When he created The Rock basketball and introduced the product to the college and high school athletic market more that a decade ago, John Stote sought a name that would be original yet capture the essence of the sport. Now that the ball is used by more and more basketball teams around the country, it is clear that "The Rock" is the perfect name for this ball. The Rock is living up to the definition of it's name - solid and dependable, steady and consistent - the foundation behind a winning basketball program.

Teams and players from all over the country, and at all levels of players, are using The Rock. And they won't be found using any other basketball.

"I was with Coach Rollie Massimino at Villanova when he started using The Rock and I love this ball" says current Villanova head coach Jay Wright. "Then I started using it when I became head coach at Hofstra, and I wouldn't use any other basketball as a head coach. The players love the deep groves in the ball. I really believe it's the best ball on the market."

"We've been using The Rock for a while-just about everybody in our league uses it, too," says legendary coach Morgan Wooten of Death High School. "We have one of the biggest camps in the country, and we also use their camp balls. The Rock doesn't go flat like other basketballs. It wears much better than the others. Their balls last for the entire basketball season and then some. We're very pleased to be using The Rock as part of our basketball program."

Dick Vitale is probably familiar with more basketball programs that anyone in the country, and as he travels from school to school to broadcast games, he takes stock of the products used by the top teams in the country. "When I go around to all the basketball programs around the country, I hear nothing but positives from the people who use it on a regular basis," says Vitale.

And like so many coaches, Vitale knows the strength of The Rock extends beyond the quality of the ball itself. "John Stote. The President of Anaconda Sports, is one of the most innovative people in this field," says Vitale, "and he has created a well-constructed basketball that both coaches and players really like. Anaconda Sports is first class in everything they do. They deliver on time. They work with the coaches and give them the services they need to be winners on the court."

"The quality of the ball is outstanding, but just as important, the quality of the people behind the ball is outstanding," says Paul Hewitt, in his second season as Georgia Tech head coach after leading Sienna College to the NCAA Tournament. "The people at Anaconda Sports understand what coaches go through in running their programs and what their needs are. They treat the coaches with a personnel touch. Their service is just outstanding."

Massimino, one of the most respected college coaches in the country, was one of the first coaches to use The Rock with his basketball program during his entire tenure at Villanova, and he has been using the ball ever since. "The ball is tremendous," says Massimino, now the head coach at Cleveland State, "but it goes beyond that. John Stote is such a tremendous person that's why I first got involved with The Rock. In fact, everyone at Anaconda is great. They treat the coaches they work with like family. If there is ever a problem, they are right there to fix it and make sure everything is taken care of. They make sure every ball they send out is just right. They've made a difference to our program.

That's the ultimate compliment for a product-when coaches directly attribute the success of their team to the use of that product. And that is exactly what so many prominent coaches are saying about The Rock.