OGDEN — With professional stops in Australia, Portugal, Richmond, Va., and Columbus, Ga., "The Show" is still an off-Broadway production.
That, however, doesn't mean former Weber State star Harold Arceneaux has given up his dream of playing in the NBA. The 25-year-old with the flashy nickname, who gained prominence three years ago when he led the Wildcats to an NCAA Tournament upset of North Carolina, is pursuing every path he can to join basketball's elite.
"I just want to play ball," says Arceneaux, who spent the past week helping out at Weber State's annual basketball camp for kids. "And I'm willing to go anywhere I need to."
He has the resume to prove it.
Should things not work out with the Detroit Pistons this summer, Arceneaux is ticketed for France. He's already signed a contract with a pro team there but has an escape clause should an NBA opportunity arise.
Rule changes designed to open up the game have increased Arceneaux's optimism. The 6-foot-6, 215-pound scorer also has something else going for him. For the first time since leaving Weber State, he's healthy.
"I'm ready to play," said Arceneaux, who took a bad fall at the Chicago pre-draft camp in 2000 and suffered a severe ankle sprain during a brief stint in the NBDL last season. "I'm a player. I still love the game. I love slam-dunking. I've been fighting injuries since I got out of school. This is my first year I'm feeling really healthy again."
And that, in itself, has increased Arceneaux's confidence.
"A lot of people had a lot of questions that I could have answered if I was healthy," said Arceneaux. "A lot of people ask if I'm athletic enough to play in the NBA — if I can do this or if I can do that.
"Right now, I'm not focusing on what people say. I mean, I could care less about what anybody says about what I can do or can't do," he explains. "It's just about me getting an opportunity to prove to you what I can do. I still can shoot and I still can run."
Arceneaux won back-to-back Big Sky Conference player of the year awards while averaging 22.6 points per game for the Wildcats from 1998-2000. He's best remembered, though, for his performance in the 1999 NCAA Tournament. He led all scorers in the first two rounds with 36 in the upset win over North Carolina and 32 in an overtime loss to Florida.
"I didn't feel like it was luck. I felt like that was my game," said Arceneaux. "I did it the whole year. I did that my whole career at Weber."
Even so, he went undrafted by the NBA. After entering the national spotlight as a junior, Arceneaux's stock dropped a year later when Weber State failed to earn an NCAA tournament berth.
"I thought he was probably unduly categorized his senior year. A lot of people around here started thinking he was just a shoo-in NBA player," said Weber State coach Joe Cravens. "The NBA is not like the Boy Scouts. You don't just join up. There's 300 of the best players in the world in that league. And just because you're MVP of a league or a college All-American doesn't mean you'll make it."
Though he believes Arceneaux still has a chance, Cravens believes he's better off for making significant progress toward a degree.
"People will remember Harold as a great player, but he's also a terrific person and a wonderful person to be around," adds Cravens.
Arceneaux, who resides in Layton with his wife and daughter, is enrolled in a class this summer. He has no regrets.
"I think everything intended for me is that way for a reason. I had fun. I learned a lot coming back my senior year. I was on both sides of the stick," said Arceneaux. "I know how it feels to be on top and I know how it feels to be on the bottom. I think that's the greatest thing I've got with me right now. I can adjust to any type of situation."
So when the NBA failed to draft him, Arceneaux just rolled with the punch.
"It wasn't tough for me. I've never had anything easy. Out of high school I had to go to a junior college. Then I had to come to Weber State and prove myself here," explains Arceneaux. "And playing overseas, I have to prove myself every time I get with a new team. Nothing's come easy to me. It's all the same to me."
Because of his experiences, though, Arceneaux can better relate to others. With the 2002 NBA Draft just days away, he knows what potential picks are going through.
"It's kind of nerve-racking because you don't know if you're going to get drafted," recalls Arceneaux. "It's probably tough on those guys right now. I know what they're going through. I went through the same thing."
Although disappointed he never heard his name called, Arceneaux hasn't dwelled on it. Same goes for his stellar performances in the NCAA tourney.
"I'm more of a future type person. I never worry about the past," he said. "I'm just looking for my future right now. I'm only 25, so I think I've got a great future."
For Harold Arceneaux, "The Show" goes on.
E-MAIL: dirk@desnews.com