In a Clearwater, Fla., gymnasium last summer, Scooter barry saw a midnight show he’ll never forget.
Barry, a 6-3 junior, worked at a basketball camp run by former NBA star Pete Maravich.
Maravich, of course, was noted for his marvelous ballhandling. So, who better to approach for some tips?
“He gave me about 50 different drills,” Barry said. “When he showed me all these drills, it was about 12 at night in the gym after the campers had bed check. HE said, ‘Here, let me show the drills to you real quick,’ and he went through all 50 of them.”
Needless to say, Barry was impressed.
“He can do so many things with the ball,” Barry said. “It was amazing to watch him. He really has so much control with the ball.”
Barry is no Maravich, but he said his ballhandling and dribbling have improved considerably.
“I haven’t had a chance to use it in a game situation yet, but I think it will pay off,” Barry said. “One thing I was hoping the ballhandling would do was to help my confidence on the court, and I think it did that.”
Barry said it was a thrill to work as a counselor at Maravich’s camp.
“When I was watching basketball when I was growing up, he was one of my idols,” Barry said. “He was the one I wanted to be when you’re choosing up teams. It’s no fun being your dad.”
As you know, Barry is the son of former pro star Rick Barry.
The elder Barry, you might remember, was inducted into the Hall of Fame, along with Maravich, earlier this year.
“I was really proud to be Rick Barry’s son at the induction ceremony,” Scooter said. “That was probably the proudest I’ve ever been of my father.
“I really think it’s been a blessing,” he said about being the son of a big-name player. “The little pressure I felt was in high school. But it wasn’t that intense. I really think it’s been great to grow up around the sport of basketball. I never would change places with anybody. As the years go on, the comparisons are fewer.”
Barry’s father, you’ll recall, was noted for shooting free throws underhanded. Scooter says he can shoot that way, too, but adds he’d never do it during a game.
“I can shoot them underhanded, but I can shoot just as well overhanded,” he said. “I don’t need the publicity I would get if I shot them underhanded.”
Barry says he just wants to concentrate on making a bigger contribution to the team. He’s seen limited playing time his first two seasons, appearing in 34 games and totaling 38 points.
In fact, Barry has asked head coach Larry Brown to think of him in a new perspective. He says he’s more dedicated to the game.
“This is the first summer I felt I’ve dedicated myself to basketball,” Barry said. “At this level, you can’t get away with not doing that.
“When I came back, I told coach I wanted him to know I’d worked harder,” he said. “So I told him not to think of me as the old Scooter of the last two years, but as a junior college player coming in who can play a lot more aggressively and with a lot more confidence. I think it was really good for both him and me because he told me it was a good way to see a player not just fit into a mold. Coach Brown wants all his players to play.”
Barry could have played a bigger role at a smaller school, but he says he’s glad he chose Kansas.
“My father told me I could either be a big fish in a little pond or a little fish in a big pond,” he said, “and I chose to be a little fish in a big pond. Hopefully, I can grow and eat some of those other little fishes.”
