Former MPC standout played for Mexico in FIBA World Cup
By John Devine, Monterey Herald
SALINAS >> During a two-year absence from basketball, Marco Ramos received a call from a former high school teammate.
"I remember Eric Petty calling me and saying, 'Are you really going to hang them up?''' Ramos said.
For two years, Ramos put the high tops in storage and basketball was out of his life as he focused on his job as a strength and conditioning coach in Phoenix.
"I was done,'' said the former North Salinas High and Monterey Peninsula College basketball standout.
Or so he thought.
"One day I woke up and said, 'I'm not ready to hang them up,''' said Ramos, who is a member of the Mexican national team that is competing Saturday in the FIBA World Cup in Spain.
Perhaps the person that Ramos had to convince the most about his decision was his mother, who still lives in Salinas.
"I called my mom and said I've got an opportunity to play and I'm going to take it,'' said Ramos, who is 6-foot-7. "My mom said, 'But you have a good job with benefits.' Then she told me to follow my heart.''
It didn't take long for Ramos to rediscover his love and passion for basketball, which earned him a scholarship and led to earning a degree from Grand Canyon College in Phoenix.
Within months of honing his skills as a small forward, Ramos had drawn interest from a professional basketball team in Mexico.
"I went to a tournament in Los Angeles and this guy came up to me and said our team is interested in you and they are based in Mexico,'' Ramos said. "I looked them up and they had won the championship.''
Once Ramos got himself back into playing shape, he became a contributor for the Red Hawks, averaging 9.8 points and 7.1 rebounds a game, helping them to another championship this past summer.
"It was self-motivation that put him where he's at,'' said MPC basketball coach Blake Spiering. "His skill set was so high here. He was one of the best players I've ever had come out of MPC.''
Improving five inches on his vertical leap and becoming a sharpshooter along the perimeter, the 27-year-old Ramos was invited to play for the Mexican national team in 2013.
"I was the 13th guy,'' said Ramos, whose roommate for Mexico is former Watsonville High standout Adrian Zamora. "We went to Venezuela to qualify for the FIBA World Cup as heavy underdogs and won the gold medal.''
Ramos received another invitation after the Red Hawks won the Mexican League Championship this year. He has been averaging eight to 10 minutes a game off the bench as the team has played a series of exhibitions to gear up for the World Cup.
"He really didn't have any weaknesses here,'' Spiering said. "His work ethics were unbelievable. His skill level was so high. He was a 6-6 guard for us. He'd get the ball and dribble to the hole. He was a basketball junkie.''
Which made Ramos' decision to hang them up after his collegiate career ended at Grand Canyon University puzzling. Having landed a job on campus as a strength and conditioning coach for the basketball, volleyball and baseball teams was like a dream job.
"I loved it,'' Ramos said. "It was a great job."
Yet, in the back of his mind, the dream was to still play professional basketball. Ultimately, he couldn't get it out of his mind.
"When I informed Grand Canyon of my aspirations, they told me when you're done, we'll have a job for you,'' Ramos said.
That might be a while.
Ramos hopes to play another 10 years in Mexico, with aspirations of helping the Mexican team qualify for the Olympics in two years.
The objective Saturday is to help his team get past Lithuania in the opening round of the FIBA tournament. Mexico's bracket includes Slovenia, Korea, Australia and Angola.
"If you believe the experts, they have got us finishing fourth in our bracket,'' Ramos said.
Which would constitute a meeting with the United States in the second round.
"We'll see,'' Ramos said. "We feel we're going to finish higher out of our bracket. No one expects us to do anything. We've been in this role before in Venezuela. We play with a chip on our shoulder. We call it 'Angry Warriors.'"
Two of Ramos's teammates play in the NBA, including former Cal star and current Brooklyn Nets guard Jorge Gutierrez and current free agent Gustavo Ayon, who played for the Hawks last year.
"Two years ago I was working,'' said Ramos, who still refers to Salinas as his home away from home. "Now I'm playing against the best in the world.''