Your best Personal Fred Hoiberg Encounter...

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BigSkyCy2

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Aug 9, 2006
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We all know how awesome Fred is and how long he has been around Ames and Iowa State. I've personally had two awesome personal encounters and would love to hear some others. Here are mine.

1. I was in fifth grade during Fred's senior year at the Big Eight Tournament. My parents owned a t-shirt shop and made me a Fred Jersey that had "Mayor 32" on the back. As my dad and I were checking into the hotel in KC, Fred's parents pulled me off to the side, as I was wearing the journey. I was able to meet Fred's parents and girlfriend (at the time) and him. Needless to say, my dad turned around and I was no where to be found. After they told him who they were, he was a little less unhappy with me that I walked away with strangers in the hotel lobby. Cool first experience.

2. I believe it was one of Fred's first year's in the league and the Pacers were playing in Minnesota. After the game, I was wearing my Fred Pacers jersey. We were waiting around by where the players came out and after awhile, we were kicked out of the area. My uncle got us back in, we were able to meet Fred and get a picture with him. Come to find out later on, only the players family were allowed in the area and my uncle told them were were relatives, so they let us stay.

What does everyone else have?
 

Cystheman

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May 3, 2007
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1. In 5th grade I wrote him a letter and he sent me back a autographed photo of him when he was playing for the Pacers. Still hanging up in my room today.

2. Couple years ago I saw him in Wallabys and asked if he would mind if I got a picture with him. He was very humble and had a short conversation with him of my memories watching him when I was a kid.
 

bellzisu

Well-Known Member
Apr 15, 2006
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Norwalk
I was 15 when Fred was a Sr at ISU. I never liked ISU until my cousin got me hooked on Fred and Cyclone basketball his Soph year. Anyway at the end of the season they had their Sr tour around Iowa. It was Fred, Hulo, Loren, Hurl, and Jackson playing at the Schaller gym.

Well after the game they had an autograph session and then they ended up going to someone's house to eat. After they did that they ended up at my uncle's house north of Sac City to spend the night and visit. It was my first time meeting Fred in person.

It was very a very cool day. We ended shooting hoops with them in the machine shed most of the time they were there. And even played some pickup ball. They took it easy on us consider we were young, but it was a dream playing with someone like them who you looked up to.

I still have my picture of Fred, my little brother (who is a hawk fan), and me posing in my uncles basement. He signed my 32 jersey I wore that day which still hangs in my basement now. The cool thing is my cousin has an AAU jersey of Fred's from high school.

I'll never forget that day... And this only makes it better.
 

wesley_w

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Oct 23, 2006
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I would sometimes be right under the east basket shooting photos when Fred was the mop boy. It seems like he would always be at the home side basket. I think he was probably early junior high age. Anyway, one thing I remember was once talking with him during a timeout and he was saying he wanted to play for ISU one day. I didn't know his name at the time but he definitely fulfilled his dream.
 

capitalcityguy

Well-Known Member
Jun 14, 2007
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Des Moines
We were playing a pickup game at Beyer Hall and some kid in the 9th grade from Ames was there playing too.

"hummmm....he'll be a heck of a player someday", I remember thinking.
 

im4isu

Active Member
Apr 11, 2007
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New Haven
When I was in college I went on a student recruiting trip with a few other students and a few faculty members. Freds Dad (Erik) and I were the only two males so we had to share a hotel room (looking back I can't believe that the University made a tenured professor share a room with a student) after our recruiting events were over we went back to the hotel. I was a little nervous, I had soc. 130 and Erik was my prof., but I didn't really know what to expect. Went up to the room and as any sports oriented college kid would do, I turned on ESPN. Pretty quick he was flipping through the yellow pages and asking me what toppings I liked on pizza. He ordered some chicago deep dish and sodas and I watched a few hours of sports programing with Freds dad.......Good memory.

His dad is effen cool.
 
