Miami High's class of 1983 has produced two head basketball coaches at colleges in major conferences -- Anthony Grant at Alabama and Frank Martin at Kansas State.

Grant was the star of that '83 team, quite the contrast with Martin, who was so bad as a player that he never actually wore the Stingarees uniform. But he loved the game so much that he showed up for every team function.

''We made Frank a team manager,'' said Shakey Rodriguez, who coached Miami High to five state titles and is now at Krop.

Manager or not, Martin acted like a member of the team and practiced every day, even if a certain star player ignored him on the court.

''Anthony would never pass me the ball,'' Martin said with a laugh. ``And why would you? I wasn't very good.''

When Grant went to play basketball at the University Dayton, Martin started his coaching career. At age 20, he was Miami High's junior varsity coach. And by 29, he was the varsity coach.

Grant, meanwhile, had landed a job as an assistant at the University of Florida. The old friends hooked up again as Grant recruited Martin's stars, such as Udonis Haslem and Brent Wright.

''And Steve Blake wanted to go there, too,'' Martin said of the Portland Trail Blazers point guard who played in college at Maryland. ``But Florida did not have a scholarship available.''

Through it all, a casual friendship that started when they shared an English class as sophomores at Miami High evolved into something permanent.

''I am the godfather to his oldest son, Brandon,'' Grant said proudly.

Basketball has enriched the lives of the men -- both 43 -- but Martin never did get better as a player.

Years ago, when Grant and Martin were both assistant coaches on Rodriguez's staff, the men played a pickup basketball game just as they had so many times before.

Only, this time, Grant finally decided to honor Martin with a pass. Perhaps shocked by the gesture, Martin managed to wreck his left knee on the play.

''I guess Anthony was right to never pass me the ball,'' Martin said.

Rodriguez, who was the best man at Grant's wedding, is proud of both of the men he mentored.

''They are both hard workers,'' Rodriguez said, ``and good people.''

The next step could be for Grant and Martin to schedule a game pitting Alabama against Kansas State. But Martin said it probably would not happen.

''He and I have have talked,'' Martin said. ``But we don't have the type of relationship where we try to outdo each other. Our friendship is genuine.''

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