During a back-and-forth battle in a freshman tournament championship game against Anadarko, D'Andre Wright, in his first year at Eisenhower, was already raising eyebrows.
A pair of eyebrows raised belonged to his freshman coach at the time, Todd Millwee, who is now the head coach for Eisenhower basketball.
"This kid is going to be pretty special," Millwee recalled.
Little did he know just how special.
D'Andre Wright, the former Ike standout and versatile stretch forward at Tulsa, signed with KK Ohrid, a professional basketball team in Macedonia earlier this month as he continues his hoops dreams that started long ago.
"I remember seeing it right then and there against Anadarko… the way he could score from anywhere and hit the big shots," Millwee said. "He was already becoming the go-to-guy that everyone would look to in the big moments."
One of those big moments came his sophomore year against Lawton High when Wright hit the pair of game-winning free throws to win one of the season's biggest rivalry games.
A framed picture of Wright throwing down a thunderous slam dunk still hangs by the door of the Ike boys' locker room symbolizing the havoc he created in the paint and around the rim for opposing teams.
Now the 2012 Ike grad will be playing in the Adriatic (ABA) league, the third best league in all of Europe, this season as he looks to further develop his game and gain more experience a year after concluding his collegiate chapter at Tulsa — where he earned his degree in communications and history earlier this year.
"For me, I think it's a great opportunity. I just wanted to be patient," Wright said. "I tell myself, 'Stay patient, handle it the right way and everything will work out and play its course.' That's what I've been doing. That's what I'm going to continue to do."
At 23 years old, Wright is about to embark on his next basketball journey — this time overseas — and he couldn't be more excited.
"A lot of players want to go to the NBA right away or go the G-league (developmental league) route because it sounds the most appealing," Wright said. "But for me, I just want to play ball so if I can do it in a different culture, I'd love to take that chance.
"There are people who wish they can go to another country to just visit. Now I get to do it while playing basketball. I can't complain about that."
March Madness — Every hooper's March dream
The lights of Viejas Arena in San Diego were shining brighter than usual.
It was March of 2014 and Wright was playing in his biggest game yet — against UCLA in the NCAA Tournament.
As kids, hoopers grow up dreaming of playing in the big dance. For college basketball players like Wright at non Power-5 schools, chances are few and far between.
So when Wright got his chance, he soaked it all in.
"It was surreal — definitely not like an ordinary college game for sure. It's a huge deal," Wright said. You're not just flying out on a regular private jet. You have your own chartered Southwest jet. The whole school is with you — the cheerleaders and the faculty and the students are all there. We're all in a big hotel together. So it's one big end of the season get together."
While Tulsa is no mid-major, the Golden Hurricane are somewhere stuck in the vast chasm on the power chain between mid-majors and basketball blue bloods. Some Conference USA programs like Tulsa have enough prestige, resources and talent to be classified as high-end mid-majors.
Still, Tulsa and other similar programs typically need a significantly better resume to slip into the tournament with one of 36 at large bids — if they don't earn an automatic bid that is.
Luckily for Tulsa, the Golden Hurricane got on a roll down the stretch, winning their final 11 games of the season and rolling through the Conference USA Tournament in El Paso, Texas to punch their ticket to the big dance.
"During the last two months of the season, we just got hot and everything was clicking," Wright said.
Tulsa, a No. 13 seed, drew a loaded UCLA squad (No. 4 seed) in the first round.
Wright called the NCAA Tournament experience during his sophomore year his fondest memory of collegiate basketball.
Rightfully so, as he led Tulsa with 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting from the floor including one 3-pointer while also chipping in three rebounds and a block.
Wright did so against top-tier talent as UCLA boasted a squad that featured several top recruits and a trio of future NBA players — Kyle Anderson (Spurs), Jordan Adams (Grizzlies) and Norman Powell (Raptors).
