Petur is a 1977 MI grad and a former UW and NBA center. Petur came to Mercer Island in the Fall of 1975 from Iceland and at 7’2, he starred for the Islanders for two seasons, earning a 3rd place trophy in 1977. After his MI playing career was done, Petur accepted a scholarship to the University of Washington, where he played for 3 seasons, leaving after his junior year to pursue a professional career abroad. Petur was eventually drafted into the NBA by the Portland Trail Blazers in the 1981 draft where he played for Hall of Fame coach, Dr. Jack Ramsey. Petur’s professional career included multiple stops in Europe and the CBA but eventually led him back to the NBA where he played for the “Showtime” era Los Angeles Lakers, backing up Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, and then finishing his NBA experience with the San Antonio Spurs. Petur’s pro basketball career concluded in 1992. In our conversation, Petur and I discuss his beginnings as an athlete in Iceland, how he made his move to Mercer Island, his college and professional careers as well as the impact that Coach Pepple had on his life.
*This podcast was recorded in July 2021. My apologies for the long break between episodes. I hope to record & publish several new “Be Early” episodes in the coming months. Thanks for listening!
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Coach Patrick Frost is a 2004 MIHS graduate and 1st Team All-Kingco selection. Patrick captained the Islanders to an undefeated KingCo regular season championship and a quarterfinal appearance in the 2004 WIAA 3A State Tournament. After high school, Patrick continued his playing career at Redlands University for two seasons, before returning home to Seattle, where he pursued coaching and earned his degree from Eastern Washington University. Patrick spent several years on the MIHS coaching staff, serving as a Varsity assistant in 2009 & 2010 for Coach Pepple (in his final year) and Coach Cree (in his first year). Patrick began coaching with Jasen Baskett at Emerald City Basketball Academy, where he helped to develop a number of college basketball prospects. Coach Frost was initially hired as an assistant coach at Whitworth University in 2012, where he paired with fellow MI alum, Matt Logie, for four seasons. Patrick earned his Master's at the University of San Diego while serving as a grad assistant before being hired by Jim Shaw at Western Oregon in 2018. In 2019, Patrick and Coach Logie paired up once again, this time in San Diego at Point Loma Nazarene University, where he serves as the lead assistant for the Sea Lions. Coach Frost is a budding young coach with a bright future! Patrick discusses how he fell in love with Mercer Island basketball, his unique relationship with Coach Pepple, his appreciation for his parents during some challenging moments and his advice for young coaches and players.
Music Credit:
Cali by Wataboi https://soundcloud.com/wataboi
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Omar is a 1986 graduate of Mercer Island HS, a three-year Varsity letterman, All Kingco-Selection and a State Champion (1985). Omar has a myriad of basketball experiences, including stops as a collegiate player at The University of San Diego, Pomona-Pitzer and BYU-Hawaii, where he graduated as an NAIA All-American. Omar had two separate stints as an assistant coach at Mercer Island, highlighted by two State Championship victories in 1993 and 1999. Omar went on to coach at the college level with multiple years spent at Washington State, Boise State and finally Missouri where he teamed up with fellow MI alum and now NBA head coach, Quin Snyder. Omar has also coached and played professionally in Germany, led summer outreach camps in Jamaica and now serves as an assistant coach and consultant to the Jamaican National Team. Omar took over the Liberty HS (Renton) program in the fall of 2012, where he has taken the program to new heights by building a consistent winner in the KingCo Conference. In this episode, Omar talks about his passion for Mercer Island basketball as a youngster, memories from his experiences as an MI player and coach, and his relentless quest to become a college basketball coach...with some fun story-telling to go along with it! He also reflects on some fond memories of Coach Pepple and the compassionate side of him that many casual observers didn't understand. Omar is one of the great story-tellers out there. You won't want to miss this episode from one of the most impactful Islanders of all-time! Please listen, subscribe and share!
Music Credit:
Cali by Wataboi https://soundcloud.com/wataboi
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Terik is a 1995 graduate of Mercer Island High School and the all-time leading scorer in school history. A state champion in 1993 as a sophomore as well, Terik graduated with many school records and top 10 statistical finishes. After his illustrious career as an Islander, Terik moved on to the University of Oregon where he had a tremendous 4-year career, finishing in the top-10 at the time for 3-pointers in the Pac-10 conference. Terik signed a free agent contract with the Atlanta Hawks of the NBA in 1999, before moving on from basketball to pursue other opportunities. In this conversation, Terik speaks candidly about the work ethic and values that paved the way for his success, his childhood growing up in a basketball family and the various teammates, coaches, opponents, and role models he had along the way. Terik has some wonderful words of wisdom for young, aspiring players -- a must listen! Please subscribe to the podcast and share!
Music Credit:
Cali by Wataboi https://soundcloud.com/wataboi
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Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/wataboi-cali
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Steve is a 1968 graduate of Mercer Island High School and one of the greatest players in program history. Steve talks about Coach Pepple's arrival on MI in 1967, his immediate impact on the team and taking part in the building of a true 'program'. Steve recounts his unlikely, last minute commitment to the UW and his wonderful experience as a Husky. With a 14 year professional career in the NBA and Italy, Steve recalls memorable opponents he competed against such as Kareem Abdul-Jabaar, Bill Walton, Artis Gilmore, Nate Thurmond and Bill Bradley. Steve remembers fondly the number of hall of fame coaches he learned from in the pros, including Hubie Brown and Lenny Wilkens among others. Steve even shouts out some of his former MIHS '68 teammates! Please subscribe to the podcast and share!
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Cali by Wataboi https://soundcloud.com/wataboi
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Coach Logie is a Mercer Island basketball alum ('99), who played at Division 1 Lehigh University ('03) of the Patriot League. Matt has had coaching stints as an assistant at Lehigh (PA) and Kent State (OH) along with head coaching experiences at Whitworth University (WA) and now Point Loma (CA). Matt is the grandson of MI coaching legend Ed Pepple. Matt and I discuss his upbringing around his grandfather and the MI program, in addition to his experiences as a player at Mercer Island and Lehigh. Matt also shares his take on the various levels of college basketball he has coached at, along with some advice for aspiring young players. Please subscribe to the podcast and share!
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Cali by Wataboi https://soundcloud.com/wataboi
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Welcome to the first episode of The “Be Early" Podcast with Coach Gavin Cree, where I explore the history of Mercer Island boys basketball through conversations with former players, coaches, opponents and more. In this episode, I introduce myself, my history with Mercer Island basketball and discuss my motivation for starting the podcast. The episode finishes with a letter I wrote to Coach Ed Pepple last fall. I hope you'll share the podcast with those connected to or interested in Mercer Island basketball.
Music Credit:
Cali by Wataboi https://soundcloud.com/wataboi
Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0
Free Download / Stream: https://bit.ly/wataboi-cali
Music promoted by Audio Library https://youtu.be/qXptaqHIH5g
