Big 5 inducts 5 all-time teams, salutes new champs
PHILADELPHIA basketball royalty graced the hallowed Palestra floor Monday night as the Big 5 commemorated its 60th anniversary by inducting one of the best teams from each school into its Hall of Fame at the annual postseason banquet.
PHILADELPHIA basketball royalty graced the hallowed Palestra floor Monday night as the Big 5 commemorated its 60th anniversary by inducting one of the best teams from each school into its Hall of Fame at the annual postseason banquet.
There was La Salle's 1968-69 team that lost once and was ranked second behind UCLA and senior Lew Alcindor. Then you had Temple's 1997-88 team that reached No. 1 and made it to the Elite Eight. And the 2003-04 Saint Joseph's team that also sat atop the polls and made it to a regional final. Plus Penn's 1970-71 team that was unbeaten until it lost to Villanova in a regional final.
Not to be outdone, of course, were the 1984-85 Wildcats who won the national championship.
"There's a lot of cities that wish they had this," said Big 5 executive director Steve Bilsky, the former Quakers guard and Big 5 Hall of Famer.
He would not be wrong.
Now, 31 years later, there's another Villanova team that can make the same claim. Many of these Wildcats were among this season's honorees, as you'd expect.
They gathered together to swap stories and relive memories, some that obviously weren't more than seven days old.
"It's even crazier than I thought it would be," said coach Jay Wright, assessing the turnout as he tried to move his way through an admiring crowd. "I wasn't quite prepared for all of this."
Yo, it's been a once-in-a-lifetime week. Why should this moment be any different than everything that preceded it?
There was a parade, and days at Flyers, Sixers and Phillies games. And this, time for one more bow.
"It's been very hectic, but I'll take it," said senior center Daniel Ochefu, a second-team all-Big 5 selection. "Coach told us to not let this be our biggest accomplishment in life. But right now it is, for sure."
Added senior guard Ryan Arcidiacono, who made first-team all-Big 5: "Everything that's come after (winning the title) has been a whirlwind. I had no idea what would come of it. For a local kid (from Bucks County) who grew up on this, I don't think it could have played out any better. I'm so fortunate to be part of this. And to be here with the '85 team and all the other great teams . . . "
Understood.
Saint Joseph's coach Phil Martelli stole the show, as he often does. He was voted the Big 5 coach of the year before the NCAA Tournament started, for all the right reasons. But he chose to turn the trophy over to another. Even brought the masking tape to cover his own name.
"I'm tired of being mistaken for Jay Wright," he said. "We had a helluva year. The man won a national championship. Philadelphia, I have to save you from yourselves.
"I'm cool. No disrespect. I appreciate anyone who voted for me. I feel like a little kid who gets a participation trophy. At first, my wife (Judy) said, 'You cannot do this.' When (Villanova) beat Iowa (in the second round) and we lost to Oregon, she said, 'You need to think about this.' By the time they left Louisville (after winning the South Region) she said, 'I'm not going with you.'
"If I can get into your gated community in Newtown Square, I'll drop it off on my way home to Media . . . One day, this (2015-16) team will be up here (being inducted)."
A lot of cities should have this.
"We're always proud to represent Philadelphia basketball," Wright said, closing out the show humbly and proudly. "To come home and get awarded, it feels really good."
Cool, indeed. And a fitting way to top off an incredibly memorable week.
@mikekerndn