Add big man Tony Parker and the Wear twins (Travis and David) and on paper, Tulsa didn't stand a chance. Together those six UCLA players combined to score 67 of the Bruins' 76 points, but Wright and Tulsa still went toe-to-toe with the UCLA royalty.
"We got to go against all those guys and we weren't intimidated," Wright said. "We hung with them until the last five or six minutes we panicked and they took advantage from there but overall it was huge for us playing on a huge stage in a huge arena. It was definitely one to remember."
Tulsa closed the gap multiple times in the second half, but the Golden Hurricane were outdone by several UCLA surges including a 7-2 run by the Bruins with four minutes left that turned a competitive 5-point game into a double-digit deficit.
The Bruins ran away with the game from there, ousting Tulsa 76-59. UCLA made the Sweet 16 that year where the Bruins fell to top-seed Florida.
"It was something me and my teammates hadn't talked about until recently — how that was an experience we will never forget," Wright said.
Tulsa finished the year 21-13 after the first round exit, but Wright would still have one more chance to wear the glass slipper.
During his senior year in 2016, Wright got his second crack at the NCAA Tournament when Tulsa earned one of those coveted at-large bids and squared off against Michigan, in a battle of 11 seeds at the First Four in Dayton, Ohio.
The Wolverines won 67-62 and ended Wright's career without a Cinderella run deep into March, but it didn't take away from his experience.
"We were a shot away from winning the game," Wright said with remorse. "But it was good to get that March Madness experience two out of three years. It's every kid's dream. And once you get there, you see why it's every kid's dream."
Millwee and long-time Ike head coach Bruce Harrington took multiple trips to Tulsa over the years to watch Wright play, but one game that stood out to them was his UCLA performance in the first round of the tournament his sophomore year.
"He was unbelievable that game," Millwee said. "That was his best game of the year and it came on the biggest stage so everybody thought going into the next season he's going to be the main guy. Then the staff changed and he became more guard-oriented and didn't get to touch the ball in the paint as much unless he got a rebound."
Change is often for the best, but in this case Tulsa may have done more harm than good by taking one of their most versatile and dynamic weapons away from where he could do the most damage.
Coaching changes slightly impacted Wright's averages over the years.
As a freshman he shot 53 percent from the floor while posting career highs in scoring (8.5 points per game) and rebounding (5.1 rpg).
During his sophomore and junior years Wright still averaged more than 7.0 points per game but his rebounding and shooting percentage numbers dropped off — which to some extent can be attributed to position changes under new coaching schemes.
Coaching Carousel
Long before Wright's junior year, a much more drastic coaching change took place.
Wright had committed to Tulsa before his senior year of high school and was recruited by coach Doug Wojcik. Shortly before Wright was about to embark on his college journey, Wojcik was fired from Tulsa.
Not exactly a freshman recruit's cup of tea to watch the coach who gave you a chance disappear before you even arrive.
Danny Manning came in from Kansas to replace Wojcik, but the summer after the UCLA game, Manning left to rebuild Wake Forest.
Enter Frank Haith — who previously coached at Missouri before having the Tigers' success tainted by scandal.
Haith and Mizzou had their entire 2013-14 season vacated due to NCAA violations after Haith and Missouri provided impermissible benefits to multiple players and prospective athletes.
Haith wound up at Tulsa and became Wright's third coach in three years.
If the classic carnival ride the Merry-Go-Round had a home base, it might as well have been Tulsa.
"With coach Haith, that whole transition was pretty dramatic," Wright said. "He just popped in out of nowhere. We knew the situation and why he came and we knew the team we had coming back. We wanted to handle business anyways — he's here for a reason and we're still here for a reason. At the end of the day it was about playing basketball and winning. Still, there were a lot of unknowns then."
Tulsa's coaching carousel during Wright's career made for an agonizing but valuable growing experience.
"It teaches you a lot, forces you to grow up as you battle adversity," Wright said. "I've learned a lot and I've learned to adapt to different coaches and different systems. It made me tougher."
