 42:29

No, I understand what you're saying. No, it coach Doty, I would say this Coach Doty at Emporia embraced me, so I almost got to show what I was capable of. Coach Calhoun at Youngstown probably pushed me harder in the weight room to get my body in good shape and and that kind of stuff. And then, you know, Stricker was he was huge into you know the art of basketball, like more training and and doing different skill development and stuff like that, which also helped me. And then Hoffi, of course, pushed me to play super hard and do things I was uncomfortable with. So each coach I would say had a different different way of you know developing me and things like that. But I would say Coach Hoffman Doty as far as coaches and and uh you know what all three of those guys all all got the best out of me in different ways.

SPEAKER_01 43:20

So I think Micah and I obviously are we're we're biased, but we think Sykes' pretty high-level basketball. Is it is it is it it's not prep, you know, it's not college prep stuff, it's not uh Mont Verde, but though that that's college to me. That's almost like like small college, or not small college, but that's like almost like college basketball. How what does like col I know I feel like I know what that is, but how what is college basketball? What does that really look like behind like behind the scenes? You're playing that. What does that look like day to day?

SPEAKER_03 43:57

Yeah, so it is. you know, as far as summertime, when you're at it like a Division I, you're weight, you're getting there in June or July, and you're, you know, lifting weights once or twice a day. You're doing body treatment, and then you're doing, of course, skill development. You can have some pickup. And then, you know, that's just summertime and then day to day as far as season goes, I mean, you're probably lifting weights three or four times a week and you're constantly getting shots up and of course practice at least three or four times a week, maybe five. And then during the season, of course, coaches start cutting down and and definitely depending on your team and your bodies and the coach's philosophy, uh it could be different. But both both schools employ and you know Emporia ran a little bit more like a division one. We got there in the summertime and we were lifting weights and getting ready for the season. So they were wanting to run it like a division

What College Basketball Really Demands

SPEAKER_03 44:54

one. So both of those schools you had it you were I felt like I was in the best shape of my life for sure year round.

SPEAKER_04 45:00

I bet I bet. How is it to balance like uh academics versus you know practicing five days a week during school and stuff. How do you is that hard to manage?

SPEAKER_03 45:12

Yeah yeah for sure. And there's definitely degrees like you know that would be a lot tougher on you to to do balancing basketball. Psychology has some challenges but I was in you know at the time COVID had already hit so you had online classes that definitely gives you some to lean more a little bit more lenient for sure. And then I see but yeah it's it's definitely a task for sure you got to stay on top of things and and coaches are are really good at definitely when you're a top player they are are really good at you know making sure that you're taking care of stuff and helping you out and different things like that. But it it's definitely a task and you're never really getting just relaxed. But of course I I've I've gotten to see that the real world work and all that kind of stuff is a is a completely different challenge than than college. College is easy compared to the real world.

SPEAKER_01 46:07

Right right well did you did you ever did was there ever a time when you were like man I this is just not fun anymore. Does it become a point I I I've heard guys say it becomes more like at that point almost like a job and then it kind of takes the fun out of it. Did that ever happen to you?

SPEAKER_03 46:29

I mean probably part when I was in Spain. In Spain I got a little bit of that yeah during the States in college I never I mean I I was having a blast. Even at Youngstown in my worst as far as basketball days playing time whatever I was fortunate enough to build a lot of good friendships and I even went a little bit uh on that wild side not wild but I uh mentioned uh I I got a little wrong then yeah for sure he he said he had fun he said he had some fun and he he was very I I I told him afterwards I thought he was really forthcoming Micah and I talked about this afterwards too he was like you know what I was frustrated I was hurt he was hurt some and then he wasn't playing like he thought or as much as he thought and he goes I I just thought okay I'll just have fun kind of thing and then he said he really locked in toward the toward the end but yeah he was he was totally honest with us about that and he you know looking back it's like I wish I wouldn't have done that yeah because it's so limited. Oh yeah oh yeah it's definitely a thing and those those coaches are are smart you know they're like all of them are very good with psychology and reading people and seeing that you know I grew my hair out too and you know Coach Tricker says something I think uh my prejudice report started growing his hair out but he's like when you grow your hair out really long or really fast at one point you're rebelling against something my mom used to say that that's a hundred percent she I totally agree with you she I did that too when I was in college she was like you're rebelling that's exactly what she told me that crazy was a pretty intelligent guy yeah he was well neither want to talk about taking sand to the beach or something like that exactly yeah exactly we don't have to bring sand to the beach boys yeah he was we was he was spot on for sure yeah but yeah yeah yeah it's definitely like you said like Parker said you know you know doing that kind of when being a it's a job you can have fun with your job in college but being a basketball player you're getting paid to to go to university you know and so like you have to hold yourself to a standard and you know even if you're not getting the play or whatever you got to be really smart and and you know take care of your body and always be in top tier shape and still be in it even though you're not playing so and that was something that I I went through a little bit I got a little bit relaxed probably gained gained some weight had some good time and but I made some great friendships out of it and and all that good stuff.

