CHESAPEAKE, Va. — In a conference room at the Delta Hotel in Chesapeake, it had the feel of a high school reunion. Close, but more like several former teammates and players that once attended Frederick Military Academy in Portsmouth. Among them was former Atlantic Coast Conference coaching great, Bobby Cremins.
He'll be the keynote speaker on Saturday. The academy opened in 1958 and closed in 1985. Cremins played just one season there in 1965 to improve his grades. A pivotal moment, he felt, that changed the course of his life.
"It's unbelievable", he said, "You know looking back now, I didn't realize how fortunate I was and playing at Frederick Military Academy was really something."
His head coach at the time, Rufus Outland couldn't help but notice the talented northeasterner. "He was used to playing that New York basketball", he said. "He was a great scorer."
The kids from the South Bronx adjusted to the military structure quickly and it wound up catching the eye of a legendary coach to come to the University Of South Carolina.
"Once Frank McGuire showed interest in me", he said. "I wasn't going anywhere, but with him."
McGuire, like Cremins, had his roots in New York City. Prior to being with the Gamecocks, McGuire coached St. John's (102-36) to prominence in five seasons. He would then guide the University Of North Carolina (164-58) in nine seasons that included a 32-0 record in 1956-57. The Tar Heels would win a national title in by beating Kansas 54-53 in triple overtime.
Cremins did mention, if it didn't work out with McGuire, "Yeah I would have stayed here. I would have went to Old Dominion."
That's right. He was almost a Monarch. "The coach, Sonny Allen thought I was a little skinny.
It wound up working out for the now 76 year old. His coaching stops as a head coach were Appalachian State (100-70 in 6 years), Georgia Tech (354-237 in 19 seasons), and the College Of Charleston (125-68 in 6 seasons). His greatest success came with the Yellow Jackets where Tech made 10 NCAA tournament appearances as well as reach the Final Four in 1990 before losing in the national semifinal to Nevada-Las Vegas.
He would guide some talented guards as well from Mark Price to fellow New Yorkers, Kenny Anderson and Stephon Marbury.
"I was very lucky", he said. "We became known as Point Guard University and it was great."