Wright wasn't discouraged by multiple coaching changes the way some college athletes are — leading to transfers. Some athletes are committed to the coach. Others, like Wright, are committed to the school and the program itself.
"I felt connected to the school and the city. I was just drawn to the school. I had multiple coaches and some guys would just leave because of that. For me, I enjoyed the city, the school and the people here including different coaches from different sports. They embrace me and I embrace them. It was just a place I felt like I wanted to finish my college career and get my degree here."
Sculpted by Ike and Lawton
Millwee had Wright in a class back in middle school. The first time it came up that Millwee was the basketball coach, the seventh grader Wright got all bug-eyed.
"I kinda knew then that this kid likes basketball," Millwee laughed. Millwee eventually became the freshman coach by the time a maturing Wright entered ninth grade.
"He was really starting to believe in himself then," Millwee said. "He was a lot more confident and he could score from anywhere on the court — inside and outside. He was the best shooter and the tallest kid on the court. He has always been a 'Yes sir' type of guy so he fit perfectly into our team environment and the culture that Coach Harrington brought up."
At Ike, Wright was a lethal offensive weapon with his tall, lanky frame. By the time he was a senior, the standout had sprouted to 6'8". At Tulsa, he turned into a 6'10" defensive anchor.
Now Wright is trying to combine both elements into one as he starts his next chapter in Macedonia.
"I want to develop my game. I've learned the offensive part of the game; I know defense now," Wright said. "So now is my time to combine and become a better overall player — a good defensive player and an aggressive offensive player."
Now, he not only gets to continue working on his game, but he also gets another opportunity in Macedonia to continue representing Lawton and particularly Eisenhower.
"It's exciting because I think he represents his family first but I think he represents Eisenhower and Lawton in a great way, too," Millwee said. "You just have to have so many things work for you — your talent, your size, the type of person you are and take advantage of your opportunities. He's done all those."
Wright had a lot of things working for him, but it was his personality along with the warm embrace of the community that always pushed him forward.
"It means a lot. I'm always grateful for Lawton and especially Eisenhower," Wright said. "I've always embraced them; they've always embraced me. It's like a family environment. That's what I've always loved about Eisenhower and what I've always loved about Lawton as well."
Wright may have spent the past five years in Tulsa where he did his fair share of growing, but it all started back here in Lawton.
"This place not only helped me to grow but also it helped me grow up," Wright said.
Now he's reaching out to others who have gotten in trouble along the way because he wants to support them now the same way he was supported back at Ike.
"I'm just trying to be humble with it and represent something bigger than me."
Now that Wright has made it to the next stage in his career, he is quick to remember his basketball roots at Eisenhower and here in Lawton — a place that molded him into the person and player he has become today.
"I think about it every day," Wright said. "I think about every step along the way."
He thinks about the time when he was just a kid in middle school and had yet to see his game blossom. He thinks about his freshman year when coaches were yelling at him trying to make him tougher. He thinks about all the highs and lows throughout college.
"Basketball is really what helped me develop as a young man — dealing with so many different types of people and being in different types of environments and even on the court there is so much adversity you battle. You have to be tough.
"That's what I love about basketball so much. It's such a big reward to have that opportunity to continue to play. It's definitely a blessing."
After a scary high school injury, he echoes that sentiment 100 times over.
Wright blew out his knee at the start of his junior year. The summer before his junior campaign Millwee said Wright was starting to play great and his recruiting was picking up. He then had to sit out the whole year following his breakout summer.
"It put a little pressure on him going into senior year, wondering if he's gonna get a look or not," Millwee said. "He was pretty dominant, but that was big to overcome that injury and come back the way he did."
His fondest memory of his days at Eisenhower was sinking those game-winning free throws against LHS his sophomore year. Still, his senior year comeback had its fair share of memories, too, thanks to Ike's lively and fiercely supportive student section — now better known as the Blue Body Brigade.
