One of two draftees I have developed for the 2015 FBA Draft. I mean, HEY - it's an excuse to make an awesome horse character ;P

Art courtesy of  pac

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Waylon Stone “Wilco”
Birthplace: Chicago, IL, USA – 11/13/1990
Height: 7’1’’
Weight: 256
Shoots: Right
Species: Horse (Welsh breed)
College: Chicago Bay
Position: C

Background:
Waylon has no family tragedy – no divorced parents – in fact, his parents have always been supportive of his life goals, which slowly became the idea of a basketball career. Whereas his older brother enlisted into the Army, Waylon always pursued sports. It involved most of his time, so family business rarely got in his way. Instead, something else derailed the train that was Waylon “Wilco” Stone.

Outside of basketball, the young stallion would frequent the local pubs, especially at Donnie’s Woodside Pub & Grill. He and a few of his friends would spend most weekends playing street ball, going downtown to skateboard or bike, eating dinner at Donnie’s, and staying out past midnight. It was at Donnie’s that he met the town motorcycle gang, “The Black Ryders”. His parents were often too busy to care or notice; in the small town of Mendota, they knew he would be safe.

Waylon graduated in the middle of his class, but with several college scouts pointing to his exceptional stats in high school. But Waylon did not know he was “that good”. His coaches were always frustrated with him, and Mendota High had been eliminated in the first round of their tournament. He accepted an 80% paid ride to Equine Heights Academy in Louisville. The horse initially found college basketball discouraging, spending most of his freshman year on the bench. But during his sophomore year, he came off the bench and was averaging 10 points per game – with about 15 minutes of gameplay – and his methodological play style eventually worked out for him.

However, by now, Waylon was a full member of The Black Ryders, and there were plans to make a cross-country voyage. Waylon found himself in a dilemma, and – not really understanding the full potential or the consequences – dropped out of college, throwing away his scholarship and senior year to take the voyage.

Waylon began to go by his biker name, “Wilco”, dyed his mane black, and the gang rode wherever the roads took them. Life changed – he would occasionally think of his college days, but the brainwashed stallion became 100% enthralled and dedicated to the biker life. This lifestyle – one that cut him off from his family – lasted nearly two years. Waylon had essentially fallen off the radar of FBA scouts, much less the world.

In early 2013, it was decided that the Ryders would travel to Sturgis for the annual rally. While strewing about the city, the gang toured the Dakota Bikers facilities. It was the first time in nearly a year that Waylon had thought about basketball… he managed to escape away that night to return to the stadium. Being there in the bright lights, it brought him back to reality. The motivation to play again, and all the stuff he gave up for a gang… his principles had to change. He left the stadium and picked up his bike to return to Illinois that night. It wouldn’t be easy, but he was going to find a way back to college and the FBA.

In 2014, Waylon managed his way into Chicago Bay University (Equine Heights had all but written off Stone from ever attending there again), and he used any money he could to stay enrolled. It took a couple months, and a lot of coercing of the coaching staff - but the equine was returning to true form and starting in games. Stone averaged 1.4 blocks per game in addition to about 12-15 points as a starter in his year with Chicago Bay. Recognition returning to his side, it confirmed that basketball was his calling.

Black Ryder by night, and basketball player by day – Waylon Stone’s train is headed full-steam for the 2015 FBA Draft.

Playstyle
His natural height plays well into being a Center. It wasn’t his favorite position when he was younger, so he would find ways to “manipulate” the play of the game to get himself more points, and more opportunities to block. This means perfecting the art of “flopping” – this would frustrate his coaches, who wanted to play by the rulebook, but they could not argue with the results Stone delivered.

Being in a motorcycle gang taught him comradery, so a definitive playstyle was uncertain in his senior year at the university, but Stone uses the tools he has at hand to be the best-possible teammate. Most scouts look to his junior year for his true game style, when Stone would collaborate with Guards to assist in the pick-and-pop. He was known for using the perimeter to his advantage, playing off of the jump-shot for the blocks. Stone is one of the better centers that can recover the offensive rebounds when the players travel into the key – when at Equine Heights, Stone developed a particular play setup where the forward would take off running behind the three-point line, in hopes that Stone would successfully block the shot and tip it to the usually open Forward.

Stone does has the tendency to foul in stressful situations. This has led some scouts to question his ability to go pro, in addition to his junior year being statistically his “finest”. Stone is also average, at best, in free throws – making about 60% in junior year and 59% in senior.

Personality
Waylon was born in suburban Chicago, but his family moved to central Illinois when he was three, so he grew up in a rural community. Initially he became very independent as a child, and even though Waylon has an older brother and two younger sisters, he never associates or talks much with his siblings.

Waylon asked for a motorbike after his 16th birthday, but his parents did not have the money or the wont to allow him to get one. Nevertheless, Waylon found a way – buying one of the gang’s used bikes with his own cash – and fixing it up to his liking. Waylon took plenty of girls on his sweet ride after that.

Waylon became less of an independent being as a result of being in the biker gang. It was all-for-one and one-for-all – the gang was his life. Now that he has applied to join the FBA, there is a sense of suppression of his old lifestyle and the attitudes that follow – but, as it always goes, you can never fully suppress your past, and constantly suppressing every emotion can result in occasional outbursts.

There’s a lot of “outward” personalities in the league – Waylon is not one of those types. Quietly determined and dedicated to his team, and not full of himself or his talent - the most he’ll do is a sarcastic jab or prod at someone else’s expense.