He had no interest in being ordinary.

No intention of being normal.

At a very young age, he knew how talents are developed, how dreams are realized and how legends are made.

That’s how a boy from Bay City became a high school Basketball phenom, a college basketball icon and a professional basketball wizard.

That’s how Eric Devendorf became Eric Devendorf.

“I would take my basketball to school every day and, in second or third grade, there would be crowds of people watching me at lunch,” he said. “I’d hit 100 free throws in a row and the whole school would be watching.

“I guess I wasn’t a normal kid when it comes to that. But I was obsessed with basketball.”

With an over-the-top level of commitment to the game and an off-the-charts amount of passion for it, Devendorf became an all-time great at Bay City Central, one of the most prolific scorers in Syracuse University history and a seven-year professional.

And now the one-of-a-kind Bay City talent takes his place in the Bay County Sports Hall of Fame. He joins the induction class of 2022 that is being honored Nov. 13 at the DoubleTree hotel and conference center in downtown Bay City.

From a city that is decidedly not regarded as a basketball town, Devendorf set his hometown afire with hoops hysteria. He became Bay City Central’s all-time leading scorer with 1,224 points before moving to Oak Hill Academy in Virginia for his senior season, earning high school all-American honors while leading his team to the 2005 national championship.

Then it was on the Big East, where he starred for Syracuse University. He departed in 2009 at No. 14 on the prestigious program’s all-time scoring list with 1,680 points and third all-time with 208 made 3-pointers.

His high-octane, emotion-fueled play – and the accompanying trash talking — made him one of the most renowned and reviled players in college basketball by his final year. He was once listed among the Top 10 most-hated players in NCAA basketball history alongside the likes of Christian Laettner, Grayson Allen and Ron Artest.

“I had to play like that,” he said. “I was talented and skilled but not overly athletic or super strong or super quick. The guys I was playing against were unbelievable athletes, so I needed something on the court to keep me alive.

“You have to have some type of edge. It has to mean something to you. It meant something to me, that’s why I played like that.”

All the antics that made opposing fans hate him made Syracuse fans love him. His fiery persona, his fearless play and the fact that he was willing and able to hit the biggest shots in the biggest games made him an icon in Orange.

“Eric was one of the most competitive players we’ve had at Syracuse,” Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim said. “He was at his best in the big games, playing in front of big crowds.”

Devendorf’s signature moment may resonate for all-time. After hitting an apparent game-winning 3-pointer – which was eventually waved off — in Syracuse’s famous six-overtime victory over Connecticut in the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden, he brashly stepped onto the scorer’s table and mugged for the roaring crowd.

Those are the kind of moments that just don’t happen for ordinary, normal kids from Bay City.

“When I see someone in Syracuse gear, it’ll usually turn into a conversation and I’ll ask their thoughts on Eric,” said Connor Brady, Devendorf’s neighbor growing up and classmate at Bay City Central. “They immediately go into how much they love Devo and how he’s an SU legend. I always chuckle because this is a kid I used to argue with over which Ninja Turtle we were going to be.”

The son of Cindy and the late Curt Devendorf, Eric was determined to be a unique brand of basketball player from an early age. In his Seventh Street neighborhood, he was famous for shoveling snow and chipping ice from his driveway and practicing at the crack of dawn regardless the weather.

“He literally was my alarm clock as a kid,” Brady said. “Rain, snow, sunshine or not, that kid was out there every morning at 6 a.m. shooting free throws and working on his game.

“I remember he took karate, and he’d be out in his driveway in his karate outfit shooting hoops.”

He continually honed his game while attending Washington Elementary and Handy Middle School, then quickly made a splash during his freshman season at Bay City Central. After starting the year on junior varsity, he got the callup after a 48-point performance.

In his second varsity game as a ninth-grader, he hit the game-winning shot to beat Midland. Two games later, he poured in 35 points against Flint Northwestern. A legend was born.

A program that hadn’t had a winning season for nine years before Devendorf arrived — and hasn’t had one since he left — Bay City Central was suddenly must-see basketball. The 6-foot-3 guard simply dazzled his hometown fans with ballhandling, 3-point shooting and daring drives to the basket that just weren’t seen in these parts. He seemed unstoppable while averaging 29.4 points per game.

