As a student I once played for the WOUB Golder Voices against the Post Toasties, but never played against an actual real varsity ball player. Many years later, as an employee in a noontime pickup game at Ping, we had two members of the women's team show up (I can't remember their names). We put one on each team, and they were the stars. I remember one play when due to a switch I was guarding one of them on a drive to the basket and she juked around me so quickly that I hardly knew what happened. We had a few guys who could match up with them, but not me!

As the tallest player (6-0) on a 4-person team, I was once had to guard Jason Terry, over a foot taller, in a Gus Macker game.

SBH, cc-cat and myself were part of an intramural softball team that scrimmaged the basketball team (Danny Nee, John Devereaux, Vic Alexaner, etc. . .) in a game that included a keg near home plate.

I had to guard Gary Trent in a pick up game circa 2005 or so at a lifetime fitness in Columbus Ohio. He was Back home from playing in Greece as I recall . He was like touching a piece of granite .
I am roughly 10 years older than Mr Trent . I preemptively apologized for fouling him during this game.
He graciously took the opportunity to work primarily on his outside shooting which at least during this game still wasn’t very good.

Good guy and and just so unbelievably strong .

Playing for the West End Tavern over 30 softball team (training table was.....interesting), we played the coaches' team. Watched Cleve Bryant throw a ball over the backstop from left field trying to get the runner at home.
Got my last softball home run over Danny Nee in right field when he misplayed a bloop hit. He showed up to have a beer and hear the band play a night later, laughing about it.

Trumpian hyperbole to be sure.

Their superior basketball skills did not remotely transfer to the diamond.

Played a ton of Ping Hoops from 2002-2007. Played Hunter, Esterkamp, Harris, Barrett, Walther, Troutman, Davis, Williams, McGowens, Annen, Halbert, etc.

Hunter was physically absurd to play against and I only did maybe twice. He just had this look like he was going to dunk not only on you but actually dunk you.
Now most of the guys coming to Ping aren't going to give you close to 100% and are there just to get some exercise. However, if you get out to a lead they will turn it on so you don't get one over on them. That's when it's fun.

Delvar was the loudest and maybe funniest. Bubba would shoot it from about one step over half court regularly, and Halbert had the BVP knack of stripping the ball off you before you could get the ball above your shoulders any time you got close to him.

Lots of good memories of Ping Hoops and some of my closest friendships were forged there.

Played at Ping one time where Troutman, King, Halbert and Whit Davis were all on the floor. It was Troutman/King and Halbert/Davis and they each picked their five and we played a few games. I was Sonny's spot up man in the corner. Any time he drove to the hoop I waited for him to dish. Made a couple threes and we won a couple games.

I do remember guarding Bubba Walther one time and for anyone who watched him play knows how deep Bubba will pull up from. At the time I think he was in his transfer redshirt year because I knew he looked familiar from his time at Akron, but couldn't put the 2 together. Anyway, he pulled up from beyond the volleyball court line and splashed one right in my face. Needless to say I started picking him up at half after that.

Unrelated, but when I was Xavier I used to play with a "lunch bunch" at their rec center a few times a week. Byron Larkin was a regular there and organized most of the games. Dude could still go at it well into his 40s and got to see him go up against guys like BJ Raymond a couple times. Byron has an old school game but still knows how to win. Guy is great. And I'll agree with Long Drivers sentiment about them not going full out. But when they do...man it's over.

Highlight of my early basketball years was hitting a jumper on Eric Hilton at center court in Grover in the early-mid 1980s, I was probably 15 or 16. Roger Smith came back for a grad degree or maybe work for the university after his playing career and he played regularly with us in Grover, especially the noon Sunday game that attracted a lot of players. Great guy. Same with John Rhodes who is a spectacular person, and later Ed Sears. When I moved back to Athens and was playing at Ping I was in games with all those guys mentioned by others above, Troutman, Halbert, King, Davis in the late afternoon weekday games. King was in Ping seemingly daily, often just shooting alone on a side court. Delvar Barrett often came to the Sunday game in the early 2000s, he also may have stayed for a grad degree. Some of the football players balled too, Kareem Wilson was a regular and his athleticism always astonished me -- and the guy was a rock. I also played with TOS and his staff and some of the women bball players over the years. Local doc and OU walk-on Jason Reed was a regular player. Good times.

Clark Kellogg just gave Shaun a big time shoutout on the NCAA show. Plugged his Westerville bakery.

John Patterson, 6'11" frosh lived down the hall from me in Ryors Hall my frosh year '77. He never got much PT. Tall but not strong and not aggressive - was just not his nature. He had a single room. My room mate and I came to OU together from west of Dayton cornfield country. John was from Cincy. We connected immediately. He turned me onto Parliament/Funkadelic, Lakeside, etc. I turned him onto Roy Buchanon, Robin Trower, Pink Floyd, etc. We both of course Loved Hendrix! Great Guy! He started calling us the "Grey Boys" (Think Not Black or White). Could add some recruit visit stories - but prolly best not here....

I can still see him bending over to actually walk into a dorm door. We stayed in contact for several years, but sadly have lost track of what ended up with John.....

Around 2010 or 2011, I would regularly see members of the team playing pickup in Ping. I was usually there lifting. At the time, there were weights upstairs and when I'd finish lifting I'd go to the hallways overlooking the courts from above. Multiple guys from those teams ran the court often but DJ Cooper is the one I remember seeing a handful of times. His court vision/passing stood out even more in pickup games.