HOUSTON — Ever wondered what it's like to play in THREE straight Final Four games?
One of the few players to have ever done it is former University of Houston star Michael Young. He did it during the great "Phi Slama Era" of Houston basketball.
"Nobody really believes that I went to three Final Four," said Young.
And Young wasn't riding the bench in any of these tournaments. He was starting -- hailed a charter member of the world's tallest fraternity, Phi Slama Jama.
"When you popped onto the scene in 1982, no one really knew who you were," Young said. "But you were nationwide stars after three straight Final Fours."
Young was a bonafide star who went to the NCAA Tournament all four years that he was at Houston. He averaged double digits in scoring all four years, including 29 points and six rebounds a game his senior year.
His third Final Four attracted all kinds of interest from pro scouts.
"What it does, it puts you on a stage where you're playing longer than all the other teams and all the professional scouts are watching you," Young said.
After his third Final Four, the Boston Celtics made Young a first-round draft pick.
"Hey I really appreciate the Celtics drafting me for Red Auerbach, but it didn't work out," he said. "That's the way professional sports are."
Although he didn't make it with the Celtics, Young played professionally for 15 seasons. Twelve of those were in Europe.
"I just loved the game," he said. "What a great way to make a living/"
Because most of Young's professional career was played overseas, he never regained being a household name to the national basketball fans like he was while playing in those three straight Final Fours with Phi Slama Jama.
"College basketball was some of the greatest experiences that you could ever experience," Young said. "The guys that you play with, they'll be our friends for the rest of your life."