Roy Boone. Jeronne Maymon. Names well known and well documented in the annals of basketball history in the city of Madison.

Two local kids, who went on to significant achievements in college and beyond, have now circled back to the city and community that helped shape their lives and are giving back in a number of ways.

One of those ways is through Madison College as assistant coaches for the WolfPack men's basketball team. Boone joined the coaching staff ahead of the 2016-17 season, while Maymon is nearing the end of his first full season on the bench.

An all-state player and the 1997 Big 8 Conference Player of the Year at Madison East High School, Boone began his college career at Coffeyville Community College, a National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Division I program. He eventually transferred back home to play for the Wisconsin Badgers. In his first year with the program, he helped guide UW on a magical run through the NCAA Tournament to the 2000 Final Four, where he scored a team-high 18 points in a national semifinal loss to Big Ten rival Michigan State. The following season he led the Badgers in scoring and was named All-Big Ten. His professional career took him to various leagues throughout the country, as well as overseas to Germany.

Maymon's basketball path started at Madison Memorial, where he was a key figure in the heart of the Spartans impressive run of nine straight appearances at the WIAA State Tournament. As a senior, he was named Wisconsin's Mr. Basketball and led Memorial to a Division 1 championship. Committed to Marquette University, Maymon transferred to the University of Tennessee after just one semester in Milwaukee. He guided the Volunteers to a pair of NCAA Tournament appearances and was twice named All-SEC. The 6'8", 260-pound forward went on to a professional career with stints in Israel and Japan.

Boone is back at his high school alma mater working as a study hall supervisor, just down the hall from Maymon, a behavioral interventionist. Both have been there for two years.

The tandem gives the East High faculty and the Madison College coaching staff as good of a collection of basketball accolades and skills as any in the country. To discuss those accomplishments, how each arrived at Madison College, and how they go about making an impact on younger generations on a daily basis, Boone and Maymon sat down with Madison College Athletic Communications Assistant Adam Eichstedt.

The following is an abbreviated transcript of that conversation.

AE: I know you're separated age-wise by more than a decade, but when did you first meet? What were your first impressions as you saw each other play?

JM: I watched a lot of great players in the Big 8 Conference growing up and tried to learn and take things from each of them. Roy was certainly one of those guys. But the first time I actually met Roy, I had come back from Israel and was coming off an injury and getting ready to go back to Japan. I was looking for a trainer. I went to Roy, we did a few workouts, and built a good camaraderie together. Then we just started hanging out.

RB: I watched this young fella play his high school basketball. I always try to keep an eye out on what some of the teams were doing. I always followed East. I heard about him, knew he was Mr. Basketball, saw him play at state, but had never met him.

AE: Did you always see yourself coaching or is that something that just developed when your playing days came to an end?

RB: I think for a lot of players their goals and dreams is to play in the NBA and then maybe one day coach. That was definitely mine, so I always wanted to coach at some point. I always wanted to give back. I played six years of pro ball, had a lot of good coaches, hall of fame coaches, NBA coaches, so I have a lot of knowledge to give. I want to give some kids an opportunity to get better and pass it on.

JM: For me, it was after I decided to stop playing ball and retire, and pursue other things. It was a way for me to still be competitive. It was a way for me to still be able to give back and help kids reach their highest potential. I went through that process. I saw a lot of things, and to be able to give those kids that little tidbit of information to make them turn their game from good to great.

AE: Why Madison College? What brought each of you to a local community college that you had little prior connection to?

RB: I mean, it could have been UW, I would have taken that one, too, but Madison came at me first. It was a good opportunity. I'm kind of humbled because I'm in a situation now where I can get kids from my area, kids from my high school, give them the opportunity that I had. So that's kind of cool.

JM: Right now, it's a process. Everything is a process as I try to work my way through the ranks. I'm just trying to enjoy the journey. I coached high school at Memorial, and now I'm on to JUCO (junior college), so I'm just enjoying the experience as I try to learn from some great individuals along the way.

AE: What do you enjoy most about coaching at the junior college level?

