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Basketball Oldtimers Inducted into Hall of Fame
BY BERNIE BEGLANE
Turn the clock back some 30 years ago to the world of college basketball.
Players in that era, just as today, were leaving school early to sign professional contracts.
Little or no attention was paid to earning a degree – in the off-season or once the sneakers were hung up for good.
To be sure, there are exceptions, and one of them, Mel Davis of St. John’s University, was inducted into the Basketball Oldtimers Hall of Fame last night (Friday) at Bishop Ford H.S., Park Slope.
Joining Davis in the ceremonies were Frank McLaughlin, currently in his 22nd year as athletic director of Fordham University, his alma mater; Hugh Donohue, who played for Lou Carnesecca when Little Looie was at St. Ann’s Academy, Manhattan; and Bobby Hartstein, who coached Lincoln to three New York City Public Schools Athletic League championships.
Getting back to Brooklyn-born Davis, a standout at Boys (now Boys and Girls) H.S., he only played for the then-called Redmen for two seasons.
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Mel Davis |
Frank McLaughlin |
To refresh your memory – or in case you did not know – freshmen did not play varsity ball in 1969 when he enrolled at the Vincentian Fathers school in Jamaica.
So as a sophomore in the 1970-71 season, Davis averaged 20.8 points and 16.1 rebounds. His point total was 561, second highest ever for a soph up to that point.
His junior season was even better scoring wise (569 points) while his rebounding dropped from 436 to 409.
Thus the lure of the pros was too much and he became a first-round pick of the New York Knicks.
Ten seasons were spent in the play-for-pay ranks as he also was with the then New York Nets and in the European Professional League with teams in Italy, France and Switzerland.
Back to St. John’s. It was Carnesecca who recruited the high school All American from Boys High.
“But he never coached me there,” stated Davis. “As you know all too well, Lou left St. John’s as I was coming in so that he could coach the New York Nets.
“He came back after three years, but by then I was gone. Now, however, we are together again.”
Davis was referring to the fact that he is now at St. John’s University as the Director of Leadership Gifts for the Carnesecca Initiative.
Before delving into that fancy title, he turned his thoughts to his academic achievements.
“I completed my undergraduate work in St. John’s College of Business Administration,” said Davis, who, after playing, worked for the National Basketball Association as director of Player Programs.
“Then I earned a graduate degree in education at Fordham University and a diploma from New York University after studying career planning.
“Studies probably weren’t as important to me when I first enrolled at St. John’s. As they say, I got smarter as I grew up.”
As for his current duties at St. John’s, Davis will be working to make Carnesecca Arena a showplace in the East.
Fordham’s AD
Now to McLaughlin, who upon graduating from Fordham in 1969, was scheduled to teach history and coach freshman basketball at Mt. St. Michael’s Academy, the Marist Brothers’ high school in the Bronx.
Enter Jack Donohue, who had coached Lew Alcindor at Power Memorial Academy, Manhattan, and who was at Holy Cross College.
“I joined him as a volunteer assistant,” stated Frank, “and stayed there for one year. Then I was going to Clemson as an assistant to Tates Locke.
“However, Fordham had hired Digger Phelps. I met him and he convinced me to become his assistant.”
The duo stayed only one season as Notre Dame signed Phelps in 1971. McLaughlin went with him.
Frank, who was a member of Fordham’s NIT teams in his junior and senior seasons (he played for John Bach as a junior and then Ed Conlin as a senior) left the Fighting Irish in 1977 to coach at Harvard where he remained until ’85.
The Rams came calling then for him to become athletic director.
And 22 years later, the former New York Knicks’ draftee (no, he did not make the team) is still on the job.
It was while with the Holy Cross Fathers school in South Bend, IN, that McLaughlin met his future wife, Susan.
She was a cheerleader and they have three daughters – Tara Marie, Mary Heather, and Colleen Patrice. Her brother, Father Thomas Picton, CSsR, married them. He is now the Redemptorist Provincial in Denver, CO.
Molloy Scoring Star
Donohue, a 1957 graduate of St. Ann’s Academy (now Archbishop Molloy H.S., Briarwood), scored 868 points as the Stanners posted a 78-12 record during his tenure.
He went on to North Carolina where he played under Frank McGuire and Dean Smith.
Upon earning his degree, Donohue was an assistant men’s coach at Georgia and an assistant women’s coach at Mercy College and SUNY Purchase.
He became a men’s basketball official, working on the high school level from 1964-98 and on the college level from 1973-98.
One of his proudest achievements was being elected to the CHSAA Hall of Fame.
Hartstein, Brooklyn-born and raised, attended Jefferson H.S., Queens College and Brooklyn College.
He worked for the New York State Department of Social Services and taught at Intermediate School 320 before becoming Dean of Special Education at Lincoln in 1985.
Prior to retiring in 2005, he coached the Railsplitters not only to three PSAL city titles, but also to one New York State Championship.
His career record was 318-63.
Some of his players who went on to very good college careers were Don Marbury of Texas A&M; Jamel Thomas, Providence, and Carlton Owens, Rhode Island.
Not to be overlooked is Stephon Marbury now with the New York Knicks.
Bishop Kearney H.S. Honors Its Captains
Bishop Kearney H.S., Bensonhurst, took time out from its regular sports schedule to honor the school’s team captains from this season. Pictured with athletic director Anthony Troiano are: bottom, from left, Jillian Bardo, Deidre Dresch, Laura Runco, Erika Centra, Nicole Sodowski, Maria Laterza, Kerri Gallagher, Brianna Celano; standing, Gina Trani, assistant AD, Vj Osas, Katherine Griffin, Danielle Behette, Joanna Emillio, Kristin O'Neill, Cecilia Ethridge, Megan McGoorty, Marissa Maffei, Troiano, Adriana Rumayor, Kelly Parker, Lauren D’Elia, Nicole D'leo, Elena Elefteriou, Casey Lesser, Diana Rossetti, and Kira Springer.
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