SPEAKER_01 49:14

But yeah there's definitely we Parker and I we called that your surfer dude era when you had your hair grown out like you're like a surfer dude.

SPEAKER_03 49:24

Yeah I promise I'm not rebellion right now I'm this is my summer flow.

SPEAKER_01 49:27

Yeah yeah it looks good man it looks good it really does I was interthinking I was like man I didn't realize how much you look like your dad like yeah like I think yeah I can see their mom in them too yeah I see like watching it on the video I'm like it looked like oh yeah yeah yeah when did you realize that so we'll kind of move into this here in a second but what when did you realize you're like you know what I I think I can do this I could I can get paid and do this. When did that how how did that come about?

SPEAKER_03 50:00

Did you just go I'm gonna try it kind of thing or how did that work probably after my my first year at Emporia that's when I knew that I was probably going to have the opportunity to to play in Spain. There had already been the the agent that I ended up signing with he was already contacting my coach and interested and you know just based on my numbers and and stuff like that I knew if I brought it my senior year that there was going to be potentially an opportunity. Took me out to eat and I yeah I and that's when I I knew that I was gonna if I wanted to go do it I I can do it.

SPEAKER_01 50:47

Yeah yeah that's a I mean that's a commitment and that's a obviously a different part of the world so how was how was that adjustment moving from I mean a whole nother country right and language barrier kind of all that how how was that?

SPEAKER_03 51:08

Well

Going Pro In Spain And Culture Shock

SPEAKER_03 51:09

you know it wasn't as bad for me at first just because I'd been away from from home like I went to Maryville seven hours away from from when Alabama now I was still close to Sykes and I could still still see you guys and and be around my my second or third family in a way and then I go to Youngstown then you're 11 hours away 12 so that's a different world then you go to Emporia Kansas so I've been away in a in a way you know been on a lot of a lot of planes became a lot more independent and that kind of stuff so it didn't really it scared me a little bit the language barrier and just of course being another country that's a 10 hour flight from Miami. Wow but yep yep yep for sure but when I first got over there just you know their their economy and everything like that I was in just they're a little bit behind us but where I was at was m you know Mallorca which is there's a really it's a like a tourism spot I mean like Carney West goes to Mallorca during the summertime.

SPEAKER_01 52:10

I mean it's a it's a pretty neat spot you're about 20 or 30 minute boat ride from Ibiza so it was it was like uh almost like Ibiza that's the isn't that the like the crazy wild and crazy part of yeah okay that's I've heard some stories seen stories about that okay yeah so I was basically Miami and my Miami and Spain um that's all I described.

SPEAKER_03 52:35

I heard I've heard that was beautiful over where you're talking about so what what kind of basketball was it different like the style different than than what you played in college or here or how what did that look like yeah so they play I came from you know the United States just NBA wise um even college basketball has become more isolation a lot of even your your your four and five can shoot in L. So you can really spread the floor and just sort of find mismatches and and go to work. So over there in Europe they don't play a lot of isolation there's still you know side to side motion offense a lot of they call Spain action so you're having a lot of different screener roles and just everybody touches the ball it's a different different kind of you know basketball than of course in the United States but we still play pretty fast their co uh my coach in Spain was from like Cyprus which is an island but he had coached like some top leagues and and coached some high level dudes so he we still played a little bit of a different kind of basketball over there but it's just a lot slower and and the ball moves side to side more I would say.

