Getting cut fueled King’s outstanding basketball career
Mike King was cut from the Fairchance Georges basketball squad in ninth grade. He used that disappointment to fuel what turned out to be an outstanding basketball career.
鈥淚 got cut in ninth grade,鈥� King recalled. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 one thing I had in common with Michael Jordan, we both got cut in the ninth grade. That was probably one of the most difficult things I ever experienced in my life. It actually motivated me to stop playing around and to start really practicing. It was the biggest motivation I had.鈥�
King blossomed into a star at Fairchance Georges, and was a three-year starter on teams that recorded records of 10-11 overall and 4-9 in Section 11 in 1977-78 and 21-8 overall and 15-4 in Section 16 in 1978-79, beating Geibel Catholic, 60-54, and then losing to St. Mary鈥檚, 66-50, in the WPIAL playoffs.
In King鈥檚 senior campaign in 1979-80, the Runners were 28-6 overall and 16-2 in Section 16. In the WPIAL playoffs they defeated Dayton, 67-52, and Union, 72-60, before falling to Geibel, 73-56, in the WPIAL championship game.
They made a run in the PIAA playoffs, beating Rockwood, 67-49, West Middlesex, 78-63, and Laurel Valley, 43-42. Their run was stopped by East Brady, 60-56.
King played for Dan Andria at Fairchance Georges and holds him in high regard.
鈥淗e really, really helped me a lot,鈥� King stated. 鈥淗e taught me basketball and improved my basketball IQ.鈥�
King tallied 181 points as a sophomore and 489 points for an average of 16.9 ppg as a junior. He had a monster senior season, starting the year with 95 points in his first three games. King went on to lead Fayette County in scoring with 890 points for an average of 26.2 a game. His career total for the Runners was 1,560 points for a career average of 18.8 ppg. He also snagged a career total of 1,203 rebounds.
His career high game was a 50-point performance in a 114-50 win over West Greene.
After his senior season coach Andria said, 鈥淗e deserves every honor coming his way. A coach only gets one player in a lifetime like Michael.鈥�
King was the Class A Player of the Year and was named to the all-state squad. He played in the prestigious Dapper Dan Roundball Classic.
鈥淭he light switch started to come on my sophomore year,鈥� King said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a process you go through. Looking back every time we played Geibel it was going to be a great game. It was the same when we played German. Looking back and to see the crowds and how many people turned out to see a Fairchance Georges basketball team play, it never happened before and it hasn鈥檛 happened since.
鈥淚 scored points without the 3-point shot. It was a different game, you had to be able to score from the outside, but you had to be strong enough to go inside. You had to be able to do both. You had to be hard-nosed to play both ways.鈥�
King has found memories of his Fairchance Georges teammates.
鈥淚 had a great relationship with my teammates,鈥� King offered. 鈥淲e are still close today, guys like Todd Ross and my cousin Thurman and others like Scott Voithofer. They were teammates, but they are friends for life.鈥�
As a junior King began attracting interest among college scouts.
鈥淚 grew up watching West Virginia and that was the first school to take an interest in me,鈥� Mike King said. 鈥淲VU offered me a scholarship at the end of my junior year and I promised coach Gale Catlett that I would go there.鈥�
As a senior, King had scholarship opportunities from Southern Methodist University and the University of Houston, but 鈥渕y father and I said my word about going to WVU was good.鈥�
King was part of a pretty good era of West Virginia basketball. The 6-foot-5, 215-pound forward has great memories.
鈥淚 am most grateful for the opportunity coach Catlett gave me,鈥� King said. 鈥淭hose were four of the best years of my life.鈥�
From 1981 through 1984 King was a part of Mountaineer teams that posted records of 23-10, 27-4, 23-8, and 20-12.
鈥淲e went to the NIT Final Four in New York when I was a freshman, and then were invited to the NCAA Tournament the other three years,鈥� King recalled.
King finished with some solid career numbers at WVU.
He played in 120 games, averaging 17.1 minutes per game. He made 247 field goals in 536 attempts (46.1 percent) and 169 free throws in 271 tries (62.4 percent) to finish with 663 points (5.5 average per game).
He also had 392 rebounds, 104 assists, 90 steals and 18 blocked shots.
鈥淚t was a great period in WVU basketball,鈥� King explained. 鈥淐oach Catlett turned things around, we had Greg Jones, Russel Todd and Phil Collins. We were a tough ball club and we were willing to strap it up and go play anybody. Coach Catlett taught us pride and how good you had to be to put on that blue and gold uniform.鈥�
King revealed that since graduating from WVU, he was diagnosed with cancer and spent several months in a cancer center in Houston, Texas, being treated. He is in remission.
He has worked at various jobs. King and his three sons have started a family business, Professional Window Kings, a professional window-washing company in West Virginia and Pennsylvania.
King, 52, is divorced and resides in Fairchance. He has three sons and a daughter. His sons are Jeremy, 28, Justin, 26, and Julian, 24, and daughter Keri is 23.
鈥淭here is no place like home, there is no place like Fairchance,鈥� King said. 鈥淚鈥檝e had ups and downs in life and now I want to help people with troubled pasts because I鈥檝e had my own troubles in the past.鈥