In a position full of giants, the Houston Rockets' Chuck Hayes stands out because he stands below them. In the 63 years of the N.B.A., few teams have had a regular starting center as short as the 6-foot-6 Hayes, and certainly none in recent decades. Hayes is a full foot shorter than Yao Ming, the injured All-Star for whom he is filling in. Dikembe Mutombo, who backed up Yao last season before retiring, is 7-2.
Walter Cornett, of Glendale, Kentucky, is the owner and operator of Walter's Wildcat World. He founded WildcatWorld.com in 1998 making it one of the oldest Kentucky basketball fan sites in operation today.