Forming lasting bonds through the L-o"~ of Basketball When it came to college athletics, faculty were not the sort of competitors who usually came to mind. Nevertheless, a group of faculty from various departments on campus came together every Tuesday and Thursday at noon in the Ganus Athletic Center (GAC) to shoot hoops in a fast-paced game of basketball. The group, called Noon League, had enjoyed unofficial basketball competitions dating back to the '70s and were still going strong in 20 ll . Frank McCown, assistant professor of computer science, began playing with the group in 1997 and had not stopped since. "For most of us, we just love to play basketball and need to exercise," McCown said. "We enjoy each other's company, so we keep coming back." Other current team players included Jared Dockery, assistant professor of history; Steven Breezed, assistant professor of political science; Nathan Mills, associate professor of biology; Nick Boone, assistant professor of English; and Chuck Hicks, assistant professor of music. Dennis Madock, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof. Biochem./Mol. Bioi. Melissa Max, Pharm. D., Asst. Prof Pharm. Prac. Frank McCown, Ph.D., Asst. Prof. Comp. Sci. Robert McCready, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof. French Patrick McGaha, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof. Kin./Baseball Coach Mike McGalliard, Sc.D., Assoc. Prof.! Dir. Phys. Therapy Penny McGlawn, Ed.D., Asst. Prof. Edu. Randy McLeod, J.D., Prof. Business Teresa McLeod, M.Ed., Disabilities Dir./ Assoc. Prof. Travis McNeal, Ph.D., Asst. Prof. Behav. Sci. Jeff Mercer, Pharm.D., Asst. Prof.! Asst. Dean Exp. Edu. Glen Metheny, M.B.A., Dir. of Bus. Prof. Stud./Asst. Prof. Brad Miller, Ph.D., Assoc. Prof. Engineer/ Phys. Jim Miller, Ph.D., Asst. Prof. Comm. Robin Miller, M.FA., Prof. Comm./Chair Dept. Theatre. Jean Anne Mire, M.B.A., Asst. Prof. Pharm. Practice John Moon, Ph.D., Pro( Biology/Dept. Chair Jessica Moore, D.A., Assoc. Prof. Kin./DiJC vVom. Intra. 2f+ Faculty Hicks, the longest-playing team member, had enjoyed playing the games since the '70s. "Noon League has been going on since I was a student in 1970," Hicks said. "People like Jimmy Allen, Chancellor Ganus, Cliff Ganus,Jeff Hopper, MikeJames, Mike Pruitt and FredJ ewell were regular participants at one time or another." The group varied in size from year to year, averaging 10 to 20 men on any given afternoon. "Every year, we get a few new guys, and occasionally we lose a few due to busy schedules or injuries," McCown said. "I always look forward to days when I can play. Guys are naturally tuned to bonding during sporting events." McCown had also been group coordinator for the past four years and looked forward to more games in future years. "I'm definitely not as quick as I was 15 years ago, but I still enjoy playing basketball, and it is still often the highlight of my day," McCown said. "I hope I'll be doing it well into my '60s." John Shrable
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