SPEAKER_01 53:48

Are they definitely a lot more physical a lot more physical a lot more hand checking and yeah are they have like a are they a 30 second shot clock or yep yep 30 yep just yeah okay okay so that wasn't wasn't a change necessarily when so what did you so at this point I mean that's literally your job like you're playing basketball that's what you know like we're I'm going to the bank Micah's going to the office you're going to that's your work so what did you do outside of that? I mean you didn't work 24 hours a day you know I mean I know there's times you traveled and this or that but what did you like a day look like there?

SPEAKER_03 54:29

Yeah yeah so you wake up at five or six in the morning um we would have waits and then practice then you go home for a couple hours recover and we live by a lot of restaurants on the right on the beach so I would go and take a walk and get some uh vitamin D and and get some some good food in the system which their food by the way is is pretty good and it's better than the Mexican restaurants here in town it's definitely definitely better on your on your stomach and health probably than a Mexican restaurant. I bet I bet but after that I would I would do I would recover rest and then you had practice again. And then that was pretty much I mean routine from and until your game. Yeah yeah and so did you guys play night games or typically or night games sometimes they play early evening games you know we were right beside a like a top 20 soccer club in the in the world so there's like a 25 to 30 thousand you know seated stadium right right outside of our arena I think like Steve Nash or Steve Curry the Warriors they like actually own part of that that soccer team really but yeah they would so we had to coordinate with that that soccer club but yeah usually it was night games or if it was early evening but night games usually when we're flying to our our other islands. Yeah did y'all have good crowds and stuff like that yeah yeah so we we had some pretty good crowds it was it got loud of course they're really really emotional so it was all it was even if there was 2500 3000 people in there it was really really loud that's awesome where they do the running of the bulls or whatever I'm sorry I didn't catch that.

SPEAKER_04 56:18

I said did is it Spain where they do the running of the bulls like where they're in Spain.

SPEAKER_03 56:25

Yeah somewhere I think I heard that I never saw anything like that but I mean I could believe it. And yeah no it's somewhere in Spain they do it's called and I they do how rowdy they are I mean oh yeah yeah yeah the nightlife out there I mean you're they they go out from eight or nine o'clock at night and and stay out till nine or ten in the morning so yeah it's not gonna be conducive for an athlete I can tell you that no no no no no no not at all and we were we where we were at we were really really close to Germany so we were getting a lot of tourism from Germany and just all over Europe into into Spain. So it was we were on the beach basically yeah yep yeah awesome awesome do you do you do do you miss that I mean or do you are you glad you're back here kind of thing yeah so at that time after so in my mind I always wanted to go over season and see what it was like you know and see if I could play see if I could play at that level and after I had a couple good games against some some some teams of some guys where I was like you know if I can score 15 20 25 out here against these guys I'm pretty much I've I've made it like I'm I'm good within myself and then you start looking at career wise you know do I want to do this for five to ten years? Do I want to be in an in another country with a language barrier away from my family at that time I had a serious girlfriend. And so that all played into part I missed college football missed Saturday game days you know just everything about what the United States brings to the table. And I was like ultimately I was just like you know what I don't want to do this for a living or a career I mean I pretty much accomplished everything I've I've wanted wanted to so I flew back yeah after about three or four months. Yeah so listen man if you were going to stay there like what would a season look like well how long would you have to be in you don't get home till late April or early May and you get in so I got into Spain late or early August so I mean almost a a year round year round wow a month or two home when a month or two home and you're right back at it.

SPEAKER_01 58:48

You know listen uh family ties are tough your family's close knit with your parents and your grandparents are there essentially real close to you guys as well I don't I don't blame you not one bit you the the fact that I I probably couldn't even go on to youngstown. I probably couldn't even gone to Maryville heck I went to Simo so I'm not I'm not being critical not even a little bit I think it's awesome that you did that and and learned a lot about yourself how you would handle situations growing as a young man independent kind of thing now is there is there you you got what's one what's maybe your coolest memory from Spain that you had while you were there is there something that sticks out with you that man this was really cool.

