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I love basketball!!! I love coaching kids!!!! When I see one of my players apply the skills that I taught them, I get a sense of pride and accomplishment. I played basketball for most of my life. I found some success, and some failures, but I always had fun playing. Below is a newspaper article from 1989, my senior year in high school. This was the first real taste of success on the court....................................................... ............................................................ ............................................................ ........................................................Cros s shows he's a star, too Player from small school earns his spot June 21, 1989 Byline: Chris Monahan The Register As a small 6-3 guard for a small school, Southern California Christian's Kenny Cross didn't get noticed by many people, especially college recruiters. But with his selection to the South All-Star team for the 1989 Summer Classic on Sunday at the Bren Center, he will have his chance to make a big impact. Cross averaged 19.6 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 3.0 steals per game, leading the Flames to the Arrowhead League title and the CIF 1-A semifinals. He was the league's MVP and an All-CIF selection. "I went and saw last year's game and knew then that I really wanted to play in it," Cross said. "I wasn't sure I'd be considered because I played for a smaller school." Irvine coach Steve Keith, coach of the South team, shared Cross' doubts. "I didn't see him play because we play in different divisions," Keith said. "He came highly recommended, but I wasn't sure what I was getting. "He's turned out to be a pleasant surprise. He's a great athlete and caught my eye the first day we practiced." Cross' numbers showed he probably belonged in the company of teammates such as El Toro's Khari Johnson and Trabuco Hills' Rick Swanwick, but Keith said playing at SCC might have hurt his chances with recruiters. "He's a little rough around the edges, but he has a lot of potential," Keith said. "I think he's going to play JC ball for a year or two, but then I think he'll find some Division I schools are interested." Cross said he was happy with the chance to test his talents against players from big schools, but wasn't sure he would make it through the test, let alone pass. "The first day I was a little scared," Cross said. "I thought, ..This is a mistake for me to be here.' "But by the end of the day, I felt like I could keep up with the rest of the guys." Cross said he liked that the all-star game will replace the CIF semifinal as the last of his high school career. Keith said Cross might make his biggest impact in a running game. "In practice we've been working more on the half-court game, but whenever he got an open court, he would do something spectacular," Keith said. "He would drive the length of the floor and slam dunk or make a great pass, but it would usually be something special." Cross said that comes from the Flames' offense, a running game. sports layout powered by HOT FreeLayouts.com / MyHotComments