Today Cedar Hill (Duncanville, Tex.), Vol. 34, No. 14, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 24, 1999 Page: 20 of 20
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KcE 8«PEOPLeToDAV«T^I'*8DAV, Jl'NE ^4,
$People
A creative outlet
Submitted photo
Northwood University began its summer creativity train-
ing in Allen this week and will start the Cedar Hill
Program July 12. Pictured above is Becky Baack of the
Allen School District in the visual arts workshop. Tea-
chers from the Allen, Dallas and McKinney school dis-
tricts, including Joann Bas from High Point Elementary
in Cedar Hill, learned how to use their own creativity to
teach every subject from math to science. For informa-
tion on the July program in Cedar Hill, contact
Stephanie Chambers at 214-521-1294.
Submitted photo
(Above) Ventriloquist Dennis Lee is shown with some of
the “zany" puppet characters he works with on the
“Nana Puddin’" show. The show, which is produced in
the Metroplex, is planning to recruit local children for a
series of July tapings.
Local children’s show needs
casts, audience for tapings
these 30-minute television/video
programs that celebrate positive
choices and good behavior using
a variety of skits, pretend com-
mercials, NTV (Nana Television)
music videos and games.
"Nana Puddin'" airs on Family
Net, a family-friendly television
network that can be picked up on
channels 60 and 46 all over Dallas
County and in large parts of
Tarrant and Denton Counties.
Tapings for the next series of
programs will be held from July6-
24 every day except Sunday from
9 a.m.-5 p.m. at tne broadcasting
center, 6350 West Freeway in Fort
Worth.-
Take a ventriloquist named
Dennis Lee. Add a bunch of co-
stars, like fellow ventriloquist
Nancy Burks, musician extraordi-
naire Doc Gibbs, and magically
inclined mail carrier Lyndy
Phillips.
Stir in original music and a
heaping helping of puppet char-
acters. Add a big studio audience
and special guests. Stir it all up
and out comes "Nana Puddin.'"
Growing in popularity all over
the United States, "Nana Pud-
din'" is produced right here in the
Metroplex at the Broadcasting
Center of the North American
Mission Board.-
Hill
- Ldeiuier s near-impossiDie a
around jumper (after catching «
length pass with his back to the
Kentucky at the buzzer, sendini
From Page 1
I like to think that we won because I chose
the right school; that I made the difference."
His junior year was even more exciting
as the Blue Devils tried to make history by
becoming the first team since UCLA (with
Bill Walton) to repeat as men's basketball
champions.
Duke handily beat Michigan (whose "Fab
Five" quintet was in its freshman season)
but that is not the game most remembered
by the public.
Laettner's near-impossible 20-foot tum-
a court-
re basket) beat
cy at the buzzer, sending Duke fans
and the players into a frenzy. Years later,
experts consider that contest to have been
among the greatest ever played in NCAA
history.
Newspapers across the country carried
unforgettable photos of Hill with a shocked
look on his face, with his hands on his head,
tears streaming down his cheeks.
"That reaction was so pure; it was the
most honest reaction I've ever had in my
life," he said. "I just couldn't believe that
shot went in."
'I knew we were going to win the cham-
pionship after that. That's what I told every-
one in the lockerroom afterwards. We could
have played pros and would have won.
That's how confident we were for the next
two weeks."
But to Hill, the Michigan victory was the
biggest moment.
"That game made history," Hill noted.
"Winning the championship was the biggest
thing."
While Hill was Duke's co-captain and
enjoyed his best offensive season (16.0
points per game, 4.7 rebounds), his senior
season was not "happy."
The try for a third NCAA crown ended
in the second round with a stunning upset
to California, led by freshman guard Jason
Kidd.
"What could we do after winning two
championships?" he said. "I really thought
we had the team to make it to the Final
Four. But so many things happened that
year that were so distracting."
Krzyzewski's efforts were to turn Hurley
into a pre-eminent NBA point guard,
instead of going full throttle for the third
NCAA championship.