SPEAKER_03 59:39

Probably one game where I I was playing really well and I had like I got the ball and and my coach were gonna knew all right he's gonna go one on one. And so I got in I sized some guy up and just hit him with like a little crossover and I hit a shot with like probably 30 seconds left and the crowd went crazy and this the Spanish announcers were saying stuff in Spanish but like oh you know just saying crazy stuff and you know but that was that was a that was probably uh overall my uh moment I remember in Spain and and of course I the food and the and the guys there was those guys my teammates were great guys and really cared for me and my agent was was was great to me as well. So I mean everyone over there was was really good to me and in a way it was hard leaving I felt like I let them down but I also knew that if I wasn't fully into it you know like I said heart wise there was no reason to to waste anybody's time and especially when you didn't pay to do it.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:43

Right right listen I I I think it's terrific I think that's I think that's that's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:49

It's a part of your story yeah yeah I saw it you're good you're good yeah so essentially at that point you had maybe you maybe you thought about it maybe you didn't but essentially that point did did you think well my basketball career's over so to speak did you kind of know it at that point yeah yeah I knew it I actually called Dotie at Emporia and uh tell you how much Doty believes in me he was like you know what dude you know come back to the States uh you can play G League you you can do it and I was thinking in my head well hey you believe in me but it's gonna take some NBA and all that kind of stuff you know looking at a guy who's below the rim and doesn't look like a million dollars by any means you know out there with those guys so I knew it in my heart probably it was over and I was ready to you know get back to the States and at that time I had a serious girlfriend so I wanted to to try that out and and get a job and and start you know trying to be successful and in the real world for sure.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:01

Yep. So you came back well okay tell us this what are you doing now and tell us tell everybody what you're doing now.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:09

So so now I am working for dad at the the Cardinal driving in in Winfield Alabama.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:16

Okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:17

Okay now are you still doing for a while you were doing like some recruiting and stuff like that are you still doing that as well yeah so I I did I was in sales it was sales basically for like a recruiting company like called NCSA. Basically you contact even international I was caught calling European families as well but you're connecting them basically you're trying to help them get a scholarship so you're you know in long terms my goal is to sell products or not sell as much of the product but lead them up to be closed by somebody else that was selling a product that would help them get recruited I mean I did that for about eight or nine months.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:02

Okay okay and so let me let me say and for those that don't know about the cardinal the cardinal is like Jay's it's it is uh

Coming Home To The Cardinal And Advice

SPEAKER_01 1:03:13

iconic you know when people come home people go away from Sykes and come back where they want to go I want to go to Jay's this is the Jays of where they live don't it's not like some it's a big deal there and and Owen is and his family has owned that restaurant for now you'd be the third generation right yeah forty 43 years and full circle actually celebrated in Sykeston Missouri correct if you guys remember there was a cardinal drive in in Sykeston his grandpa Mr.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:45

Mike Long started it that's exactly right yeah so grandpa tried the franchise he he had a pretty good bit of them that's Missouri Illinois North Carolina I don't know the other spots and the actually the headquarters of Cardinal he had the headquarters building in front of the Domino's pizza now in Sykes and there was a headquarters building that that grandpa had and so but now we just got one we found a good spot in Winfield and we've been fortunate enough that to have it rocking and rolling for 43 years so I think we're gonna stick stick with one as of right now.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:23

Absolutely absolutely well I think that's great. So what what kind of advice would you give to kids certainly kids in southeast Missouri that wanting to chase their hoop dreams what what would you tell them?

SPEAKER_03 1:04:39

Yeah I I would just say you know first you got to believe in yourself you know no matter no matter how tall big athletic you are if you put put the work in I know that it's a cliche thing to say everybody sort of said but it's true if you you do the reps I mean and honestly you know it's not always about playing college ball having a being a great high school player and just maxing out your ability some guys will never play college ball but they max out as players so if you're gonna put your time and effort towards something max yourself out whether that's academic school music whatever it is that's that's my advice because it's really really hard to to play at the college level so just be the best player you can be and always always listen to the Holofields and and you guys and the coach James of the world and and people who are the teachers and and all that good stuff that are trying to help young people.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:35

I love it I love it I love it. We're gonna roll into what we call now it we're almost an hour in by the way if it doesn't I don't know if it seems like it we're about an hour in so we'll roll into into what we call the lightning round which is kind of just like questions like yes or no this or that kind of thing. Who was the best player you ever faced? Not name Parker Long.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:16

That's a that's a tough one played played a lot of good players. I'll just say high school wise, Fred, Fred was the most dominant of I've I've seen. College wise, I played played against a pretty pretty good amount of good players on the same team and against. I mean then even when I was in Spain, I played against some guys who'd sniffed some NBA G League and some Louisville, Arkansas kind of guys. So I mean there's been just plenty, but I'll I'll give I'll give Freitas Flowers in high school, definitely the most dominant dominant dude

Lightning Round And Favorite Memories

SPEAKER_03 1:06:51

I was thinking.

