First Annual No Varsity outdoor tournament draws large number of former GHS players to Greenville's North Park
GREENVILLE – No Varsity, LLC held its First Annual No Varsity 3×3 Basketball Tournament at Greenville’s North Park.
Each of the three owners founders of No Varsity, Desmond “Des” Thompson, Noah Walker and Simeon King are 2019 graduates of Greenville Senior High School.
Simeon, Des and I run No Varsity,” said Walker. “It’s a collective thing we started to bring the community together in different ways including this basketball event.”
“I started the name No Varsity back in high school,” said Thompson. “My friends wanted to join in with me and make something happen and make some clothes, have community events, bring everybody together and something for kids to do.”
“We’ve been doing a podcast, we’ve been putting out music with Des and posting other events like this basketball tournament,” Walker added. “We plan to have it annually. We want to have it open to high school or older.”
The LLC designs shirts among other items and has them for sale online.
“I do play a little bit of the design guy,” said King. “I made this shirt I am wearing for today’s tournament. I design a lot of the shirts and I just come up with ideas.”
“I don’t think any of us play any specific role other than Noah is the social media guy,” continued King. “It is just something we were all doing together and something we want the community to be a part of. “We always say, it’s not only us, it’s whoever else we want to bring into it as well – just try to make everybody a part of it.”
Many recent GHS grads weighed in the first No Varsity Basketball Tournament.
Aaron Rich from the class of 2017 and member of the Wave’s last conference championship team, a four year starter for Bluffton University basketball team, two year Bluffton team Captain and member of the GHS 2021-2022 boys basketball coaching staff.
“This event is just fun – get some alumni back here to Greenville,” Rich said. “I like what these guys are doing. Their podcast I listen to it weekly – it’s a good deal.”
“It has been a good experience,” continued Rich. “My first year of coaching has had some ups and downs. We had a good group of guys and it was a great coaching staff to coach with. I couldn’t ask for a better group of coaches to learn from and get experience.”
From the class of 2017, Isaiah Gable was a starter on the last Greenville boys basketball team to win conference championship and went on to play DI basketball for Southeast Missouri State University for three years before finishing his college basketball career with West Virginia’s University of Charleston.
“It was a good time to come out here and see some of my friends and play some basketball with them,” said Gable. “I haven’t played with them in a long time and support what Noah Walker, Des and Simeon are doing out here. They have a good cause going on so decided to come out and cheer them on.”
Gable talked about his high school and college days now behind him.
“I’m always going to miss playing but I’m ready to start something new and try and build that,” Gable stated. “I’ve thought about coaching but not as of right now. I will never close that door…maybe in the future.”
“It is neat – Des Thompson, Noah Walker and Simeon King put it together – good guys,” said Peter Pandy from the class of 2017, now working in cyber security and living in Kentucky. “We played with them in high school too. It’s nice to see that they are trying to get everybody together again.”
“Isaiah Gable, Clay Guillozet, Aaron Rich, Devin Hendricks, Kyle Phillips,” teammates Pandy rattled off. “We had a lot of seniors our senior year. It’s fun playing with high school teammates. The chemistry s there so it was good. It’s good too because we have all been away at college and we’re back for a little bit in town.”
GHS 2020 graduate, Marcus Wood went on to play college football at Bluffton University.
“I played with Noah Walker, Simeon, Dom Baker, Foster Cole, Alex Fletcher, Aaron Rich, Isaiah Gable, Pete Pandy,” noted Wood. “It was good to get back with the guys. It was really fun out here playing hoops, something we like to do a lot.”
“I have several kids from my class out here,” said Foster Cole from the class of 2020. “Alec Fletcher, Marcus Wood, Tony Sells, Tytan Grote and a few other kids from Greenville. It has been a good time out here. I told them next year if he needs a sponsor give us holler.”
“It’s a great time – all the guys are home from college,” said Tytan Grote from the class of 2020, an excellent football player for the Green Wave. “I just wanted to see them. “They’re all playing sports in college and I’ve just been working so they have been running around a little more than I have I’m sure.”
“I’m having a blast,” Tony Sells from the class of 2020 stated. “I played with Marcus Wood, Alec Fletcher, Foster Cole, Tytan Grote and I played with Aaron Rich and was all a good time. I was looking forward to it all week. I’ll definitely be here next year.”