Fans still buzz about Central’s showdown with No. 3-ranked Saginaw Arthur Hill, when the gym was rocking with 4,000 fans – and another 1,000 were turned away at the door. Devendorf opened that game with an alley-oop dunk and finished with 27 points, but Arthur Hill prevailed 82-70.

Devendorf earned first-team all-state and set school records for points in a game (53), season (529) and career (1,224). But he had a few behavior and discipline issues along the way, and his parents strongly encouraged him to change scenery.

He transferred to Oak Hill, a tiny, private school in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia, that happens to be a high school basketball powerhouse. Devendorf was one of nine Division I college signees on the team in 2005.

“I remember going up winding roads, literally up the side of a mountain, with cows and sheep everywhere,” he said. “They basically plopped a school on a piece of land in the middle of nowhere. Then I walk in the gym and guys are playing pickup. Guys like Kevin Durant and Ty Lawson and seven or eight other DI players. And I’m thinking ‘OK, this is where I fit in.’”

After helping Oak Hill win the national title, according to USA Today rankings, he launched his whirlwind career with Syracuse. Suddenly, the kid from Seventh Street was playing in the Carrier Dome and Madison Square Garden in a national championship program with a Hall of Fame coach – and he became an ESPN regular as folks far and wide watched Devo in action.

Playing alongside fellow guard Gerry McNamara, the Orange featured two fiery guards who electrified the crowd while getting under the skin of opposing players and fans.

“When I’m on the court, I’m going as hard as I can,” Devendorf said. “You can never say I wasn’t giving 100 percent. I might turn it over, get my shot blocked… it doesn’t matter. I’m coming back at you.

“When guys started talking to me, they made a mistake. That got my engine revving even more.”

After helping Syracuse to a pair of Big East championships, Devendorf tried his hand at the professional ranks. Although he never caught on with an NBA team, he compiled a stellar resume while competing in the NBA Development League and in professional leagues in New Zealand, Australia, Turkey, Ukraine, Israel and Greece.

The hard-charging guard scored 2,236 points in his professional career, averaging 15.2 points per game. In his final pro season in 2016, he claimed the NBL of New Zealand’s scoring crown.

“Of all the places I went, I never met someone who could stay in front of me or stop me from getting to that rim,” he said.

“Could I have played in the (NBA)? Absolutey. I have so many friends who have been through the NBA and they say ‘You should have been here, E.’ But that doesn’t diminish what I’ve done. For me to be in the NBA, it wasn’t the right timing. But I’m grateful for everything I’ve been through.”

Devendorf returned to the U.S. to complete his degree and launch a coaching career, spending time on the sideline at the University of Detroit and Syracuse. His playing career would have one more highlight, as – at age 34 – he sparked Boeheim’s Army to championship honors at The Basketball Tournament, a winner-take-all $1 million event.

But it’s his latest chapter that is rounding out his legacy. The 35-year-old father of two – daughters Madelyn and Miranda – he has emerged as a philanthropic presence in the Syracuse community by leading shoe drives, raising money for Thanksgiving dinners, providing back-to-school haircuts and more.

One of the all-time bad boys of Syracuse basketball is now regarded as one of his community’s good guys.

“Eric made great contributions to our program as a player and now he’s making his mark in our community through organizing basketball camps for kids and providing individual instruction,” said Boeheim, the Syracuse coach who remains a mentor to Devendorf. “Eric’s also helping those who are less fortunate with a busy schedule of charitable events throughout the year.”

Devendorf launched ED23 Hoops, a basketball training program and AAU organization that doubles as his new profession and a way to give back.

“I didn’t always make the best decisions in high school and college – and I make some bad decisions right now,” he said. “But I’ve learned from the mistakes I’ve made.

“There’s a purpose to what I do now, and that’s to inspire and impact people. And I’ve got basketball to thank for a lot of that, too.”

Tickets are now on sale for the Nov. 13 Hall of Fame banquet. Cost is $50 for a ticket or $80 for a ticket plus a Lifetime Membership. Lifetime Members receive a ballot each year to help select upcoming induction classes. Tickets are available during office hours at Bay City Central or online at www.baycountysports.com.

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