JM: Working on fitting the puzzle pieces together. The way JUCO is, sometimes it can be chaos, sometimes things can be limited. You don't always have the resources that some other schools have, but being in a position to help kids, help them figure it out along the way as we try to fit all of their personalities together to have a successful year.

RB: I'm having fun. Guys are young and still learning, so it's interesting. It has its days. For me, having played at the highest level, it's trying to get my mind and IQ back to the JUCO level, Division III, and not expect so much, but that's just the way I am. I don't know how to go about that yet.

JM: Introducing a growing bond, pushing that as far as possible with the idea that anything is possible.

RB: It's cool still having that team feeling and competing for that same goal. I'm learning too. I'm learning still from these young guys. I'm learning how to be a better coach. How to communicate better. How to have a relationship with players. That's all positive.

AE: As you look back at your college experiences, how can you use those to help or relate to the student-athletes at Madison College? Especially for you, Roy, since all of the current WolfPack players were in diapers when you were at the height of your game.

RB: I definitely can relate going through the JUCO route myself and understanding the competitiveness with guys trying to keep a team attitude when you know guys are leaving, so it's kind of hard when everyone is being an individual with a team concept. I'm just trying to get them to understand and know and learn how hard you need to compete to get where you want to go. I think they understand and listen well, but they don't know how hard you have to compete every possession, no off days, how much you have to put in in the gym, practice every day and put it all out there. So that's one thing I'm trying to preach to them.

JM: Just trying to encourage them to develop a strong mindset, because through it all, that's the toughest tool to develop and continue to harness as a young player trying to make it with whatever your goals are. There's no if, ands, or buts about it, I don't care how good you are or how bad you are, everyone is going to have their trials and tribulations. Skills aside, just trying to encourage have a positive and strong mindset.

AE: What's it like to be back in Madison and in the basketball community in the area?

RB: For me it's a humbling feeling. I feel blessed to be in the situation I am. Of course, my ultimate goal was to play in the NBA, but I'm still doing positive things, I'm still helping people, I'm still making a difference in my community, which is a huge part. I'm happy about that. To be in a position back at East, and help some of the kids here now, at my HS, be able to go play college ball and follow their dreams. It's a good feeling inside.

JM: I love my city. I love being home and being around my family and friends. Talking to a lot of people who watched me growing up and who normally don't see me, we reminisce. There a lot of reminiscing. It's just good being back around love after being gone for so long. I wasn't home much during my playing days, except a few summer days and mainly for workouts or to see family. I wouldn't trade being home for an extended period of time.

AE: Now that you've gained some perspective and wisdom with age and experience, what is the one thing your current coaching self would tell the 19-year-old college basketball playing self?

JM: Personally, I would tell myself a few things. I would tell myself not to play so much on concrete outside. I'd tell myself to stretch more, take care of your body. At a young age you get a lot of wear and tear, and you really don't repair yourself. Just brush it off as whatever. Don't ice, don't stretch, playing three, four AAU games in a day and you barely drink a bottle of water, it's all soda and candy. I'd tell myself take care of your body, stretch, ice down, maybe get a massage.

RB: Listen to your coach, be coachable, have a good attitude, and be the best teammate you can be. I got out of that a little bit going the JUCO route and trying to make it, trying to get where I want to be I lost that concept of team, and putting them first as I did my own thing and not listening to coach. Sometimes [Wisconsin head coach Dick] Bennet would put me on the bench for that. I'm sure now, just going back and thinking about it, I drove him crazy. I can see why now, and as I got older I appreciated it more.

Boone, Maymon, and the Madison College men's basketball team will conclude their regular season on Saturday at Rock Valley College, ranked fourth in the latest NJCAA Division III Poll. The WolfPack will then host a NJCAA Region IV Quarterfinal on Wednesday, February 21. Quarterfinal winners will advance to the Region IV Division III Tournament, which will be hosted by Madison College. H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium will hold four semifinal games (men's and women's) on Saturday, February 24, followed by a pair of championship games on Sunday, February 25.

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