Oregon women's basketball coach Kelly Graves got his start at Big Bend

I’m always fascinated as I scroll down the list of players that came from humble beginnings to become the larger than life icons that fill our television screens, streaming devices and other assortment of social media these days.

I guess you never know who you’re looking at when you take in a junior college or Single-A ballgame around the country. I mean, the legendary Maury Wills scored the first run in Avista Stadium for the Spokane Indians (1958-59). Dodgers skipper Tommy Lasorda got his start with Spokane (1969-71), managing the Indians to the Pacific Coast League championship in 1970.

In fact some of the greatest stars in Major League Baseball history began their careers at the junior college level. Jason Bay, National League Rookie of the Year in 2004, played at North Idaho College in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Don Baylor played at Blinn (Texas) Junior College, Jorge Posada at Calhoun Community College (Decatur, Ala.), Mike Piazza went to Miami Dade College, Curt Schilling Yavapai College (Arizona) and Andy Pettitte, San Jacinto, Texas.

The legendary Jackie Robinson went on to change the world after playing at Pasadena (Calif.) Junior College.

The NFL list goes on and on, Aaron Rodgers got his start at Butte College in California and Cam Newton led Blinn (Texas) to a NJCAA national championship

So it shouldn’t surprise me that some of those humble origins stem from right here in the Columbia Basin.

Big Bend Community College held its inaugural All-Sports Athletic Hall of Fame banquet on Saturday, inducting 14 individuals and four teams in its 2017 class. That list includes one of the best NCAA women’s basketball coaches in the country that got his start right here at Big Bend.

Kelly Graves is currently the head coach at the University of Oregon where his team is coming off the most successful season in Ducks’ history, advancing to the Elite 8 in 2016-17.

Oregon had never advanced beyond the second round until it stunned Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium. The historic run included upsetting No. 7 Temple, No. 2 Duke and No. 3 Maryland. Graves left a good job at Gonzaga to chase a dream and a national championship with a program he brought to national prominence.

Prior to that, Graves (2000-14) took a floundering Gonzaga women’s program and turned it around, winning 10 consecutive WCC titles and advanced to the Sweet 16 three straight seasons (2010-12).

The 2007 team went 13-1 in conference play, and later won the WCC conference tournament. The school made its first ever NCAA tournament appearance that year. Graves was named WCC co-coach of the year for his accomplishments. In 2005, 2010, and 2011, Gonzaga went undefeated in WCC regular season play.

Ain’t that cool? You go out thinking you’ll support your local community college, see a little ball at a higher level and they go on to make their mark on the world stage.

You never know who you are watching.

Rodney Harwood is a sports writer for the Columbia Basin Herald and can be reached at rharwood@columbiabasinherald.com