It’s just business
As North Lake goes to nationals three years in a row, it’s all about the coach

By Lotis Butchko, Sports Editor

It’s a Sunday in March at 2 a.m., and Tim McGraw, North Lake College’s basketball coach, sits in a second-floor office. It’s not unusual for McGraw to work late, but usually he’s watching game films of conference foes. This time, he’s searching the Internet for information about teams the Blazers may face in the junior college national tournament.

For the third consecutive year McGraw’s basketball team is headed to Delhi, NY., and its national stage for two-year roundballers.

That success is further emphasized by McGraw’s record of routinely coaching players who graduate to successful junior and senior seasons at NCAA Division I and II universities.

“This has been his best season of coaching since he has been here” says North Lake Athletic Director Dan Joutras.

Before this season began, McGraw lost longtime Assistant Coach Roy Gregory, who resumed work on his master’s degree.

Despite that loss, McGraw and Assistant Coach Mitchell James turned an inexperienced team into a national champion in March.

It wasn’t an easy transition. “We came in awful, probably the worst team I have had in the 11 years I have been here,” said McGraw.

But that young team had lots of heart and great coaching. And North Lake came home with the school’s second national championship in three years.

Other coaches in the Metro Athletic Conference recognize the tremendous effort McGraw demands and receives from his players.

“Its good to have a coach like Coach McGraw in our conference,” said Richland College Coach Jon Felmet. “His success helps kids see that we are a for-real division. He is a very good head coach. He knows what he is doing, and he is good at setting his tempo.”

North Lake is in Division III of the National Junior College Athletic Association.

But McGraw routinely schedules early season games against bigger foes in Division I and Division II to toughen his players and prepare them for MAC conference play and a run at the national tournament.

McGraw also insists that his young men play several three-day tournaments, preparing them for the March grind in Delhi. “It gets the kids ready, lets them know what to expect,” he says.

McGraw is a former college basketball player. He attended John Brown University in Siloam Springs, Ark., where he played point guard.

Under McGraw’s tutelage, nine former North Lake Blazers have been signed by NCAA Division I universities in the past decade. Another 18 moved to NCAA Division II schools.

Among those was point guard Brandon Brooks, who was a member of North Lake’s 2006 national championship team. Brooks now plays at Alabama State University in the Southwestern Athletic Conference.

Brooks lead his conference in assists this season, averaging 6.2 a game.

“Coach McGraw is a great coach,” Brooks says. “He taught me about the game. He is just a great coach.”