ACC Up-and-Comers Kyle Washington, Mike Tobey Share Unique Off-Court Friendship

This wasn't the raucous environment of PNC Arena or the John Paul Jones Arena. No, the backdrop was a swanky, humid gym in Sparkill, New York that barely holds a couple of hundred people.

Yet that is where North Carolina State sophomore forward Kyle Washington and Virginia junior center Mike Tobey found themselves on a crisp May night while refining their basketball skills. They were brought together by a coach, Norm Huling, who has significant investment in both players.

You see, Huling coached Washington's and Tobey's fathers in college. Kyle's father, Curtis, and Mike's father, Ken, were both part of an NAIA '80s powerhouse team, St. Thomas Aquinas College (STAC), a tiny school in the northern suburbs of New York City. Huling, then an assistant coach at the school (Dave Possinger was head coach at the time), coached both Washington and Tobey to the 1986 NAIA Final Four. Now, he was coming full circle instructing their sons.

Funny how serendipitous things turn out.

“I don't think it gets any better than this,” Ken Tobey said in reference to his son playing in the same conference as his STAC teammate's son. “It's such a cool thing to be a part of of something (like this) and to be able to share that experience with Curt and Kyle, we've been really blessed.”

The elder Washington echoed similar sentiments.

“Any father to see their son reach a certain pinnacle, and for them to be NCAA Division 1 athletes in the ACC, sometimes we pinch ourselves,” added Curtis Washington. “It's been a great bond. In a lot of ways as parents (of college athletes), we can relate to what we're going through. Back in the EYBL days and the Peach Jam, we reconnected and we've kept our bond. They’re competing against one another (in the ACC) and now working in the same gym (that Curt and Ken used to call home) is really a dream.”

While a little rough around the edges, Kyle and Mike both possess tremendous upside, and if they can they can refine their skills, they have bright futures ahead of them.

Huling, who was stressing balance, lower-body strength and footwork in his workouts, thinks Kyle and Mike have vast untapped potential.

“I was breaking down the basics,” Huling said. “Balance is all aspects of the game. After watching them the last two years, and in one case one year with the other, I notice their balance affects their game. It was a big thing to me to work on getting them to understand how important their balance is for them to develop their overall game.”

Huling, who has earned the utmost respect and trust from Curtis and Ken, also noted the mental aspect of the game and stressed the importance of that to Kyle and Mike.

Gerry Broome/Associated Press

“It's about breaking down the nuances of the game,” Huling said. “One move counters another move, this moves counters that move. It's a constant battle between whoever is guarding you or whoever you're guarding. And it's a team concept on what you're really balancing out.”

Tobey, a 6'11” junior-to-be, is coming off a fine season in which he averaged 6.4 points and 3.8 rebounds to go with a team-leading 39 blocks, while starting 28 games and being a part of a Virginia team that went 30-7 and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

With Joe Harris and Akil Mitchell leaving the program, Tobey knows he has to step up and work on his game. He was appreciative of the work Huling did with him.

“It was lot of fun,” Tobey said. “It's nice to be back at my dad's old stomping ground and where he used to play ball. It was great playing with Kyle. He's a really good player and Norm knows his stuff. I worked on fundamentals, the foundation of balance and the little things you don't think about during a long season, but they really do matter in the end.”

Washington, a 6'9” sophomore-to-be, is also coming off a solid freshman campaign. He averaged 4.8 points and 3.9 rebounds while starting 25 of the Wolfpack's 36 games. He had a breakout game in Syracuse (who were ranked No. 1 at the time), where he had 14 points and 10 rebounds while almost helping N.C. State pull off the upset before ultimately losing by one point.

Huling was specifically trying to tap the raw potential in Washington, who is known for his high motor and boundless energy. Washington trusts his father in helping advance his game and that extends to Huling.

“My dad played at STAC, (and) he said he learned so much from (Huling). Everything Norm said, I basically take it like my dad's telling me. It was a great experience. Norm (helped me with) playing lower, running with a purpose and not running on my heels so much. He definitely (helped) with footwork for getting open and making sure I see the bigger picture on the floor and not just worrying about one aspect of my game.”

“He's been behind me from the beginning,” Washington said when asked about the relationship he has with his father. “I listen to everything he says. My dad and I have a great relationship and we talk about everything on and off the court. He's my rock.”

It's funny how the game of basketball bonds these families. You wouldn't normally think a kid from Champlin, Minnesota (which Washington used to call home; his family has since moved back to New York) and a kid from Monroe, New York (where Tobey is from) would have much in common. Yet both became good friends through their families.

Now they find themselves adversaries on the basketball court. It's only sweeter that they are playing in perhaps the most prestigious conference in all of college basketball.