"Every day in practice, it was 'how can I
make Bob Hurley better,' as opposed to the
past where it was 'how do I make our team
better,'" Hill said. "It was just a huge dis-
traction. The morale of the team wasn't that
good. Losing was a huge letdown.
"The team didn't have the character to
do what it took to win. The new players
didn't understand what it meant to nave
every team you played bring their best
game against you."
Still his college coach fully appreciated
Hill's contributions to the program.
"Thomas was a key player for us for sev-
eral years," said Krzyzewski. "He tended to
be in the shadows of the others, but he qui-
etly became third-team all ACC in two
years. In another program, he might have
gotten more attention but he was a great
asset to our championship teams. He
always took a positive approach to the
game."
Hill finished his collegiate career with
impressive numbers - 15th on the all-time
career scoring list and fifth in steals. His
name will always be permanently linked to
one of the greatest starting units in college
basketball history, comparable with the Tar
Hells' collection of Michael Jordan, Sam
Perkins and James Worthy or the
Georgetown unit that had Patrick Ewing,
Reggie Williams and David Wingate.
More importantly, Hill left Durham with
a college degree in history, something few
top-flight college players achieve.
• • •
^Hjjjj^^he next step was the NBA, or
so Hill thought. He was a sec-
ond-round draft choice of the
Indiana Pacers in 1993, but at 6-
M ■ 5, he was a "tweener" (a player
in between desired sizes for a position) and
it was difficult to keep a roster spot in
Indianapolis.
"I don't think most people understand
the professional game; it has nothing to do
with talent, it's all about money," Hill
<M ■»
.v
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t
- i \ i
Today photo by JAIME CARRERO
Lancaster native Thomas Hill tosses a ball to start a league contest during
his Basketball Academy at Lancaster High School. Brandon Bridges (left)
and Ryan Vaskuil (right) go for the center Jump. The camp continues
through July 2.
explained. "Once you get to that level,
everyone is talented. Then it becomes about
how much this guy makes or who is this
guy's agent and who does he represent."
At Indiana, Hill got caught up in a num-
bers game, he said. In Hill's rookie season,
the Pacers traded veteran swingman Detlef
Schremp to Seattle for two players, Derrick
McKey and Gerald Paddio. Poof! there went
Hill's roster spot.
"I played well enough to make the team
but the choice was between a veteran that
might help them win a championship or
keep this rookie," Hill said. "But because
Coach Larry Brown doesn't get along with
Detlef Schremp, the Pacers trade him away.
If they keep him, I'm on the team."
Hill continued to play basketball in
Finland, Australia and Turkey, but it wasn't
the same.
"Europeans don't play basketball; they
play 'how many three-pointers can I
make?', they play H-O-R-S-E," he said.
"And if your team isn't winning, you might
not get paid. It's nowhere as good as the
NBA.
"They bring Americans thinking they are
going to be the saviors and if they don't
score 'x' amount of points in 'x' amount of
games, they get rid of them. It was great to
see other parts of the world, but if I want to
go to Europe, I'll buy a plane ticket.
Nothing can get me to go there and play."
Confidence in his ability to play in
today's NBA is not a problem for Hill.
"I have the game to play today," he said.
"At this point for me, it's a matter of getting
on with the right team."
Hill thought that team would be Detroit,
to joirt ex-Duke teammates Grant Hill and
Laettner, but the lock-out that shortened the
1998-99 season ruined those hopes.
"Without a training camp to evaluate free
agents, teams like Detroit went with veter-
ans that they had from the previous sea-
son," Hill said. "I just didn't get the chance
to show my game."
He would love to bring his game to
Reunion Arena for the local Mavericks.
"All I asked them to do is watch me
play," he said, adding that he has talked
with Assistant Coach Donnie Nelson. "For
me, it's getting on the right team with a
coach that sees something in me and is will-
ing to give me a chance so I can help a
team.
"However, once I've proven I can play, I
ask them to guarantee me a spot. That's
what I want."
• • •
^^^^■Jhe Thomas Hill Basketball
§ Academy has been a dream
I since he was in college.I went
I to college with lots of guys
from the East Coast who went
through many camps and when I was in
high school, Texas players weren't allowed
to do that," Hill said.
