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NCAA News Archive - 2007
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Cooking up game
UCF student-athlete’s latest recipe is an on-court success
UCF student-athlete’s latest recipe is an on-court success
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By Leilana McKindra
The NCAA News
The NCAA News
University of Central Florida basketball student-athlete Stanley Billings graduated from high school a little more than a decade ago. At the time, he was aiming for a career in the culinary arts, but he chose to join the military instead.
In eight years as a chef in the Marine Corps, Billings picked up far more than the best way to season a chicken breast. He also picked up the game of basketball, and now the 28-year-old is a primary ingredient in the Golden Knights’ success on the hardwood.
Billings graduated from Oak Hill (Florida) High School in 1996 with three years of home economics courses and a scholarship to a culinary institute to his credit. Though he frequently watched basketball while growing up, he never took up the game.
“It was something I always loved to do, I just didn’t do it. I was lazy at that time,” he said.
Things changed, though, after he decided to join the military right out of high school. As part of his duties, Billings fed hundreds on a daily basis and had some supervisory responsibilities, too. With no previous experience playing any type of organized basketball, the almost-7-foot-tall chef took up the game while stationed in Cuba. It wasn’t until he settled in at a base in Okinawa, Japan, and saw himself progressing and getting better that his interest in basketball turned serious.
“People know who is coming over there (to Okinawa), and they knew they had a 6-11 guy coming, so as soon as I got there, they asked if I wanted to play basketball,” said Billings. The two-year stint in Okinawa was followed by a 30-month stretch in Quantico, Virginia.
“Things took off in Japan,” he said. “Then they really took off once I got back to the States and to Quantico. That’s when I got with really good coaches who helped develop my game.”
A diamond in the rough if there ever was one, Billings’ talent began to flourish to the point that he was chosen to participate in an all-Marine basketball camp at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. While there, he played against teams from the other three services. In 2002, he was the starting center when the Marines won the Armed Forces Championship for just the third time.
The best of the best from that tournament were selected to represent the United States military in competition against other countries. Billings was chosen for the honor. Although he ultimately was unable to take advantage of that opportunity, there were plenty more on the horizon. After completing two consecutive four-year terms of service, Billings filed paperwork to end his military career and decided to head back to school.
He landed at Independence (Kansas) Community College, where he was a standout on the basketball squad. Billings attracted the attention of many NCAA Division I programs throughout his two seasons at the junior college level, including Florida State University; Auburn University; St. John’s University (New York); and the University of Nevada, Reno. In the end, though, the Orlando native decided to become a Golden Knight.
Billings said he came to Central Florida to help the team as much as possible, and so far he’s doing just that. Through the first 14 games of the season, he has averaged 1.1 blocks per game. Billings scored a season-high 12 points against Florida Atlantic University and contributed six points, four rebounds and three blocks against the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. With the Golden Knights at 14-4 overall and 3-1 in Conference USA play, Billings said his main goal is to help the team win a league title and earn an NCAA tournament berth.
Off the court, Billings is excelling in the classroom as a liberal studies major and criminal justice minor. Ultimately the junior is considering a possible career with the police or FBI. However, despite being nearly 30, Billings’ more immediate plans involve a run at a professional basketball career.
“Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do anything,” he said. “I’ve been told that ever since I started playing basketball. I’ve just worked and used that as motivation, and I’m here today doing what I want to do.”
In eight years as a chef in the Marine Corps, Billings picked up far more than the best way to season a chicken breast. He also picked up the game of basketball, and now the 28-year-old is a primary ingredient in the Golden Knights’ success on the hardwood.
Billings graduated from Oak Hill (Florida) High School in 1996 with three years of home economics courses and a scholarship to a culinary institute to his credit. Though he frequently watched basketball while growing up, he never took up the game.
“It was something I always loved to do, I just didn’t do it. I was lazy at that time,” he said.
Things changed, though, after he decided to join the military right out of high school. As part of his duties, Billings fed hundreds on a daily basis and had some supervisory responsibilities, too. With no previous experience playing any type of organized basketball, the almost-7-foot-tall chef took up the game while stationed in Cuba. It wasn’t until he settled in at a base in Okinawa, Japan, and saw himself progressing and getting better that his interest in basketball turned serious.
“People know who is coming over there (to Okinawa), and they knew they had a 6-11 guy coming, so as soon as I got there, they asked if I wanted to play basketball,” said Billings. The two-year stint in Okinawa was followed by a 30-month stretch in Quantico, Virginia.
“Things took off in Japan,” he said. “Then they really took off once I got back to the States and to Quantico. That’s when I got with really good coaches who helped develop my game.”
A diamond in the rough if there ever was one, Billings’ talent began to flourish to the point that he was chosen to participate in an all-Marine basketball camp at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. While there, he played against teams from the other three services. In 2002, he was the starting center when the Marines won the Armed Forces Championship for just the third time.The best of the best from that tournament were selected to represent the United States military in competition against other countries. Billings was chosen for the honor. Although he ultimately was unable to take advantage of that opportunity, there were plenty more on the horizon. After completing two consecutive four-year terms of service, Billings filed paperwork to end his military career and decided to head back to school.
He landed at Independence (Kansas) Community College, where he was a standout on the basketball squad. Billings attracted the attention of many NCAA Division I programs throughout his two seasons at the junior college level, including Florida State University; Auburn University; St. John’s University (New York); and the University of Nevada, Reno. In the end, though, the Orlando native decided to become a Golden Knight.
Billings said he came to Central Florida to help the team as much as possible, and so far he’s doing just that. Through the first 14 games of the season, he has averaged 1.1 blocks per game. Billings scored a season-high 12 points against Florida Atlantic University and contributed six points, four rebounds and three blocks against the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. With the Golden Knights at 14-4 overall and 3-1 in Conference USA play, Billings said his main goal is to help the team win a league title and earn an NCAA tournament berth.
Off the court, Billings is excelling in the classroom as a liberal studies major and criminal justice minor. Ultimately the junior is considering a possible career with the police or FBI. However, despite being nearly 30, Billings’ more immediate plans involve a run at a professional basketball career.
“Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do anything,” he said. “I’ve been told that ever since I started playing basketball. I’ve just worked and used that as motivation, and I’m here today doing what I want to do.”
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