SPEAKER_01 1:06:55

Well where what was the hardest place to play?

SPEAKER_03 1:07:02

Umestly Cape Central and that uh single.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:14

Oh my god.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:16

Just uh yeah, as far as hard and and all that kind of stuff. I mean, that was it's a tough, tough spot for sure. So yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:24

Oh man, that was a tough place to play. What's your what's your favorite favorite gym atmosphere? Uh yeah, I can't even believe you got to think about this one, man. No, no, no.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:37

I would say, yeah. I would say for sure. As far as community and just I can look up in the stands and see you guys. I can hear you whistling on the court and the guy on the side of court. You know, barking. Yeah, yeah. I mean, you're not gonna beat that. So I mean I I would say Sykesman for sure has a special special feel to it.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:02

I love it. I love it. I love it. Who was your who was your favorite teammate?

SPEAKER_03 1:08:12

I'd probably say Parker.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:15

As an easy answer, but I like it. I like it. I like it. Of course, as long as you guys weren't fighting.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:23

Yeah. Even if even if we're fighting, I was I was the kind of brother in how I was. I was like, I still want to give him a hug after. You know, Parker probably wanted to probably wanted to punch me again, or you know, but I wanted to I wanted to hug them and say we're gonna be our guy.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:38

I know you did. I know you did. Matter of fact, Coach Hollifield has told a story. You guys, he told me one time he said you guys were fighting, and and he I think Brian was there and there and said, like, do I need to break them up? They're like, nope, they're brothers, just let them fight. They'll be fine, they'll be done here in a minute. Yep. I think it was like during the summer or something. He was like, No, let them fight it out, let them get it out, they'll be fine. They ain't gonna hurt each other.

SPEAKER_03 1:09:05

For sure.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:06

I love it, I love it. What's what's one phrase a coach said to you that you'll never forget?

SPEAKER_03 1:09:19

Probably uh fire. Yeah, like Parker. Yeah, coach my coach Doty had a lot. Tricker, of course, had a lot of good things. Coach Hofffield had some good ones, but yeah. Doty, one time I hit I hit a game winner or something, or hit some big a lot of threes in a row, and and he was like, you know said something about how I had the balls of steel or something like that, or or something like that. I was trying to keep it as easy as I could.

SPEAKER_01 1:09:54

Right, right, right, right. I I'm with you. I appreciate we appreciate that. This is a family show. That's right. That's right. When when you were overseas, what American food did you miss the most? A shake from the guys, shake from the from the cardinal.

SPEAKER_03 1:10:08

Yeah, yeah, probably just like simple food, chicken wings, you know, burgers, you know, anything processed.

SPEAKER_02 1:10:14

Because everything we're anything processed. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:21

I love it. I love it. This is probably an easy one. Spain or Southeast Missouri food, what's the best? Which which would, if you could have either of them, what would you choose?

SPEAKER_03 1:10:33

It'd probably just depend on the day. And depend on what I'm doing. If I was an athlete, the Spandard diet would probably be better for me. But as far as just going out and and eating and and all that Southeast Missouri.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:46

Love it. I love it. What's the what's the best basketball city you visited on your journey? Was Mallorca, was it a basketball town kind of?

SPEAKER_03 1:10:58

I mean everything over there is soccer. Soccer crazy. So I would, I would as far as basketball city, I mean trying to think. I mean, St. Louis is is pretty cool as far as hoops. Cool, I would say this the cool city or like a neat experience. I we got to go to LA at Youngstown. So that we got to go to Venice Beach, Santa Monica, and we played at Fresno State, which was a big time atmosphere. That was pretty cool.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:27

That is cool. That is cool. What's one word? What's bless you, what's one word that describes Sykston basketball?

