The NBA has a franchise at the University of Northern Iowa. Unlike the National Basketball Association with big names like Kobe and King James, the Noon Basketball Association draws players like Floyd Winter, Terry Darland, and Tony Gabriel.
“Who?” you ask.
The Noon Basketball Association at UNI began in 1972 when Ed Rathmell, professor of math, and Paul Rider, professor of chemistry, began playing pick-up ball over the lunch hour.
The game has expanded to include community players from a variety of walks of life—a judge, administrators, retired John Deere employees, engineers, doctors, business owners, air traffic controllers and UNI students. Players range in age from 19 to 72.
The program is run by the UNI Wellness and Recreation department. Participants pay an annual fee with suit service extra. They play full court in the Wellness Center. Fouls are self calledwith no ensuing free throws. Every basket is worth one point, no matter where the shot originates from or how smooth or ugly the moves. The game is 11 points.
Players show up as their schedules allow. Teams are “light”—white shirts, against “dark”—black shirts. The jerseys provided by UNI are reversible.
I visited a game recently. On this particular day, the numbers were smaller than usual— several members travel south for the winter— but the competition was fierce.
Nell Olson, the only brave female to show, attracted at least three defenders each time she touched the ball. (Olson used to play basketball for UNI.) Dr. Dave Vorland is a regular who’s been playing for 35 years. Floyd Winter, the oldest in the league at 72, said, “Dave has the best jump shot of any 60-year-old. Of course, I said that of him at 50 and 40, too.”
Jerry Harris, President of the Western Home, is a former wrestler. “Yeah, these guys know it, too,” he laughed. “They just tell me, ‘Get the ball. Get the ball.’” I did see him make several power moves under the basket—not bad for a wrestler.
Joe Moothart is a judge in Waterloo who makes the cross-town trips as often as his schedule allows.
UNI student Jeff Palmer was the designated “go-er after the ball” whenever it rolled any distance off the court—he was the youngest.
The game may not have been at the same talent level of the namesake NBA. The transition game was more of a jog with hands on hips late in the game. Defenses were a little hard to recognize—mostly zone chaos. The vertical leaps weren’t impressive, but the competitive spirit made up for all these shortcomings. Nearly all the participants were athletes at some point in their lives. That passion never dies.
“Defense is key. We all want to WIN!” Winter said.
One of the thrills the NBA has given Winteris the opportunity to play with and against his grandson. “He played at Cedar Falls and is now a junior at UNI. It’s been fun for both of us. He is competitive, but also knows what Grandpa can and can’t do,” he said.
Winter was one of the casualties a few years back. “It’s a funny story. We had a big guy playing, 320 pounds or so, but agile. I tripped and fell and our feet got tangled. I was on the court watching, almost in slow motion, this big guy falling right on top of me. The other players said all the air exhaled from my chest like a deflated balloon. I couldn’t move for a minute. I displaced a couple of ribs, but when I got my breath again, I kept playing.”
The students tease the older players, calling them “old school.” Everyone applauds when a player gets both feet off the court.
Wartburg College has a group of self-proclaimed hackers who gather on Fridays to play. Their games aren’t part of an organized league like UNI’s. Anyone is welcome. Kasey Wadding of the Bremer County Attorney’s office is a regular. “I’m 49 and usually get stuck guarding the 19-year-old,” he said.
The players also come from a variety of professions, including a child psychologist who currently is on injured reserve. Wartburg, like UNI, has a few women who play occasionally. “We usually play 3-on-3, sometimes 4-on-4 or on good days, 5-on-5. All are welcome. We aren’t picky about talent. I’m evidence of that,” Wadding said.
“The game is pretty ugly,” Rathmell said. “Twenty years ago it was a lot better basketball. I just feel very fortunate to be healthy enough to still play at our age.”
Anyone interested in joining the UNI NBA can contact Christopher Denison at 273-7160 or by email at Christopher.denison@uni.edu.
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