Nov. 8, 2012

Ole Miss Women’s Basketball ….. Catching Up With …..

First and Last Name: Winston Van Chancellor

Name of spouse: Betty

Names and ages of children: John  47, and Renee, 42

Names and ages of grandchildren: Nicholas Asaro, 15, Zachary Asaro, 11, Jacob Chancellor, 13, And Joseph Chancellor, 11

Where are you currently living? How far will you travel for the reunion? Baton Rouge, LA (travel time about 6 hours)

Are you currently working? Tell us about your job or current occupation.  Retired

What other sports/hobbies/activities are you interested in? Golf and grandkids

What do you miss most about Ole Miss/Oxford? My friends that I formed over 19 great years there and the Beacon.

How did you first become interested in basketball? As a kid, I had a goal in my front yard and played all the time since I was eight.

What is your favorite thing about basketball? The competition of it. You can play with a team or right by yourself and compete to see if you could make five in a row.

Do you have a favorite team? Any team I was coaching.

What is your favorite memory from playing basketball at Ole Miss? Coaching there the year we won the SEC Championship.

What do you feel has been your greatest accomplishment since graduating? Being the winning coach of the 2004 Olympic team.

If you could go back, what is one thing that you would do differently? Study more in high school instead of bouncing the round ball and chasing girls.

Do you have a most embarrassing moment you would like to share? For years a young Brian Mackay had attended my basketball camp with his father. After lunch every day Brian and a buddy would play Coach Michelle Anderson and I in a pickup game as the campers came in. Jennifer Gillom was usually the ref. I could never win. If I made the winning shot, she called me for walking or that time was out. One day I decided to beat the two young boys. Michelle passed me the ball and I stood shock still and drilled it before the buzzer went off. Brian was devastated and the campers’ boos filled the gym. To make up, I told him that I was going to a clinic where I would see Michael Jordan and I would get a picture of us for him. He asked his Dad if I would not stand too close to Michael because he wanted to cut me out of the picture. He still wasn’t speaking to me.

What is the most interesting place that you have traveled to? Athens, Greece for the Olympics.