Schoene starred at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, where the 6-10 forward led the team to two straight Southern Conference Championships (1981 and 1982) and an NCAA tournament appearance in 1982. As a senior, he averaged 13.6 points and 7 rebounds a game, and earned league tournament MVP honors.\n', '

The Philadelphia 76ers selected Schoene in the second round of the 1982 NBA Draft (22nd pick; 45th overall). The 76ers traded him to the Indiana Pacers during his rookie campaign; he stayed in Indianapolis until the end of the 1983-84 season. Though invited to the Pacers\' training camp the next year, he was told he was a long shot to make the club, and should consider honing his skills in Europe.\n', '

During the 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons, Schoene played for Olimpia Simac Milano of the Italian league, where his teammates included former Los Angeles Lakers head coach Mike D\'Antoni and former NBA All-Star Joe Barry Carroll. The team won the Korać Cup in 1985, and Schoene was named the Italian League MVP in 1986. He earned legendary status during this two-year Italian stint (Sonics President Bob Whitsitt would later say Schoene "is like Michael Jordan over there") that would prove financially lucrative later in his career.\n', '

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