SPEAKER_03 1:11:40

I would say I would say intense.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:49

That is definitely Coach Halafield. He is intense, there's no question about that.

SPEAKER_03 1:11:54

He's gonna get the best out of you.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:58

Yeah. And last one of our lightning round questions, if you could replay one game from your career, which one would that be?

SPEAKER_03 1:12:11

Probably probably my senior year of college, uh I had a game where I hit eight threes in the second half. And I think, yeah, and that was an awesome game where I got the that's probably the one of the hottest I've ever probably the hottest I ever got in a college game, is just far as just getting buckets and all that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:36

Wow, that's awesome. What did you finish with that night? I think like 38 or 36. Sheez. Yeah, you were a walking bucket that night.

SPEAKER_03 1:12:48

That was a good good night. That was the night I was hitting. You missed a lot of I had a lot of nights where I missed a lot of shots, but that was one of the nights I was I was making most of them.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:56

Dang, dang, you're getting after it. So Parker, and I don't keep I don't want to keep bringing up Parker because this is about you, but Parker, he's kind of chasing basketball kind of as his thing. Is that something that you've have you kind of considered that as well? Or is this you've kind of settled in, this is kind of what you think you want to do? And I'm not trying to put you on the spot, I'm just curious.

SPEAKER_03 1:13:21

Yeah. Uh of course I had my thoughts about I'd gone to I coached in high school basketball in Ohio a little bit. Okay. I thought about doing some college, college coaching a little bit, but no, for sure. What I'm doing right now and getting to work with dad and and be around the family and and all that, yeah. It's an opportunity I'm super fortunate to have and grateful. And it's and yeah, it's awesome. Yeah. So yeah, I think my my feet are are planted here and I'm excited to see what happens. Got a lot of like to learn a lot of moving parts and and all that good stuff. But yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:56

Well good. Good. Good, good, good. Micah, did do I miss anything?

SPEAKER_00 1:14:08

Absolutely. Yep.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:16

Oh man.

SPEAKER_00 1:14:18

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:18

Literally around the world.

SPEAKER_03 1:14:20

Oh yeah. Yeah. It's and it's made me who I am today. And and you know, it that's the cool thing about basketball. It can take you or a sport or anything. It can take you places you never thought you would go and meet people and be in different cultures and and all that. And so yeah, it's been an awesome route. Right. I would go for I'll go go for a week, probably max. I mean, if I'm as crazy I am about the cardinal as I am right now, I don't know if I'll ever be able to leave the country without like being able to get back to the cardinal some happening. So I'm sort of going.

SPEAKER_01 1:14:59

So yeah. Right. Right. I understand. I understand. Now you now you're now you're speaking your dad's language right there. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:07

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:08

Oh yeah. The bird, the bird's calling.

SPEAKER_03 1:15:11

For sure. Yep, yep, yep, yep. One day, hopefully dad and mom can write off from the sunset. And dad don't have to worry as much, but I don't know if dad will ever be able to fully, fully ride off into this. Hopefully he can trust me enough, but uh got a long ways to go.

SPEAKER_00 1:15:31

Yep, yep, that's great. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right.

SPEAKER_01 1:15:38

Right, right. Well, man, get one last question. Get we s give us three suggestions of some folks we need to have on our show. How about uh we do Trey Jenkins? I can let me uh I'm gonna grab my phone just so I can put these down. You're right, we do need to get Trey on here.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:11

Okay. Uh let's do Kevin Jones.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:18

Speaking of that, I just saw that he graduated from Harris Harris Stowe. Yeah. And if you know what I may holler at you to get get his number and and text him.

unknown 1:16:31

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:32

See if I don't know if he's in town or if he's in St. Louis or whatever, but yeah, we could do this with him if he's not here. Okay. Cool. Cool.

SPEAKER_00 1:16:39

Yeah, that's a great one. Got one more? Let's think.

SPEAKER_03 1:16:46

Um, let's do maybe maybe maybe PJ Farmer, somebody like that would be would be good.

SPEAKER_01 1:16:56

We we have we had PJ on actually last summer. We had those two together. Yeah, okay.

