‘Spoon’ serves U High basketball in variety of roles

March 31-- Mar. 31--Dave Mizer's nickname was born when he was 17 years old, emerging from a University High School basketball practice during his junior year.

It was 1971 and Mizer, like most young players in Illinois, had an affinity for then-University of Illinois basketball star Nick Weatherspoon. Mizer went so far as to imitate Weatherspoon's unique shooting style.

A member of the scout team, Mizer was asked to fill the role of Morton's top scorer during a practice.

"It was a night I couldn't miss," Mizer says. "Then I would run down the court the way he (Weatherspoon) did, pumping the arms. They (teammates) started calling it out."

He has been "Spoon" ever since. A piece of U High is with him every day.

"Hi, Spoon."

"How's it going, Spoon?"

"How many timeouts do we have left, Spoon?"

He wouldn't be the same without it. And U High would not be the same without him.

Mizer has been connected to the U High boys basketball program since the mid-1980s, when he was a volunteer assistant coach to Bob Morris and then Chuck Gault.

He later assisted Lester Hampton in coaching the freshman team under head coach Cal Hubbard, a U High graduate, before settling into a role as public address announcer and statistician in 1992.

His tenure in that capacity has spanned head coaches Hubbard, Bob Fitzgerald and, currently, Andrew McDowell.

"Each coach has their own personality, their own methods, but they've all been successful," Mizer says. "I could name coaches that I would run from. But a constant through all the coaches I've worked with (head coaches and assistants) is that we all got along so well. That makes a big difference. You want to be there."

Highlights during Mizer's time with the program include a Class A state championship in 1995 and state runner-up finishes in 1992 and 2012.

Yet, his involvement isn't driven by wins and losses. It is rooted in a love for Normal's U High, the game of basketball and the people those two things attract.

"You meet families," he says. "You have legacy families that run two, three, four kids through. You get to know these families so well. You get to know the kids so well that it's different.

"The real rewarding thing is to have some of them (families) now being second and third generation. That's how old I am ... I'm on the third generation of some of these families and their kids."

Fitzgerald and McDowell were players at U High during Mizer's tenure before becoming assistant coaches and then head coaches.

"Since I was a kid going to (U High) summer camp, Spoon was always there," McDowell says. "It's cool for me in my perspective. Graduating from U High, you have a deep affection for the program. He loves the program and cares so much and still helps out.

"It's something our players can look at and pull from as far as just how meaningful it is."

From 2001-04, Mizer also was P.A. announcer, statistician and scorekeeper for U High girls basketball.

He is a past recipient of U High's Alumni Service Award. His community involvement has included serving on boards of local youth swimming and softball organizations and on the State Farm Holiday Classic Basketball Tournament committee. He has been a timer in swimming and travel team coach in softball.

He has juggled it all while raising two daughters, Erin and Molly, with his wife, Deb, and a long career in the insurance business. He owns and operates Creative Insurance Concepts and Consulting Service in Bloomington.

Mizer credits his wife for "allowing me to do something I enjoyed."

"For Spoon to do it as long as he has, it's really awesome," McDowell says. "I think it's special to U High."

More video from this section

Video

Two Minutes with Mitch Henck: Edgewood stadium compromise needed to get votes

Two Minutes with Mitch Henck: Edgewood stadium compromise needed to get votes

Video

Video: McCaskill Delivers Farewell Speech on Senate Floor

Video: McCaskill Delivers Farewell Speech on Senate Floor

Video

Two Minutes with Mitch Henck: Could Donald Trump impeachment hinge on intent?

Two Minutes with Mitch Henck: Could Donald Trump impeachment hinge on intent?

Video

Video: Selecting a Christmas tree

Video: Selecting a Christmas tree

Contact Randy Kindred at (309) 820-3402. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_kindred

___

(c)2019 The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Ill.)

Visit The Pantagraph (Bloomington, Ill.) at www.pantagraph.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.