Postcards from Miami -- The Work of Art

Jan 4, 2011

 

By: Austin Meek | cjonline.com

 

I was late to my meeting with Art Alvarez, having gotten lost in Miami's endless nexus of streets and avenues. They run perpendicular, the numbers going in opposite directions, and I'm too stubborn for GPS.

 

When I finally found Alvarez's subdivison, his friend, a guy named J.C., met me at the door. We walked back to Art's office, headquarters of the Miami Tropics AAU organization, where Alvarez was conducting a conference call in Spanish. J.C. showed me his new iPad while we waited.

 

I always wondered how AAU teams operated, if they had their own secretaries and conference rooms and fax machines. This one operates out of Alvarez's home office, which is lined with the jerseys of former Tropics players like Guillermo Diaz, Denis Clemente and Luis Colon.

 

Everyone who covers K-State has gotten to know Art, who is always accessible and eminently quotable. He likes reporters, and we like him.

 

Art hung up and we talked for awhile, J.C. interjecting occasionally. ("He's the most humble guy in the world," he said, referring to Alvarez.)
I left with a handful of reading materials: a Spanish-language book on J.J Barea, including a chapter dedicated to Alvarez, and a magazine called Playtyme, which featured Alvarez on the cover.

 

Later that night, we met at Dr. Krop High School to watch K-State recruits Angel Rodriguez and Adrian Diaz.

Rodriguez, who had been battling some sort of nagging injury, didn't play in the second half but still scored 16 points. Rodriguez is built like a pit bull, sort of in the Sherron Collins mold -- not as explosive, but the same kind of compact point guard who can get in the lane and make shots from the outside. He can create things with the ball in his hands, which is something K-State has been searching for this season.

 

Diaz, a 7-foot center, scored eight points in the first half and finished with 14 or so, mostly around the basket. Diaz pretty much played to his scouting report: He's a quick riser who moves really well for his size, but he'll need to get stronger.