When former Kansas University basketball player Michael Lee first saw the pairings for this year’s NCAA Tournament, a wild realization rushed into the Portland, Ore. native’s mind.
“It’s funny because, when I saw Lehigh the first thing I thought of was ‘Marquis is there,'” said Lee, referring to Lehigh senior Marquis Hall, who, like Lee and former Jayhawk Aaron Miles, is a graduate of Portland’s Jefferson High. “It’s always been like that, even when Thomas Gardner — another Jefferson kid — was at Missouri. We always wanted those guys to do well. But they can’t beat Kansas.”
Monday morning, after digesting the bracket overnight, Lee checked his cell phone and found a message from Miles.
“Aaron said he left Marquis an e-mail that said, ‘I hope you do well, but you ain’t going to beat Kansas,'” Lee said.
For Lee and Miles the whole episode has been in good fun, a couple of KU alums pulling for their school over a friendly face who also calls Portland home.
For Hall, it’s been more of a dream come true.
“Aaron’s been a pretty good mentor for me. Mike too,” Hall said. “We’re a pretty close group, the Jefferson community, and they’ve definitely looked out for me.”
Hall said he does not hold any false notions that the former Jayhawks might actually be rooting for Lehigh to upset Kansas when the two teams square off at 8:40 p.m. Thursday in Oklahoma City.
“That was the first thing that went through my mind after all the excitement,” Hall said. “‘Ahh, I gotta tell Aaron and Mike that we got their boys.'”
The 6-foot, 190-pound Lehigh guard spent most of his younger days idolizing Lee and Miles. At the time, Hall just was coming into his own as a basketball player. He had dreams of following in the footsteps of Lee and Miles. He hoped, someday, to replicate their feats by winning a state title of his own.
Hall’s title never came. But that didn’t stop him from following the trail that was blazed by two of Jefferson’s most famous alums.
“I remember he thought Aaron Miles was just a terrific person and player,” Lehigh coach Brett Reed said. “We actually talked about that in our recruitment of him.”
Fast forward to today, when Hall, Lehigh’s second-leading scorer, sits on the brink of taking on the school that Lee and Miles helped lead to the 2003 national championship game, and it seems safe to say that Hall has succeeded in Bethlehem, Pa., the way Lee and Miles did in Lawrence.
“I’ve met him a couple of times, pick-up ball and that kind of stuff,” Lee said. “And Marquis is a great kid. He’s one of those kids who nobody has anything bad to say about.”
Added Dale Baugh, an assistant coach at Jefferson High: “Marquis actually very much looked up to (Lee and Miles) and very much respected them. In fact, he patterned some of what he has developed into after them. He’s a very solid citizen and just a great person.”
In examining the statistics, one must look further than Hall’s 11 points, six assists and four rebounds per game to see his true impact on the Lehigh program. Earlier this month, the finance major was named the Patriot League’s Men’s Basketball Scholar Athlete of the Year for the second straight season. To most who know him, the 3.39 grade-point average is as impressive as his prowess on the floor.
“Jefferson, to some extent, gets dealt a bad hand about how we’re perceived, but me and Aaron were always raised to be respectful kids, and Marquis fits that same mold,” Lee said. “When he’s done playing basketball, he’ll be fine. He’s built good relationships, he has good grades. He’s just a quality kid.”
In addition, Hall is a two-time nominee for the Bob Cousy Award — which KU’s Sherron Collins is one of six finalists for this season — and is one of 10 in the running for the 2010 Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award, which recognizes accomplishments in four areas of excellence — classroom, character, community and competition.
Thursday, though, all that will matter is whose team can put more points on the scoreboard — Hall’s or the alma mater of his Jefferson High counterparts.
“I hope Marquis has a great game,” Lee said. “I really hope he gets to show what he can do against a team of the caliber of Kansas. But, no, I can’t say I hope Lehigh wins the game.”