Have you ever wondered what three retired high school basketball fans do on a cold, rainy January morning? Besides the usual discussion of the weather, politics, aches and pains, and how things used to be, why not stir up a little thought provoking controversy by compiling a list of standout local high school basketball players over a period of time!
As Ty House and I are wrapping up our 28th and final season of broadcasting Greenville Green Wave boys roundball on first Greenville Public Access Television and lately on YouTube at “The WAVE at GHS” site, we thought it would be interesting to select a squad of the best GHS players we’ve had the privilege of covering from 1997 to present. Not wanting to share all of the glory or blame for our picks we also invited our occasional broadcast partner and former Wave player, coach, and longtime fan Brian Stickel to throw in his two cents worth. Among the three of us we’ve probably seen more Green Wave games than any trio around the community so we feel pretty confident in our selections, knowing that there will be many who will disagree with our picks and that’s understandable.
We decided to put together a twelve-man team that we felt could match up with any area schools rosters of past players, again covering the years of our broadcasts from ‘97 to present. We wanted a blend of playmakers, shooters, rebounders, defenders, and all-around players as we debated the merits of almost 30 candidates we felt worthy of consideration.
So here goes, the twelve selections for our version of a Greenville “Dream Team”—
Point guards—Nick House (‘97) and Allen Tabler (‘15) from the 2015 GWOC North champions. Both made their teams better, sacrificing point production for assists, ball handling skills, and leadership.
Shooting guard—All-time leading scorer Clay Guillozet, Class of ‘16. An obvious choice who could put up points in bunches and score from both outside and off the drive, he led the GWOC in scoring both his junior and senior years
Combination guard/wings—Isaiah Gable (‘17), Phillip Brewer (‘99), and Cory Wohlgamuth (‘00). Gable holds the school record for three-point shots made, averaged 21.5 points per game his senior season, and is third on the school’s all-time scoring list. Brewer was an all-around standout who could score when needed and was a heady playmaker and defender. Wohlgamuth was a hustler who defended the opponents best player and was a force offensively.
Combination wing/strong forwards—Craig Wohlgamuth (‘98), Matt Hamilton (‘98), Mac Fiely (‘09), and Aaron Rich (‘17). Wohlgamuth played harder than anyone, scoring over 1,100 career points and backing down from no opposing player. Hamilton worked both inside the paint and outside and was a smooth operator. Fiely was a steady player who could put up points in a hurry when needed the most. Rich was a strong rebounder to go along with averaging over 15 points a game his senior season.
Post player—Aaron Balsbaugh (‘15). The 6’7” Balsbaugh averaged a double-double his senior year including a five-game stretch where he averaged 18.4 points and 14 rebounds per game.
All-around player—Eric Blakely (‘98). One of Greenville’s greatest all-around athletes, he could play any position on the perimeter with skill, doing anything to make his team a winner.
In addition to our twelve-man roster we gave honorable mention recognition to the following:
Dusty Hill, point guard (‘02)
Nick Muhlenkamp, post (‘03)
Nic Warren, shooting guard (‘08)
Zac Guillozet, shooting guard (‘10)
Adam Hickerson, guard/wing (‘13)
Noah Walker, shooting guard (‘19)
Marcus Wood, point guard (‘20)
DJ Zimmer, wing/post (‘22)
One other player we wish to recognize is Ty’s version of the All-Madden Award for the player who did all of the little things to help his team; taking charges, rebounding, diving for loose balls, playing defense, etc. Cody Preston (‘15) did all of those for the 2015 GWOC North champions and had the bruises and scrapes to show for it!
Again, this is the consensus of the three of us as to outstanding players from ‘97 to present. We know that many of you will have your own thoughts, possibly disagreeing with us at several positions but that’s what makes lists like this interesting and fun. Those of you who follow other schools, take some time on a winter’s evening and compile your list of your team’s best over the past 25 years or so—it makes for some stimulating conversation!
Next week we’ll reveal our list of the girls version of our GHS selections. We know that you’ll all be waiting with bated breath!! In the meantime, let’s get out and support your local teams!