"They told me of their experiences and I
thought of how good I could have been if I
had the same chances.
"I want to give kids a chance to succeed;
for a lot of kids, playing sports is the only
way to see the world or go to college; doing
something other than working at
McDonald's when they are 30."
The distinguishing factor of Hill's acade-
my is the inclusion of classroom sessions,
centering around the Internet, health and
hygiene, nutrition, college exam preparation
and personal and social responsibility.
"There are more to life than just sports,"
Hill said. "Everybody's not going to make
the pros or make All-American. Sports can
open a lot of doors; that's what it has done
for me."
Hill envisions his academy growing from
a summertime activity to a year-long, multi-
sport entity, concentrating on player devel-
opment in all sports.
"It could range from an 8-year-old going
to camp to the training of an Olympic ath-
lete," he said. "This institute would incor-
porate sports medicine and science as well
as help educate an athlete and their parents
about recruiting and how to handle the
pressures."
Hill has also established the Hillstone
Technologies/Lancaster School Student
Fund to help support LISD programs -
everything from band to basketball.
"I want to take the money in that fund
and improve all parts of the school," he
said. "It can be for teachers, for uniforms,
equipment or bringing in speakers; whatev-
er is needed to improve these programs."
For the life after basketball, Hill has
already secured his position, joining
younger brother Lamont (a walk-on at
Texas who eventually became a co-captain
for Tom Penders and the Longhorns) in a
computer networking business.
I
t is also the job of a role model to
advise, through life experience, on
how to handle situations and how
to excel. When Hill talks about bas-
ketball with a young crop of Tiger
"would-bes," one would think that those
who haven't accomplished what Hill had
done on the court would be totally recep-
tive.
"It's hard for the players coming up
now," Hill said. "I've talked to a lot of the
players since I've left, and they just don't
understand how competitive you have to
be; just how much you must love to play.
"And that's what gets those guys upset
at me. It was instilled in me to win every
game, at every practice."
In some quarters it & said that "those
who can, do; those who can't, teach."
Role models like Thomas Hill know bet-
ter.
Those who have done need to teach so
others can do as well.
Sterling House honors DHS graduate
Stephanie Rosenthal, a recent
graduate of DeSoto High School,
was honored with a luncheon at
the Alterra Sterling House As-
sisted Living Home June 11.
Rosenthal was selected from a
list of graduates to receive this
$500 scholarship in memory of
Wilma Lee Turner, a former resi-
dent of Sterling House, for un-
selfish life and devotion to others.
Turner and her husband,
Spencer, advocated education
and involvement within one's
community, both socially and
spiritually
The Turners' daughter was
selected DeSoto Teacher of the
Year in 1998 and their son is a
professor at Texas A&M Univer-
sity.
Rosenthal will attend College
of the Ozarks in Arkansas this fall
with a major in accounting.
She was successful in her aca-
SubmWed photo
Pictured from left ere Nancy Smith, resident director;
Greg Boomer, Alterra district manager; Stephanl Rosen-
thal, Mrs. Rosenthal, 8pencer Turner and Greta Turner.
Singer Blake Burleson
hopes to Use up to the
honor he wee ghren in
high school when he
competes la the ‘M
Talent Finals at Cow-
demic classes at DeSoto High at college
She also excelled in soccer; a
sport she plans to continue while
Spanish National Honor Society,
Best Southwest Scholar, UIL
Accounting Tram Member and
has worked part time to earn
money for her college edt
iocatwTat110310 W.
TMhaotogjW
. ■. • \ •,'
Children from all over the
Dallas-Fort Worth area are cast in
Call 817-570-1420 for more
information.
School, active in her church and
school organizations.
Rosenthal was also a member
of the National Honor Society, the
ai&naa
0404 hr mors informa-
tion. j'VK';
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Gooch, Robin. Today Cedar Hill (Duncanville, Tex.), Vol. 34, No. 14, Ed. 1 Thursday, June 24, 1999, newspaper, June 24, 1999; Duncanville, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth575404/m1/20/: accessed July 17, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Zula B. Wylie Memorial Library.