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Vol. LXII, No. 29
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Wednesday, July 16, 2008
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![]() (Photo by Bill Allen/NJ SportAction)
A RICH HISTORY: Rich Simkus, middle, looks for an opening in action last year in the Princeton Recreation Department Mens Summer Basketball League. Simkus, a Princeton University mens basketball standout in the 1980s, will be inducted this Saturday at the Community Park courts along with 10 others as the league welcomes the first class of its Hall of Fame. The induction ceremony will be the centerpiece of the celebration at the courts this Saturday as the league marks its 20th anniversary. The festivities will go from 5-10 p.m. and will feature four games, free food, and giveaways. |
Donnell Lumpkin has earned a lot of accolades in his basketball career.
A star for the Rutgers University mens hoops team from 1989-1993, Lumpkin is the programs all-time leader in three-point percentage (.418) and fifth in three-pointers made (196). He was also a standout in the Jersey Shore Pro-Am League.
While Lumpkin thrived in big-time hoops circles, he will be thrilled to be on hand this Saturday at the less-exalted venue of the Community Park basketball courts to be inducted in the first class of the Hall of Fame of the Princeton Recreation Department Mens Summer Basketball League.
Donnell reacted like he had learned he was getting into the NBA Hall of Fame, said summer league commissioner Ben Stentz, recalling Lumpkins reaction to the news that he had been selected for the Hall of Fame.
He said he cant tell you how much this means. He played the Jersey Shore Pro-Am league and he said while that league may have had better players top to bottom, the passion there was nothing compared to the Princeton league. People would take your head off; players really wanted the title.
The Hall of Fame ceremony will be the centerpiece of a celebration at the courts this Saturday as the league marks its 20th anniversary. The festivities will go from 5-10 p.m. and will feature four games, free food, and giveaways. The Hall of Fame induction is scheduled for 7:15.
Stentz is confident that the passion of the league will be reflected in Saturdays proceedings.
We are trying to attract as many current and former players as possible, said Stentz, noting that there is a rain date of July 20 if the weather doesnt cooperate on Saturday.
We also want the people who have enjoyed watching the league over the years.
In addition to Lumpkin, the other members of the leagues inaugural Hall of Fame class will include Al Baptiste, Mike DAllegro, Harold Driver, Keith Jones, Rich Simkus, Blitz Wooten, Doug Snyder, Larry Ivan, Gil Fisher, and Dave Johnson.
Darius Young will receive the Ron Washington Award while Sheryl Perez, Ted Forst, and Jack Roberts will be recognized for Outstanding Contributions.
The idea of the Hall of Fame evolved as Stentz and fellow league denizen Evan Moorhead planned the 20th anniversary celebration.
We started with the idea of having the 20 best players in the first 20 years but there were a lot of the guys still playing, recalled Stentz.
We thought that it was weird to have a 24-year-old-guy named as one of the best players of the first 20 years. We decided on a Hall of Fame with basic criteria. To be eligible, a player must have played three years in the league and not be playing any more. We wanted the dominant players in their era.
For Stentz, the selection process sparked a lot of good memories of the leagues rich history.
It was fun; we met four times in person, said Stentz. There were a lot of phone calls and e-mails. We met a couple of times at Contes and the stories got flowing at the same rate the beverages were flowing. Evan would remember this story, I would remember another, and Darius Young would bring up another. We would compare notes.
Stentz is proud of the final product of that process. We wanted to have the cream of the crop, said Stentz.
We didnt want to have 100 players; we definitely have the cream of the crop. Allegro, Wooten, and Simkus were dominant in the first five five years of the league and guys like Jones, Lumpkin, and Driver were dominant the next five years.
The Hall wouldnt be complete without the inclusion of former Princeton High boys hoops coach Snyder who helped the league get off the ground in 1989.
The league started because of him, said Stentz, noting that the first game Saturday will pit Snyders current team, William Allen High (Pa.), against PHS.
Evan and I played for him at PHS. He was most influential person in my life other than my parents. I could have gone either way and he did a lot for me to get me on the right path. I had triumphs at PHS and great memories of the summer league. He is really excited about this.
A key figure in helping the league prosper in recent years has been Rec Department Executive Director Roberts.
In the last five or six years; we have had a number of capital improvements, said Stentz.
Every time we have needed something, Jack has led the charge. He has gone straight to board and has figured out a way to get things done. Its a busy facility with the summer league, the school, and general use. We have redone the surface, added lights and gotten new backboards and rims.
Despite all the hoopla surrounding the 20th anniversary commemoration, Stentz still sees the games as the core of the festivities.
Its going to be a lot of fun but dont forget about the games, said Stentz with a laugh.
That is what draws people down here. We have scheduled Georges Roasters versus Northwestern Financial after the Hall of Fame ceremony. We are hoping there will be a big crowd for that.
Stentz is predicting that the crowd on hand will be as animated as the action on the court. We are expecting a lot of the old guys to be there, said Stentz.
We are expecting a lot of handshakes and hugs with people busting each others chops about past games and seasons.
And you can bet that Lumpkin will be in the middle of those exchanges.
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