Next week, right here on my blog, I’m going to pick the 50 best City League basketball players in history. At least my version of the 50 best, since I would never be so full of myself to suggest that my list is the list.
Where does former Heights standout guard Darnell Valentine (1974-77) rank among the top 50 City League basketball players?
What qualifies me to take on such an endeavor? Well, I have seen a lot of CL basketball over the years, starting in the mid-1960s when my father took me to City League triple-headers at the Roundhouse, now Koch Arena. Those were great days. We’d arrive before the first game, which started around 6, and stay until at least halftime of the last game.
I also covered high school sports, with a heavy emphasis on the City League, for about 13 years at The Wichita Eagle. I was the high school beat reporter during two of the greatest eras of basketball in league history – from 1975 through 1983, and from 1986 through 1991.
I’m working on my list and am open to suggestions. So if you have a player you think belongs on my Top 50 list, by all means let me know.
There are several interesting facets to this. One is attempting to figure out where current City League standouts Perry Ellis and Conner Frankamp belong. Hint: Both will be on the list. I’m not giving up any more than that. But what do you think? Where do Ellis and Frankamp belong, recognizing that Ellis is going to become the City League’s all-time leading scorer and potential a four-time state champion and that Frankamp has one season remaining after this one, when he could potentially pass Ellis to take over as the league’s all-time scoring leader.
I just wrote one of the longest and most awkward sentences in this history of the English language, but being that this is my blog I’m not going to worry too much about it.
Back to the list. For years and years, I have always thought that Darnell Valentine, Ricky Ross, Aubrey Sherrod, Greg Dreiling and Antoine Carr made up a clear-cut Top 5 list. I’m not so sure about that now. In fact, I would be surprised if those players are the Top 5 I come up with next week.
In fiddling with this list Tuesday, I wrote down about 75 names. Obviously, 75 doesn’t fit into 50, so some paring will have to be done. Some really good players will be left off the list. There will, I hope, be debate and second guessing. That’s the fun of lists, after all.
So what do you think? Who should definitely be on a Top 50 list for City League basketball players? Who should be in the Top 10. Who, for heaven’s sake, is your No. 1.
I am considering three players for the No. 1 spot. Can you guess who they are?
I’m going to break down the Top 50 in increments of 10, starting with Nos. 41-50 on Monday. I’ll do my very best to update every day, although there is one day next week in which it might be difficult. Let’s just say I’m having a medical procedure done and leave it at that.
Don’t be shy about sharing your opinions. I want to hear them. This is a fun list so let’s keep it fun.