SLIPPERY ROCK — Many people have been associated with Mars boys basketball over the years.

But none have epitomized what it means to be a Planet more than Bobby McGraw.

The 1990 high school graduate has kept the school and the program close to his heart for 30 years.

“My classmates never saw me at a party,” said McGraw, currently the women's basketball coach at Slippery Rock University. “I lived and breathed Mars basketball. To this day, if I see a player who went to Mars, even if they're on an opposing team, I make it a point to let them know that I'm a Mars graduate.”

McGraw spent three years as a shooting guard on the Planets' varsity team under then-coach Bob Utz. During his senior year, he averaged 15 points per game, including a 21-point average in section games.

“That season, I set the program record for consecutive made free throws with 21, but it's since been broken,” he said. “I didn't play on great teams, but nothing meant more to me than putting that blue and gold Mars uniform on every Tuesday and Friday. I might as well have been playing at (the University of) Kentucky. That's what it felt like to me.”

McGraw is one of seven individuals who will be inducted into the Mars Athletic Hall of Fame Sept. 8.

Tragedy surrounded one of McGraw's most memorable games.

Less than a week before Mars was scheduled to play at Riverview during McGraw's senior season, former Planet coach Dave Skurcenski was killed in an automobile accident.

“I never played for him. By the time I reached varsity at Mars, he was an assistant at Seneca Valley,” said McGraw. “He was my typing teacher and I talked to him every single day at school. He was always telling me how pleased he was to see me progressing as a player. Before each game, he would give me notes, a scouting report on that night's game. He'd let me know what I needed to do, what we needed to do to win.”

Skurcenski's funeral was held the day of the Riverview game.

“Our whole team went to it. It was in Zelienople,” McGraw recalled. “That night, I scored 20 points and we beat Riverview. I can't believe it's been 27 years.”

Another highlight of his scholastic career came later that season when Mars celebrated Senior Night.

“With as much as my mom worked, that was the only game she ever saw me play,” added McGraw. “I hit four 3-pointers and scored 27 points and we beat Ford City by 20.”

McGraw's first love was football.

“I was the starting quarterback on the (freshman) team and wanted to be the starter on the varsity team the next year,” he said. “But I really looked up to Scott Lang. He was two years older than me and he stopped playing football to focus on basketball. I didn't even touch a basketball until I was in the eighth grade, but my love affair with the sport began when I met Scott. He took me under his wing.”

McGraw followed Lang's lead and moved his attention to basketball. The former's involvement with the sport led to him playing at both Butler County Community College and Clarion University.

In 2010, McGraw joined Lang's staff at LaRoche College. Tragically, Lang died after suffering a heart attack in December of that year.

Despite helping the Redhawks to a combined record of 44-12 in two seasons, McGraw needed a change.

“Things just weren't the same after (Lang's death),” said McGraw, who landed at SRU, first as a volunteer assistant with the men's team in 2012-13 and then as an assistant women's coach 2013-14. He took over as head coach of the program the following year.

The Rock had struggled for years, but have made significant strides on McGraw's watch.

In his first season, SRU defeated PSAC-West rival Edinboro, which was ranked No. 11 in the country entering the game.

His second year yielded 13 overall wins, the most for the program in over a decade. SRU won a program-record nine conference games that season.

“There's no more confusion here as to how the program will be run,” said McGraw. “There are three words written on the board in our locker room: Players win games.

“We play in the best Division II conference in the country. If you're not going to take the floor with an attitude and play tough, you're not going to win games.”

McGraw will accept his induction into the hall of fame with a heavy heart.

“I wish Mr. S and Scott could be there to see it. I know it would have meant a lot to them to see me inducted. I don't know how I'm going to get through it. It may be the shortest induction speech of all time.”