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keepngoal

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I got to see Floyd coach Hoiberg, Fizer and Willowby (sp?) at the 76'ers with Iverson not dressed (two games from playoffs), two rows up on the free throw line across from the 76'ers ... on the company dime.
I think my boss dropped me off at 3:30 am after a sweet night out in South Philly .....

-keep.
 

FarminCy

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Nov 14, 2009
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Nowhere and Everywhere
The summer after my sophomore year of high school some buddies and I went to ISU basketball camp. It was the summer after Freds senior year at ISU. Got a chance after camp one day to work with him one on one and thought it was the greatest thing to ever happen to me. Couldn't wait to get back to the dorms to call my parents and tell them about it.

Also that same day him and James Hamilton got into a dunk contest and just looking at James Hamilton we all thought he would blow freddy away just because none of Freddy's game dunks were too flashy. They traded dunks back and forth and then Freddy did an alley oop off the floor 180 two handed dunk that he caught brought it down between his legs and then dunked it behind his head, I am not kidding when I say his head almost hit the rim. My **** poor explanation does not do the dunk justice. The whole place went nuts and Hamilton wanted nothing to do with that dunk, who knew Freddy had a dunk like that in him.

On a side note the summer before that I got to golf with Loren Meyer at a cyclone club outing and ate dinner that night with Julo so that was also awesome.
 

Sparkplug

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Dr. Hoiberg was my advisor and we went to their house trick or treating. Fred asked his dad what were these big kids doing there.
 

HILLCYD

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Nov 22, 2006
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1991 in Ames I put a bad *** blind side hit on him while he was setting up for a pass. Came around the corner from the right d-end spot untouched. I beleive there is a video tape of said hit somewhere, probably in my parent's attic.
 

Racer68

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Dec 20, 2008
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I was in freshman english class with Fred during our freshman year at ISU...fall 1991. Sat beside him on many mornings, and ended up writing a paper about him...everyone had to write a paper about the person sitting at the same table when the project was given, and we were sitting together that day...and I STILL have that paper today.

On the friday before Thanksgiving break, I showed up to english class at 9am, not looking so good. Fred was at the table in front of me. We had decided the night before, after already starting to pre-holiday "live it up," to do the century club. Wow was that a mistake! Our teacher asked me if I was ok, and when I told her what we did the night before, she could only muster the "oh my god" look and was speechless...when she walked away, Fred turned around with a huge smile and said, something to the tune of "that's the first time we have seen her speechless this semester!"

Was a great guy in class, was very quiet, and would always say hi on campus if we ran into each other.
 

keepngoal

OKA: keepingoal
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1991 in Ames I put a bad *** blind side hit on him while he was setting up for a pass. Came around the corner from the right d-end spot untouched. I beleive there is a video tape of said hit somewhere, probably in my parent's attic.

interesting... his senior year of high school football was Fall of 1990
 

cyeah

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May 23, 2006
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I got to know Fred's parents through a mutual acquaintance and at a birthday party at the Hoiberg's I was telling his mom how much of a fan my then 2 year old son was.

She said "bring him over and I will have Fred set a play date with him". I never got around to it, and as the presser was going on today I told that same son (now 18) about that day. He was a little bummed I never did it.
 

ripvdub

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Mar 20, 2006
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Iowa
My only one was in my avatar at the Barry Stevens event a few years ago. I came into Iowa State 1 year after he left. I hate how he makes me look short in that pic, but what is he 6'5"?
 

sdcyfan

Active Member
May 12, 2006
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When I was about a 5th or 6th grader, a friend of mine and I made the trip all the way from Aberdeen, SD to Ames for the Johnny Orr basketball camp. I was voted MVP of the camp for our grade and was presented the trophy by Johnny Orr and as I was walking off the court with my parents(bball camp ended that day), I got a tap on the shoulder, I turned around, and there was Fred Hoiberg. He told me congratulations, keep practicing, and someday I could play for Johnny. Fred was/is the best.

South Dakota Cyclone fan