The Humphrey Coliseum is a special basketball venue to many people.
For Starkville High School boys basketball coach Greg Carter, it's a place where he played his college basketball and got his start in coaching.
Carter played at Mississippi State for former coach Richard Williams from 1987-91, then he was an assistant coach with the Bulldogs from 1994-2001.
Being able to share the Hump with other high school coaches and teams this week during the Travis Outlaw Slam Dunk at the Hump Christmas Tournament has been rewarding to Carter.
"We have a lot of people in the area that don't have a chance to come to the games and teams don't get to play here so it's a special experience for a lot of people," Carter said. "I know when I talked with (Roy Hazzle) the coach from Aberdeen, he said most of his kids had never even been in the Hump to watch a game, let alone play."
When Starkville played Strong, Ark., Wednesday on the first night of the tournament, Gavin Ware, a senior center for the Yellowjackets, could tell how important the situation was for Carter.
"Every time we stepped onto the court, his eyes just got wide and it was like we had to get (a win) with a tournament being played on Mississippi State's court," Ware said. "He was overwhelmed with excitement that he could get a tournament here. For him to be able to pull this off is just a blessing."
It wasn't the first time Carter had been able to coach a game at Humphrey Coliseum since his playing and assistant coaching days at MSU. He has brought SHS teams in during the summer for competition.
For Ware, the three games at the Hump are expected to be three of many as he signed to play with the Bulldogs in November.
"It's an overwhelming experience in knowing I'm going to be playing here next year," Ware said. "I got real acquainted with the goal by dunking. By running up and down (the court), I could tell it's larger than high school."
After two days of tournament action at Humphrey Coliseum, Carter has been pleased with the results.
He doesn't believe it will be just a one-year event.
"I'm looking forward to this being an annual tradition," Carter said.
SHS athletic director Stan Miller hopes for a big climax to the tournament today and wants to see a big crowd when the two teams that have won both of its games, East (Tenn.) and Starkville, meet to close the day at 3:30 p.m.
Links:
[1] http://starkvilledailynews.com/sites/default/files/Plaque px 30.jpg
[2] mailto:sdnsports@bellsouth.net
