Frank Wachlarowicz can remember the moment he first realized his college basketball career had the potential to be something special.
It came during his freshman year in 1975-76, when Saint John's University played host to Jamestown (N.D.) in a holiday tournament at Warner Palaestra.
And the 6-foot-5 All-State freshman center from Little Falls made his presence felt.
"I think I put up 35 points (including seven in overtime in an 84-79 victory), and I knew from that point on that I could handle playing at this level," he recalls.
"That was kind of the boost I needed."
That boost propelled Wachlarowicz on to a career that saw him rewrite the record books, both at Saint John's and in the MIAC.
He still holds the school and conference record for most points (2,357) and rebounds (1,093) in a career. The former remained a record at any level of college basketball in Minnesota until just last season when it was finally surpassed by St. Cloud State's Gage Davis.
Wachlarowicz also holds the school record for most points in a single season (640, as a senior in 1978-79) and most free throws in both a career (565) and season (162, as a junior in 1977-78).
The last mark remains best in MIAC history as well.
"At the start of my freshman year we were scrimmaging and I was on Frank's team," recalls Pat McKenzie Sr., the longtime team physician for the Green Bay Packers who was a teammate of Wachlarowicz all four years in Collegeville.
"I see this great big guy with goofy hair, black socks, Converse shoes and jean shorts. I didn't know what to think. But we started playing and he was making every shot and getting every tip-in.
"He was just dominating."
That dominance made him a four-time All-MIAC pick and he was named the conference's MVP as both a junior and senior.
He also remains the only two-time All-American pick to play basketball in Collegeville.
"He was a great leader who led by example," his head coach Jim Smith said. "He had a quiet confidence about him.
"I remember one time we were playing down at Augsburg and the crowd started chanting 'Frank can't dunk. Frank can't dunk.' The next time down the court, we got the ball to him and he slammed it down with both hands.
"But he didn't show any emotion. He didn't say anything to the fans. He just turned around and ran back down the court. He let his game do all the talking."
With Wachlarowicz leading the way, the Johnnies won MIAC championships during his junior and senior seasons. The 1978-79 team put together a 27-game winning streak, and its 84-82 come-from-behind win at Mankato State in that season's NAIA District 13 finals is still remembered by many.
Wachlarowicz finished with 35 points that night, breaking the state college scoring record previously held by Bethel's Steve Scroggins in the process.
But true to his humble form, he is quick to spread the credit for his team's success around.
"We were such a close-knit group and everybody played their roles perfectly," he said. "We never skipped a beat. Guys came off the bench and everybody contributed. It wasn't always me scoring 20 points a night."
But McKenzie said his teammates always knew the guy nicknamed Frankie Alphabet was the straw that stirred the drink.
"When you have a big guy who is that dominant, everybody gets better," he said. "Every team we played had to pay attention to Frank. And they couldn't just put their big guy on him. They needed maybe two guys to stop him.
"That opened things up for the rest of us."
After leading Little Falls to the Class 2A state title as a senior in 1975, Wachlarowicz was one of the state's top college prospects.
He said he had 60 different offers in all, and seriously considered playing at either Division I Duquesne (Pennsylvania) or then-Division II North Dakota.
But he'd had brothers who attended Saint John's, and it was family and the community atmosphere he experienced in Collegeville that drew him to the Johnnies.
Much to Smith's everlasting relief.
"We spent a lot of time recruiting him," Smith (right, with Wachlarowicz) said. "I don't know how many visits I made to his house. His parents were both great people."
"What made playing at Saint John's so special was that my Mom and Dad were able to be there all the time," Wachlarowicz added. "I think they only missed a handful of games in those four years.
"The community atmosphere out there was so great. And everybody was very into athletics. The gym was packed almost every game we played."
After graduating from SJU, Wachlarowicz received a tryout with the NBA's Boston Celtics prior to the 1979-80 season. Joining him in camp that year was a fellow rookie from Indiana State named Larry Bird.
"I remember guarding him one time," Wachlarowicz said. "I was in a defensive stance and he tried to throw a bounce pass between my legs. I was able to pick it off and got going back the other way on a fast break.
"We were running side-by-side down the court and he elbowed me hard in my sternum. I think he was trying to send a message that wasn't going to happen again."
In the end, camp that year was cut short due to the death of head coach Bill Fitch's father and Wachlarowicz never got the chance to fully demonstrate what he could do.
But he went on to teach and coach basketball for several years before beginning a quarter-century long career with the Minnesota Department of Corrections.
These days, you can often find him tending bar at the Municipal Liquor Store in Le Center, a "part-time" job he still enjoys doing.
"I just love talking to people and hearing the interesting stories they come up with," he said with a smile.
For many years, Wachlarowicz made only a handful of appearances in Collegeville. Not because he didn't enjoy coming back, but because he felt the spotlight should be on the next generation of players.
But he was there in 2013 when the school raised banners to honor the five players who have earned MIAC MVP honors. And he has since become a regular at summer camps at Saint John's, getting out on the court and sharing his knowledge with younger players – in spite of numerous knee and hip surgeries over the years.
"I really enjoy that," he said smiling. "I might enjoy it even more if I were 20 years younger. But I like being out there and teaching.
"I had a great run and now it's nice to be able to give back."
