Caleb Tegtmeier thinks about the ‘no-foul’ face, and he can’t stop laughing.
He’s seen it so many times from Wes Book. It still never seems to change.
“He throws up the hands, wide-open mouth,” Tegtmeier said between laughs. “He does that every time.”
At times for Tegtmeier, it seems like the two have been playing basketball together forever.
It’s hard for both to know those days are coming to an end.
“It just went so fast,” Book said. “You blink, and it’s gone.”
From an outsider’s perspective, it would be easy to think that it’s always been like this: Book, the 6-foot-2 effortless guard with the quick dribble and the soft shot; Tegtmeier, the powerful 6-5 post player with the strong fundamentals and ability to shoot from the outside.
The reality is much different.
The two players — both from the same youth program, both from the same town, both going to the same college — took two entirely different avenues to get to where they are today.
Just ask the coach that has seen them from grade two all the way to age 22.
***
Emporia High boys basketball coach Rick Bloomquist grins before taking a sip from his Styrofoam cup.
Practice can wait a couple more minutes. He’s got plenty of stories to tell about Wes Book.
Bloomquist remembers watching an 8-year-old Wes play, but then again, how could he forget?
Book, as a third-grader, had every NBA headband, wristband and other piece of apparel that he could fit on his body.
But, boy, the kid could play.
“Wes was a special third-grader, and he was a special fourth-grader just because of his basketball IQ,” Bloomquist said. “He probably had the biggest basketball IQ of a third-grader that I’ve ever seen.”
The expectations were always high for the well-built Book.
After hitting his growth spurt early, Book was the top player in Emporia at every level growing up.
Bloomquist saw the makings of what could be a great talent.
In high school, the only problem was trying to convince Wes of the same thing.
Bloomquist says that during his coaching career, he was hardest on two kids.
One was Joel Gerdes. The other was Wes Book.
“To his credit, Wes took everything I gave,” Bloomquist said. “He took it all. I think he understands now what I was talking about more than he did then. Then, he didn’t like it.”
One time, Bloomquist went through a two-hour practice without using basketball goals to prove a point to his star player.
Another time, he singled Book out in practice, saying, “You know, if you played as hard on the defensive end of the floor as you want to play on the other end of the floor, you’d be a pretty special player.”
After challenging Book in practice in front of all his teammates, Bloomquist wanted the junior to prove him wrong. He wanted Book to be mad at him.
The next game, Bloomquist said, the proverbial light bulb came on. Book played like he had something to prove — with more fire and intensity — and became an even better player over his last 1 1/2 years.
“The kids that don’t buy into it, they stay the same,” Bloomquist said. “Wes never stayed the same. He got better every year, every day.”
***
Bloomquist always could see the potential in Wes Book.
It took a lot more imagination for the coach to do the same for a young Caleb Tegtmeier.
“Caleb’s an example you want to use for all little kids: Don’t ever give up if you love the sport,” Bloomquist said. “Caleb is such a success story.”
Tegtmeier’s skills — and most importantly, his big body — didn’t develop until late.
Bloomquist remembers a skinny, scrawny third-grader that was timid on the court. Tegtmeier, in fact, did not get selected that year to play along with Book on Emporia’s top traveling team.
“Caleb wasn’t a very good sixth-grader,” Bloomquist said, “while Wes was a super sixth-grader.”
Bloomquist remembers taking both players into the weight room after their eighth-grade years to test their strength. Book could do three dips.
Tegtmeier couldn’t even manage one.
“People don’t realize how small he was as a freshman, how underdeveloped he was as a freshman,” Bloomquist said.
During his freshman year of high school, Tegtmeier still only stood at 5-foot-10.
Meanwhile, Book was 6-2.
What happened shortly after that Bloomquist calls “the wonder of testosterone.”
Over the next three years, Tegtmeier sprouted up seven inches and also developed into the wide-shouldered body he has today.
Tegtmeier’s work ethic did the rest.
“He definitely developed into a player,” Book said. “He just works so hard at it, there was no choice but for him to be good at basketball.”
***
Book says he has one play he likes to watch again and again when pulling out his old high school game tapes.
It’s one where he dribbles baseline, then passes to a wide-open Tegtmeier underneath.
“He knew exactly that I was going to throw it there,” Book said.
Tegtmeier finished the play with a two-handed dunk.
It’s a chemistry the two have carried on to their days at Emporia State.
Tegtmeier says the two are helped by a sense of trust and comfort when they are on the floor together.
Other times, Tegtmeier said he is helped by being ready for an 80-mile-an-hour overhead pass that Book oftentimes sends his direction.
“I don’t know if it’s as much that I see it coming,” Tegtmeier said, “but I know he’s apt to doing dumb things like that.”
After a year at Barton County Community College, Tegtmeier received a call saying there was a scholarship and a spot open for him at ESU.
It didn’t come from coach David Moe or from any of his assistants.
Instead, it came from Book.
“I really think God probably put me on a path there to come back here,” Tegtmeier said.
The two picked up right where they left off at ESU.
Tegtmeier has seen his scoring increase from 5.9 points per game his sophomore year to 11.6 points this season.
Book, after winning MIAA freshman of the year honors, has bumped his scoring average all the way up to 14.5 points per contest.
“They both evolved into very big-time, impact players at Emporia State,” Bloomquist said, “which I’m very proud of.”
Their playing days will end soon, but Tegtmeier says he still doesn’t see things changing much.
The two will still hang out together. They’ll still be competitive, whether it be racquetball, tennis or grilling.
They’ll always have that perfect play in high school, and also the laughs that come with ‘no-foul’ faces.
They’ll also have 13 years of memories.
And a bond that few get to experience on — or off — a basketball court.
“Playing with your best friend,” Book said, “there’s nothing more special than that.”
UsayULoveGod (anonymous) says...
2 fine young men!
Good Luck !
March 5, 2008 at 4:48 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )