Men’s Basketball: Mr. Consistency – Graylin Warner

Men’s Basketball: Mr. Consistency – Graylin Warner

Joshua Parrott • jparrott@theadvertiser.com • January 21, 2011

When his professional basketball career ended in the late-1990s, former USL standout Graylin Warner admitted that he was a little burned out with the sport.

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Graylin Warner (40), shown here battling in the low post against East Carolina on Dec. 17, 1982 at Blackham Coliseum, is the sixth-leading scorer in the program’s history. The Cajuns enjoyed a 69-25 record in Warner’s last three years at then-USL, including two NCAA Tournament berths and an NIT Final Four. (Advertiser file photo)

So Warner returned to New Orleans, where he was Louisiana’s Mr. Basketball as a senior at Booker T. Washington High School, to pursue a new passion: Driving 18-wheelers. He started by pulling chemical tankers then drove for Owens & Minor. For the past four years he has worked for RL Carriers.

"I was always intrigued with 18-wheelers," said Warner, now 48. "It was the exact opposite of playing basketball in front of a crowd of people. I was by myself. It pays well, and it’s not really hard. I love it."

Warner, who played for the Cajuns from 1980-84, will be back in Lafayette today and Saturday to participate in festivities for the UL Basketball Reunion this weekend.

Regarded as one of the program’s most versatile players, Warner played during a special era in Cajun basketball. USL posted an 84-38 record with two NCAA tournament appearances (1982 and ’83) and a trip to the NIT Final Four in 1984 during his four years under coach Bobby Paschal.

The skinny 6-foot-7 forward finished his collegiate career with 1,762 points, 682 rebounds, 274 assists and 153 steals. He is fifth in school history in steals, sixth in scoring, 16th in rebounds and 19th in assists. Warner was second-team All-Southland Conference as a sophomore, second-team All-Louisiana as a sophomore, junior and senior and second-team all-district in each of his final two years.

"I didn’t even know about the reunion until coach Paschal called me earlier this week because I had changed my e-mail address," Warner said. "My wife had asked me the other day when we were going to take another trip to Lafayette, and I wanted to get our taxes done first so we could really plan it out and make it special.

"But this reunion was something that I needed to attend. I guess it was inevitable."

Warner said his favorite memory as a college player came at the start of his sophomore season in 1981-82. Coming off a 15-13 campaign, the Cajuns stunned No. 5 Georgetown, Washington State and Marquette to win the Great Alaskan Shootout to open the season in surprising fashion.

Georgetown, led by eventual NBA Hall of Fame center Patrick Ewing, lost in the NCAA championship game later that season on a last-second shot by a North Carolina freshman named Michael Jordan.

"That was Patrick Ewing’s first game at Georgetown, and (All-America guard and future NBA player) Doc Rivers played for Marquette at the time," Warner said. "We were coming off a .500 season, and that kind of catapulted that particular group going forward."

The Cajuns advanced to the NCAA tournament in the 1981-82 and 1982-83 seasons, losing in the first round by single digits both times.

During his senior year in the 1983-84 season, USL beat Utah State on the road in the first round of the NIT then knocked off Weber State and Santa Clara in Blackham Coliseum. That earned the program a trip to the NIT Final Four in New York. The Cajuns lost in the national semifinals to Notre Dame, 65-59, before falling to Virginia Tech in the third-place consolation game, 71-70.

"It was amazing to cut down the nets at Blackham Coliseum and go to New York after beating Santa Clara," Warner said. "People still remember those games. We played hard and expected a lot out of each other. We definitely went out with a bang."

Warner then got picked in the sixth round of the 1984 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics but was the last player cut before the season. He later played professionally overseas for more than a dozen years, including stops in Germany, Italy and France. In 2009, Warner said someone told him that he finished as the all-time leading scorer in France.

More than a decade since ending his pro career, Warner still plays competitive basketball in a 32-and-over league in New Orleans. He’s been back on the court for the past two months after a one-year layoff.

"I’m probably one of the oldest guys in the league," said Warner, still as thin as during his playing days at 187 pounds. "It’s still fun. I can still do some good things out there. As long as I’m productive, I’m going to play."

Warner is excited about the chance to reunite with some of his old teammates and coaches this weekend. He made it back to Lafayette in 2008 to be recognized at the Top 28 Boys Basketball Tournament in the Cajundome, and last season he made a quick trip to town to watch the Cajuns play.

"I haven’t seen some of those guys in quite a while," Warner said. "I miss the guys, and I’m looking forward to seeing them."

Athletic Network Footnote: Click here for the Men’s Basketball Reunion Page http://athleticnetwork.net/site1894.php