Kansas State University basketball team used to practice in the upper gym at Ahearn Fieldhouse. If you went one story up from the level of the basketball practice facility there were openings in the hall ways into where the team was practicing. Those openings were covered with chain link fencing and had benches in front of them to allow you to watch and listen to practice. When the men’s team practiced, there were always a good number of people watching practice.

One day when I showed up to watch practice, the only two players left on the court floor were Scott Langton and Mike Evans who were the two starting guards. They were playing a game of one on one against each other. Their one on one started at the top of the key where one man would have the ball and the other played defense. The one with the ball would try to drive by the defender or step back to shoot a jump shot. This one on one game continued for quite some time and the longer it went the more physical the game became. Hand checking on the hip was turning into shoving and elbows were becoming more like forearm shivers from football.

All of a sudden Scott Langton, who was playing defense, reached up and grabbed Mike Evans by the hair with his left hand and hit Mike in the face with his right fist. Mike immediately hit Scott with a right handed fist as he threw his left arm up to break Scott’s grip on his hair. And both of them threw fists at each other four or five times and then each one of them jumped back away from each other. Nasty words were yelled at each other for a few moments. Both of them just stood there looking at each other for about 10 seconds saying nothing.

Eventually, Mike picked up the basketball and slammed it hard onto the court floor and then caught it. He walked back to the top of the key and waited. Scott stood in his spot for a few moments longer and slowly walked back to the top of the key to play defense. The game of one on one began again and it was just as physical if not a little more than before.

That team in 1976-1977 won the Big 8 championship and lost to Marquette 67-66, in the NCAA tournament, on a controversial call towards the end of the game. Mike Evans was 6’1” and Scott Langton was 5’11”. The other three starters were all 6’5” tall. That team had more fight and determination in them than you can imagine.

The will to win is extremely important. How badly do you want to win? Mike Evans and Scott Langton showed how badly they wanted to win by continuing the game of one on one and continuing to practice after they most likely would love to have quit practice at that moment.

The ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius, said it best, “The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential…these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.”