European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 16, 1987, Darmstadt, Hesse Thursday april 16,. 1987 the stars and stripes Page 21 prep picks them put on some basketball show his team was zillions of Points ahead but Dick Stewart was being roundly booed the crowd did t want any substitutions. Leave them in leave them in chanted thebans who had jammed Mannheim s Benjamin Franklin Village sports Arena leave them them was the greatest american High school basketball team Ever assembled in Europe and them realty played some kind of basketball. To was the third consecutive Albert Schweitzer basketball tournament in which the . Had sent some of America s High school elite to Mannheim to Lake on Junior National championship squads fro the rest of Europe prior to that All Star teams composed of players from the american military High schools in use sea a forerunner to Dodds were cast into the Lions Den against the Best age bracket teams from the continent. None Ever managed to finish higher than third. Never was there a doubt that the 1977 team would produce Stewart s third straight Triumph. Them included magic and Tommy and Darnell and Tracy and Pete and Jeff. The future famous names were Earvin magic Johnson Tommy Baker Darnell Valentine Tracy Jackson Pete Budko an Jeff lamp. All went on to outstanding collegiate Success and magic is still carving Gigantic niches in the Aba with Cheloj Angeles lakers lamp was a High school Ali american from Kentucky and he could t eve Start on that Schweitzer team. However he saw As much action As the starters. And the despised subs were Eddie and Art and Theu Desea performers Andre Bob Donnic and o Dillard. Eddie Johnson and an Jones were part of the elite eight from the United states and they always saw considerable action. Wiesbaden s Andre Sessoms Wurzburg s Bob Cato Berlin s Donnic Kennedy and Nuernberg s o Dillard Johnson were All named to the 1977 stars and stripes All Europe basketball team the first three on the first team. But on that fabulous Schweitzer team they were strictly subs. Them did everything possible with a basketball and quite a few things Many people teemed impossible slam dunks beyond the Ordi Naire steals right and left is in the first half and 23 in the game against France As Valentine and bake harassed the opposition into mistake after mistake blacked shots Brilliant passes and defense that was out of in is or any world. That team was so Good that people would flock Lothe sports Arena an hour before game time to assure themselves of getting a scat and because they did t want to miss the pregame show. Magic would Lead the team onto the floor and after a couple of minutes Warmup they would go stuffing. The us Desea kids could Dunk too but not quite As Fla Shily As the big team and the Crow would begin one two. Three. " As each player attacked the net. One time the count was up there around 16 or 17and the fans were going wild. Magic went in for another big slam and the fan were delirious however at the last minute he Laid the Ball up off the Board with a fantastic move Ever so gently Everso beautifully. The crowd momentarily stunned caught on and roared with approval. It realized that the slam was for Thow. But the stars could do other things just As brilliantly. Stewart went to his Bench despite the Roar of the crowd. He had to. The scores were so astronomical Spain which the . Blev out of he gym 118-65 in its tournament opener came within 27 Points 137 110 in a rematch for the Lilic game which Stewart labelled by far the worst we Pla cd in the entire tournament for the smallest margin of Victory. And in the game against West Germany the .won by 99 Points 1-16-47 a 10 of the 12 players exploded into double figures and the americans oui re bounded he germans 76-14 with Eddie Johnson s is leading the Way. Guichu Irlar Darnell Valentine drives an Spain s Cento lorrent in 1977 championship game at Carl diem Halle. Magic Johnson Tommy Baker in the other games it was us 122, France 50 us. 131. Italy 75 . 109, Belgium 45 .12s.cchosloiak m7j the team scored 888 Points in the tournament averaging 126,8 a game while yielding Only 4&i, a 66.4 average All eight performers brought out from the states averaged in double figures. Magic John son s 20.0 lopping the cast after the a Cal re Rotl Lini Shn Mulh m 1967, 12th in 1969 and Lois again m im7i, u was decided thai if the americans were going cniiimut1 participating in the tournament a beefed up Tram of outstanding High school performers should be brought to Mannheim from America for the Competition Kent Benson later an All american at Indiana was the brute Al 6-11, 235 on that 1971 contingent Steve Manica a 7-1 All America ugh school performer from de Monics Iowa my 6-9 or Ohio basketball Mike Bunth were the other giants on Hateam. And Billy Langloh. Clicc Payne former is All Europe performer Tom Hutch son. Mark in right and Tom Cosca All All stale performers in their Home territories rounded out the imported cast. That 197 3 team was the cat s meow never had an american High school Cambier Tiati that Good been assembled in Europe no one came within 20 Points As the . Swept Tous first Albert Schweitzer title. Slam dunks Brilliant passing great dribbling exciting defense everything was there in Abu Dimce and the fans devoured it All up with relish. Bui that squad As Good As it was and As Welcome As it was in comparison to the former inept . Teams would t have been Able to hold a Candle tothe 1977 learn. Along came 197s and another Batch of Good americans John Thomas Bruce Anderson Craig Enright Fred Eckert Glenn a Hillingdon Dirk Story Jimmy Hahn and Rick harness All All states but that team did t have the Overall Caliper of the 197 contingent. Of it won but it look a 98-97 double of Victory Over Poland in the semis to do it and the team provided its share of dunks and thrills for inc fans. And then came 1977. Right off the Bat in practice you could sense hint this team was something special magic then As he still does today As an Aba Star with the los Angeles lakers did it All shoot rebound pass off play defense you name it. He did it. Valentine and Baker were absolutely sensational in Ball handling and defense and Jackson lamp and Budko could score and rebound with anyone. Following the opening game rout of spa in some one said a la Al Jolson of Long ago singing Fame you Ain t seen nothing of How right that comment was and you know what you Ain t seen nothing like it since. The world came tumbling Down in 979 when the . Dropped a semifinal verdict to Spain. However the americans not really blessed with outstanding latent beat Russia for third place. The americans bounced Back in 1981 to beat rus Sia in the finals. This was another super cast including former Mannheim player smart Gray Nigel Miguel. Adrian Branch Eric Turner Rand Chappell. Kevin Oliver and Stefan Suddoth. Then in 1983, the americans lost again this Lime to Italy 111-101. In an in group game the . Had whipped the italians 109-95. The us. Came Back two years ago for another Victory 100-77 Over Yugoslavia bouncing Back from an in group reversal at the hands of the Yugo slavs for its fifth championship and a 46-3 record in the task seven tournaments. And now on inc 10th anniversary of them and their exploits comes another Albert Schweitzer tournament. It begins saturday and runs through april on paper the . Appears to have another fab Ulous team. These Guys have size 7-0, 6-11. 6-9, As examples these Guys probably have the Speed and judging by the list of letters of Ingeni Duke. Michigan. Clemson Nonh Carolina stale Noire Dame Etc. These Guys have the Talent. The squad consists of 7-0 Jeff Roulston. 6-11 Laj Buckley 6-9 Dale Davis. 6-9 Chris setter 6-8 Stew Grant 6-7 Kenny Turner 6-5 scan Green Ralph Drew. 6-2 Gar 1 Waites and 6-0 John Gwynn. Join ing them will he Dodds performers Torii t Urtis of Frankfurt Anil Cedric Harris of Hahn. On saturday when the . 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