It was a day I’ll never forget. I was in the sixth grade and all the other kids were in school while I went with my mom to get my braces tightened. For those of you who have ever had braces, you know that getting them tightened is no picnic. But missing out on class to do so helped alleviate the pain a little bit. That, and knowing whenever I had to get this done, Mom would always take me to the old Donutland on Lincolnway in Ames afterwards. And it was on one of those occasions that it happened: My hero at the time, Jeff Grayer, walked in the door while we were sitting, eating donuts. I had a quick conversation with Mom, and knowing I didn’t have much time, grabbed a pen and the first piece of paper we could find in her purse and ran to the counter where he was ordering and asked him for his autograph. I was the happiest kid in Ames, Iowa that day and I still have the memento—one of my strongest reminders of what Hilton Magic used to be like.
There haven’t been many happy days in Cyclone basketball country lately, but the hiring of Jeff Grayer as an Assistant to Coach McDermott offers a ray of sunshine in the middle of the storm clouds that have been hovering over Hilton Coliseum the last few months. Grayer is ISU’s all-time scoring leader and is one of my two favorite Cyclone players ever along with the late Barry Stevens. Grayer brings some recruiting connections and credibility, but perhaps most important, he brings back good memories of Iowa State basketball to a fan base that is in desperate need of them. Now, if only he could still suit up!
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