A few flips of the calendar later, the seniors are now pillars of sorts for Mary Hardin-Baylor teams prepping for stretch runs to the American Southwest Conference Tournament.
There were no hoops metamorphosis or moments of divine inspiration for these two. As it turns out, dedication and resolve really do pay off. They came by their current roles the old-fashioned way - they earned them.
“Of course there were times that were difficult, but I knew I should just ride it out,” Ivey said. “As a person, I’m more patient with things now. As a player, I’m more confident in the things that I can do.
“But if I hadn’t sat on the bench and watched, I don’t think I would know what I know now.”
Just like the Crusaders’ 6-8 post from Magnolia, McAdams - the Lady Crusaders 5-5 guard from Robinson - believes her time on the bench was invaluable.
“I had never been in the position to sit and learn,” said McAdams, who has gone from averaging 5.3 minutes per game in 2006-07 to 30.1 minutes and eight points. “I had always been the one on the floor and it was really hard for me. But at the same time, it was necessary.”
What both experienced their first years was not much different from most players, who arrive fresh off high school careers in which they stole the spotlight, then are delegated to limited roles as they adapt to the college game.
What sets Ivey and McAdams apart from some is the fact that they elected to stay the course rather than try to chart a new one with another school.
“It’s a struggle every year for every college basketball coach across America, trying to convince young guys that if they stay with the program and keep working that good things will usually happen,” UMHB men’s coach Ken DeWeese said. “Most of them get to college having been the star player in high school or AAU, and Mike was the same way.
“Before he got here, we saw him play in Las Vegas and Long Beach and Orlando, so these guys are used to doing big-time things. Getting those guys to stay through their first couple of years, when all of the sudden they’re not getting on the floor much, is a hard thing to do.”
Ivey, who has gone from 5.8 minutes in 2005-06 to 18 minutes and seven points, admitted that he’s a perfect example of what his coach described.
“I was, I guess you could say, used to being the stud athlete at Magnolia,” said Ivey, whose 84 rebounds this season rank second on the team. “I came here having big aspirations for myself my freshman year and it was a very humbling experience to just watch.
“In the middle of my sophomore year, things were pretty difficult. Then with about five games left before the conference tournament that season, things just clicked. I started playing and performing a lot better.”
As for McAdams, her entry to the starting lineup was born partly from a meeting with Lady Crusaders coach Kim Kirkpatrick-Thornton prior to last season.
“I remember her coming in here and talking to me,” Kirkpatrick-Thornton said. “She wanted to tell me that she had worked really hard over the summer and that she could do it as a leader and a point guard, and that she wanted me to have confidence in her.
“That got my attention.”
McAdams claims she wanted to let her coach know where she stood.
“Even though I had struggled before, I always knew that I was more than capable of playing at this level,” said McAdams, who has a team-high 54 assists this season. “Going into last year, I had made up my mind that I was going to do it. I came to talk to Coach because I just wanted her to have confidence enough to give me a chance.”
The biggest difference between McAdams now and then might be her outlook on things.
“Back then when I made a mistake, I would get so frustrated and it made it more difficult for me to play,” she said. “I’ve learned not to let things get me down. You have to push through mistakes and focus on doing the next thing right.”
Added Kirkpatrick-Thornton: “She should be an inspiration for our current freshmen, some of whom might be getting even more playing time than she did back then. The change that’s happened in her is remarkable.”
The changes in Ivey are more subtle and center on mechanical improvements and an expanding repertoire of moves on the low block.
“With the coaching I have had here, I can do more things now,” he said. “And my standards on the court are the same. I’ve always had high expectations for myself on and off the court. I expect nothing but good things from myself. Anything less is unacceptable in my eyes.”
DeWeese believes Ivey’s growth as a player also has something to do with determination, which the coach said every player - regardless of their ability out of high school - must show in order to compete at the college level.
“Mike is very disciplined and he just made up his mind that he was going to make it work here,” DeWeese said. “We talk to every young player about doing that. Some of them get it and some of them don’t.”
Evidently Ivey and McAdams got it, and perhaps they did experience a type of basketball renaissance after all.
Or then again, maybe they just got tired of watching from the side.
edrennan@temple-telegram
