(June 2) NBA basketball star Juwan Howard was in town Monday to see his son, MarTez, graduate from kindergarten at St. Mary's Elementary.

"I kind of thought he would come," said Lynne Menendez, the boy's kindergarten teacher. "I wasn't sure he would come, but I knew he was very involved with kids because I passed stickers with him on them from the reading program he sponsors."

The students were in awe of Howard, who plays for the Washington Wizards.

"It was really weird to meet a professional basketball player or someone really famous," said St. Mary's fifth-grader Tiana Nicholas.

"I was very excited to see him," said St. Mary's sixth-grader Anthony Shields. "You usually don't see someone famous in West Virginia or Clarksburg."

"I have seen him only on his basketball cards," said sixth grader Colleen Martin. "It was really cool to meet him."

Many said they were impressed with Howard's sincere attitude.

"He was really nice," said Notre Dame eighth grader Calvin Clarke. "I was standing with my brother to get his autograph and he asked if we were brothers and talked to us for a little bit. "I really shocked me how really nice he was."

Howard refused to field any questions.