B-Ball 'Wizard' Visits GVSD Ahead of Faculty-Pro Game

It's pretty clear that David Paul, who plays basketball for the Harlem Wizards, has talents beyond dribbling and shooting. The man knows how to connect with a crowd and make people laugh. 

"DP" visited all four Great Valley elementary schools Monday morning to promote the Dec. 1 charity basketball game the Wizards will play against a team of GVSD faculty members. Proceeds from the game will benefit local charities, including the Foundation at Great Valley.

In the Sugartown gymansium, the third stop on his tour, Paul danced and sang Call Me Maybe to warm the crowd up. He repeatedly shouted out principal Karen Schneck.

"You amazing principal-lady, you! Give her a hand!" Paul said, and the crowd responded enthusiastically.

Paul then put on a show of equal parts comedy and ball-handling, plucking two students—Matt and Nick— from the audience and including them in the act.

"Can you make the shot from here?" he asked Matt, after positioning him at the foul line. When Matt said he could, Paul spun him around to face the far basket and told him to shoot. 

Both of the young volunteers received a free ticket to the Dec. 1 game, when the Wizards, a show-basketball team akin to the Harlem Globetrotters, will face a team of Great Valley faculty members.

Becky Mikus, a GVHS senior helping to organize the event, provided moredetails in an email:

We will be holding two shows [Dec. 1], one at 3:00 PM and one at 7:00 PM. The Wizards will be playing against the Ichabod Squad which is a team that consists of teachers from every school throughout the entire district. All of the proceeds will benefit the school PTO's, GVCO, The Foundation at Great Valley, as well as The Friends of the East Whiteland Fire Company. 

The roster of the faculty team has not been finalized yet. Tickets to the game cost $10. A ticket order form is posted on the GVSD website (PDF).