"Any home game was a memory, our student section was crazy," Wright said. "We are known for the student section. Every game was great because the culture here was something I feel most high schools don't get to experience. I think we won every home game that year; that was definitely my greatest experience here at Eisenhower."
After graduating, Wright continued to closely follow the Eagles, who have now made four State tournament trips in a row and have won a state championship in that span.
"It is good to have a consistent winning culture here at Eisenhower, especially when they are under appreciated," Wright said. "It's good to see the young guys shoulder that burden and carry it upon themselves and make it to State."
Year-long wait done the right way, his way
Once his four years of eligibility were up at Tulsa, Wright easily could've signed with a professional team.
Instead, it turned into a year-long wait done his way and also the right way.
Wright admitted he was close to leaving last summer, but decided to stay at Tulsa and finish his degree in his fifth year, fully realizing the importance of finalizing his college education and how close he was to the finish line.
"I was that close to the finish line so I felt I had to finish it here at Tulsa and get it done," Wright said. "I'll be okay and be able to find somewhere to play basketball again in a year, but I need to finish my schooling."
Just because it was the wise decision doesn't mean it was simple though. Wright knew it'd be a psychological challenge being away from the court.
"I've never been a brainiac, but I knew it was something I needed to do," Wright said. "I made a goal to take it serious and finish strong. I didn't look at it as, 'Oh I'm so sad I'm not playing basketball right now and I hate I'm here.' Instead, I embraced it and looked at it through the eyes of a regular student."
With the wait came a risk of losing offers, but at the end of the day, Wright always knew basketball would be there for him to pick up where he left off.
He got his degree and told his agent he still wanted to play. "I still know how to play basketball," Wright told his agent. "I haven't lost it."
His agent found several interested teams. Finally, a team in Macedonia came through.
Seeing the light at the end of the tunnel made Wright even happier with his difficult life decision a year prior.
"I didn't want to just run off somewhere to play," Wright said. "Tulsa was a school I wanted to be at and I wanted to finish college the right way. I wanted to walk the stage. I dealt with all the challenges and adversity so finishing it out… like I'm doing this for me."
Wright's decision exemplifies his character and coach Millwee wasn't one bit surprised as he called Wright one of the most high-character guys to ever walk through the Eisenhower program.
"You can tell D'Andre is pretty even-keeled," Millwee said. "He doesn't get too high or too low."
And while more difficult decisions likely lie ahead, Wright's even-keeled spirit will surely guide him once more.
Plus, Wright won't be alone. The former Eagle knows several other players playing overseas in Europe currently and even one who is also playing in Macedonia. That friend, who played for Colorado in college, joined Wright on a traveling team one summer in the Philippines during college.
"Basketball is such a universal sport," Wright said. "You never know where or when you might see somebody you know."
Future Plans
One day, Wright plans to go back to school and get his Master's degree. As for basketball, he still has dreams of making it to the NBA by going through Europe like many other post-collegiate players who weren't quite ready to test the NBA waters.
"It's a tough league," Wright said. "If I do well, I can make that next jump."
Wright wants to play as long as he possibly can — as long as his mind and body are willing.
"My main thing is I want to enjoy the experience and not burn out with ball," Wright said. "I want to enjoy being young and having the opportunity to travel and see different things and places and continue to play the game while doing it."
In his spare time, Wright enjoys teaching players as he's been helping out with Coach Millwee and the Ike program this summer.
"I feel it's a gift that God gave me to develop," Wright said. "And I want to use it to help other people off the court and on the court."
In his final weeks at home before leaving for Macedonia, he's getting a chance to unwind and hang out with his family while developing a basketball bond with one person very close to his heart.
Wright is teaching some old tricks to is his 5-year-old nephew, Trent. The pair shoots hoops together every day or work on various basketball activities because just like his star uncle, Trent loves to play.
When Wright picks Trent up from school, his little nephew says three words that make Uncle D'Andre grin from ear to ear.
"Let's play basketball."