Rhodes Intense As Ever In All-Star Game
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SOUTH BEND - Forget that he was coaching an all-star game and that the 12 players on his team may have just been looking for their own SportsCenter highlight because the game was shown live on ESPN.
For the most part, throughout Wednesday night's McDonald's All-American High School Basketball Game at the University of Notre Dame's Joyce Center, Al Rhodes was Al Rhodes.
The basketball genius that paced the sidelines at Warsaw Community High School for 22 years, posting a 405-133 record while turning WCHS into one of the state's elite programs, Rhodes was as intense and passionate as ever Wednesday night as he directed the West Team.
While some coaches of all-star games sit back and relax as players run up and down the floor taking long three-point attempts and attempting alley-oop passes, Rhodes was clearly there to win.
He was the same intense Rhodes that led the Tigers to the 1984 state championship, and the same intense coach he was in 2002 when he led Warsaw to a 21-3 record in his final season at WCHS.
While his team trailed nearly the entire game, Rhodes was active on the sidelines. He barked out instructions to his players. He worked the officials when he felt the opposition traveled or committed a foul.
Once a basketball coach, always a basketball coach.
And Wednesday night, with the ESPN cameras watching his and his players' every move, the man who didn't like things to change simply didn't change for anything.
After the game, he blurted out shooting percentages and tried to pinpoint why his team trailed by as much as 27 in the first half before making an exciting comeback in the second half, only to lose 115-110.
"When we got behind, I could see a drop in energy," said Rhodes, who was assisted by long-time friend Pete Smith and former Columbia City High School and Grace College player Matt Moore, who now coaches with Rhodes at Logansport High School. "I think we woke them up at halftime and they played an excellent second half."
After trailing 65-43 at halftime, Rhodes' West Team tied the game at 106 when 6-foot-4 Mississippi State recruit Monta Ellis went up for a dunk with 1:25 remaining.
Trying to cap their valiant comeback with a win, the West Team fouled down stretch to stay in the game, hoping the East Team wouldn't make their free throws.
It didn't work out for Rhodes and his team, as Duke-bound Greg Paulus was clutch at the free throw line and finished the game 9 of 10 at the charity stripe.
"We only had one shot at this, and we wanted to win the game," said Rhodes. "The losing part is tough, but this was a great opportunity to work with the best talent in the United States."
Working with talent is something Rhodes has done for years, as he has worked extensively with the Five-Star Basketball Camp in Pittsburgh, been on the staff of the Indiana All-Star Team twice and coached in the 1988 Capital City Classic.
While Rhodes has been there, done that in the world of high school basketball - he said when he was named coach of the McDonald's All-American Game it was about the only thing he hadn't done - it was also a special night for his two assistant coaches.
While being a great teacher of the game of basketball, Rhodes has been a mentor to young coaches.
He hired Smith right out of college, much as he did Moore, whom Rhodes coached against while Moore was playing for rival Columbia City.
Smith is now the head coach at Guerin Catholic High School in Noblesville, while Moore, who has twin brothers that are players for Grace College, is an assistant to Rhodes at Logansport.
After Wednesday's all-star game, Moore talked about what a great opportunity it was to sit on the bench with Rhodes at such a prestigious event, and Rhodes compared Moore to Smith.
"They're very much alike," Rhodes said of Smith and Moore. "Both chose me to mentor them. I hired Pete Smith right out of college, much like I did Matt Moore."
"It was great working with those two," Moore said of Rhodes and Smith. "I kind of feel like Pete did when he was younger. We were able to bounce ideas off each other, and that's what was fun about it." [[In-content Ad]]
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SOUTH BEND - Forget that he was coaching an all-star game and that the 12 players on his team may have just been looking for their own SportsCenter highlight because the game was shown live on ESPN.
For the most part, throughout Wednesday night's McDonald's All-American High School Basketball Game at the University of Notre Dame's Joyce Center, Al Rhodes was Al Rhodes.
The basketball genius that paced the sidelines at Warsaw Community High School for 22 years, posting a 405-133 record while turning WCHS into one of the state's elite programs, Rhodes was as intense and passionate as ever Wednesday night as he directed the West Team.
While some coaches of all-star games sit back and relax as players run up and down the floor taking long three-point attempts and attempting alley-oop passes, Rhodes was clearly there to win.
He was the same intense Rhodes that led the Tigers to the 1984 state championship, and the same intense coach he was in 2002 when he led Warsaw to a 21-3 record in his final season at WCHS.
While his team trailed nearly the entire game, Rhodes was active on the sidelines. He barked out instructions to his players. He worked the officials when he felt the opposition traveled or committed a foul.
Once a basketball coach, always a basketball coach.
And Wednesday night, with the ESPN cameras watching his and his players' every move, the man who didn't like things to change simply didn't change for anything.
After the game, he blurted out shooting percentages and tried to pinpoint why his team trailed by as much as 27 in the first half before making an exciting comeback in the second half, only to lose 115-110.
"When we got behind, I could see a drop in energy," said Rhodes, who was assisted by long-time friend Pete Smith and former Columbia City High School and Grace College player Matt Moore, who now coaches with Rhodes at Logansport High School. "I think we woke them up at halftime and they played an excellent second half."
After trailing 65-43 at halftime, Rhodes' West Team tied the game at 106 when 6-foot-4 Mississippi State recruit Monta Ellis went up for a dunk with 1:25 remaining.
Trying to cap their valiant comeback with a win, the West Team fouled down stretch to stay in the game, hoping the East Team wouldn't make their free throws.
It didn't work out for Rhodes and his team, as Duke-bound Greg Paulus was clutch at the free throw line and finished the game 9 of 10 at the charity stripe.
"We only had one shot at this, and we wanted to win the game," said Rhodes. "The losing part is tough, but this was a great opportunity to work with the best talent in the United States."
Working with talent is something Rhodes has done for years, as he has worked extensively with the Five-Star Basketball Camp in Pittsburgh, been on the staff of the Indiana All-Star Team twice and coached in the 1988 Capital City Classic.
While Rhodes has been there, done that in the world of high school basketball - he said when he was named coach of the McDonald's All-American Game it was about the only thing he hadn't done - it was also a special night for his two assistant coaches.
While being a great teacher of the game of basketball, Rhodes has been a mentor to young coaches.
He hired Smith right out of college, much as he did Moore, whom Rhodes coached against while Moore was playing for rival Columbia City.
Smith is now the head coach at Guerin Catholic High School in Noblesville, while Moore, who has twin brothers that are players for Grace College, is an assistant to Rhodes at Logansport.
After Wednesday's all-star game, Moore talked about what a great opportunity it was to sit on the bench with Rhodes at such a prestigious event, and Rhodes compared Moore to Smith.
"They're very much alike," Rhodes said of Smith and Moore. "Both chose me to mentor them. I hired Pete Smith right out of college, much like I did Matt Moore."
"It was great working with those two," Moore said of Rhodes and Smith. "I kind of feel like Pete did when he was younger. We were able to bounce ideas off each other, and that's what was fun about it." [[In-content Ad]]