SPEAKER_03 1:17:07

Maybe uh Peyton Howard.

SPEAKER_01 1:17:10

Yeah, Peyton on? Peyton's, yeah. No, I have not. That's a good one. That's a great suggestion. Thank you. Thank you. That's awesome. All right, Owen, ma'am. We have enjoyed it. Man, it's good to see you again. We're I know our families have talked about getting down your way. Your mom and dad's talked to us, and we need to get back down there and check out the go check out the boat scene again. See if I can not lose any sunglasses in uh in Smith Lake like I did last time. So Luke, Luke. Go go check it out. Go check it out. Be ready to wait, though. Man, that place is like a zoo around there. It's busy.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:00

Yeah. We we are, and I'm and I actually manage on Sundays. So you can uh yeah, you swing on by and just say, hey, hook you up. Yeah, I'll build a hook you up from the house.

unknown 1:18:21

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:26

Was it probably an hour maybe? Yeah. Oh, it's not that far. Okay. Okay, yeah. Yeah, you go by there.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:33

And

Guest Picks, Thanks, And Go Dog Close

SPEAKER_03 1:18:34

there's a rumor that our milkshakes, our milkshakes don't, don't, uh, don't get nasty in in a long car ride. Some some guy came and got a memory check one time and took it all away and didn't drink and drank it. I don't know where he was going, but he said, hey, it still still tasted good. So you know, I think it I think you'd be all right. Yeah. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:18:55

Those things are so good. That and the strawberry mountain dew.

SPEAKER_03 1:18:59

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:00

Isn't that what it is?

SPEAKER_03 1:19:01

Yeah, and that's sort of our our our our our trademark. You can.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:09

We get a lot of you drink Diet Mountain Dew, Micah. Oh my gosh. Okay. There you go.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:23

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:24

Okay. It doesn't like it. It doesn't like him. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:29

Okay. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:30

I get it.

SPEAKER_00 1:19:35

I got you. I gotcha. I got you.

SPEAKER_01 1:19:37

She she's on you. All right. Awesome. Awesome.

SPEAKER_03 1:19:44

Well, I pretty yeah, and honestly, before I go, this was uh what you guys are doing is super cool, and and the questions and the format were were great. Appreciate y'all having me on. Parker, absolutely. Absolutely. Sikes was a fantastic time. Definitely some nostalgia when I when I come come through there. And it was a great experience. And and appreciate you guys and everyone that was a part of our lives.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:11

A lot of people don't know, but Owen lived with us basically about what the whole like 20, like the whole summer of 2020 during COVID is like I ain't gonna be hanging. I mean, I ain't gonna be stuck somewhere. We're coming. I'm like, come on, brother, you got the whole basement.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:28

I had a blast, I had a blast. And my and my my alarm clock was was Luke Tanner uh singing and playing the piano upstairs.

SPEAKER_01 1:20:38

I love it. That is true. Him singing, that would wake you up every morning. There's no doubt. I love it. I love it. Man, we enjoyed.

SPEAKER_03 1:20:51

No, no, that was a good idea. He did that, he did that a little bit, but hey, um Luke's Luke's now in a band and he's and they're they're doing their thing. So all that, all that he was working on his craft just like basketball.

SPEAKER_01 1:21:02

Exactly, exactly, exactly. Oh my gosh. Well, oh man, we have really enjoyed this. We'll look forward to hopefully getting down that way here in a little bit and seeing you guys and catching up with you. Of course, now we got Parker here. He's 30, 40 minutes from us. Oh, did you? Okay. Oh, awesome. Even better. Sounds about right. Yep. Yep, yep. Well, we're glad, we're glad that you took some time to hang out with us and we'll be in touch. But man, we finish all of our episodes. Mike and I introduce ourselves one last time, and then we we finish it with Go Dog. So, Micah, I'm Matt Tanner. Thanks for listening to The Dog House. Go Dog. That's gonna do it for this episode of The Dog House. Thanks for hanging with us and showing love to Sykes, where small town pride runs deep and Bulldog Dritt never quits. Don't forget to subscribe, leave us a review, and share this with anyone who believes red and black. From the heart of the 573, this has been the doghouse, for Sykes 2 stories, always have a home.