“I've known Mike for a while now, through the AAU circuit and stuff like that,” said Washington. “It's been cool to compete against him at Virginia. And to see my dad and Dr. Tobey's (Ken Tobey is a Chiropractor in Monroe) relationship is just great. (I look forward) to having that (relationship) with my teammates (somewhere down the line).”

Mike Tobey added the basketball lineage they share is something special and unique.

“It's really cool,” Tobey said about playing against Washington in the ACC. “I only played against him once this year (a game Virginia won 76-45, and where Tobey shined by scoring a team-high 16 points to go with seven rebounds—Washington scored seven points and pulled down five rebounds), but it's a good feeling we share the next generation thing.”

While it's early and Tobey has two years to work on his game, and three years in the case for Washington, they have showed potential to take their game to the next level. Thus, the fundamental aspects of their game are very critical for their development.

Huling, who is now the Associate Dean of Student Development at STAC, was confident that with some maturity and development, both Washington and Tobey can be next-level players in some capacity.

“They need to develop their overall games to get to the next level,” said Huling. “I was saying to them, they just can't be just 5s, they're not just centers. The game of basketball has changed so much that there's no centers anymore. They have to be more (like) 4s who can face up and play inside. They really have to develop both ends of the game to see if they can play at the next level. Whether it's in Europe, the D-League or the pro's (NBA) or whatever.”

Huling beamed with pride with the fact that he was advising Washington and Tobey some 30 years after he coached their fathers.

“It's really interesting,” said Huling. “I think it comes back to developing a friendship after coaching. It's really cool to see the generations of friendships. There is a respect factor and the (families) are trying to help each other. It's really a great thing that these guys are going to be friends for the rest of their lives.”

It should be noted that Ken Tobey met his wife, Kathleen, while at STAC.

STAC, which is now a Division 2 school, reached the 1986 NAIA Final Four before losing to eventual champs David Lipscomb in the semifinal round. An interesting sidebar to this story is STAC played Southeastern Oklahoma State in the consolation game. What makes this noteworthy is because Southeastern Oklahoma Sate was the team Dennis Rodman played for. Rodman had a game for the ages against STAC, scoring 46 points and pulling down a whopping 32 rebounds—tying a tournament single-game record—in a one-point win. Suffice to say, this was a foreshadowing of things to come for Rodman, who is decorated as one of the NBA's best rebounders. 

Curtis Washington and Ken Tobey were key players off the bench on the '86 squad.

Washington, who was slated to play at George Washington under head coach Gerry Gimelstob before a coaching change derailed plans, in particular would go on to be a star at STAC, as he scored 1,754 points in his college career. He would earn a tryout with the New York Knicks' summer league team in 1988 under the guidance of Rick Pitino, who was coaching the Knicks at the time. Washington would not last with the Knicks and would eventually travel the globe playing basketball, making stops in England, Venezuela, Puerto Rico and with the Yakima Sun Kings of the the now-defunct CBA.

Both Curtis and Ken look back fondly at their college careers, and their run to the Final Four in particular.

“It was a great run,” Tobey said. “The team played fantastic and hard all the time. We were probably an underdog and I don't think too many people knew about our team. We played great team basketball, our defense was fantastic and we met every challenge along the way.”

“Our basketball program was well respected throughout the country,” Washington noted. “I gained a group of brothers at STAC. Here we are almost 30 years later, and Kenny and I are here with our kids in our gym with our assistant coach, who is a basketball guru. It's a phenomenal feeling.”

While the elder Tobey and Washington did not bask in the major college basketball limelight, their sons have a great opportunity in front of them.

Obviously, hitting a foreign gym in May is one way Kyle and Mike are honing their craft. They are committed to putting in the time to make themselves better, more complete players. Both have ambitious plans and are looking forward to getting back on the court in the fall.

“As a team, I think we're looking forward to doing a similar thing (Virginia lost to Michigan State, 61-59, in the Sweet 16) but going a little bit further, ” Tobey said. “Individually, (I have to) work on my overall game and get stronger, quicker and more athletic.”

N.C. State beat Xavier, 74-59, in the play-in game before losing in the second round of the NCAA Tournament to St. Louis, 83-80, in overtime. Washington has high hopes also.

“I think we're going to be good,” Washington said. “It was a great (feeling) getting to the tournament.”

Although the Wolfpack lose the ACC Player of the Year in T.J. Warren, Washington thinks they can pick up where they left off last year.

“If you look at our team, we have a lot of young pieces,” Washington said. “A lot of us can do a lot of different things. I'm just excited for next year. Last year I didn't know what to expect and I was learning on the run. The experiences I went through (are) going to help me so much (this year). Hopefully, we make the NCAA Tournament (again) and are more successful and get past the second or third round.”

Regardless of where their journeys end, Kyle Washington and Mike Tobey will have a long-lasting friendship—passed on down from their fathers—that will go beyond the bounds of basketball.

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.

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