Donofrio Tournament a Time-Honored Philly Tradition

They would sometimes sit in a corner, trying to be inconspicuous. But it was really hard not to notice the veritable Mount Rushmore of college basketball coaches that would show up each spring in this little nook, tucked just outside of Philadelphia.
 
On any given weeknight in mid-April, you’d be able to find Dean Smith or Jim Boeheim, Bobby Knight or P.J. Carlesimo, Rick Pitino or John Calipari sitting there nodding and chatting with one another. The power that lured these great college hoops giants to tiny Conshohocken, Pennsylvania is one of the best little secrets for any hoops junkies. It’s the Donofrio Tournament, named after Alfred C. Donofrio, a former Director of the Conshohocken Fellowship House.
 
Earl “The Pearl” Monroe played in this tournament, as did Kobe Bryant and his father, Joe, who are the only father-son combination to ever be named MVPs of the tournament. Rasheed Wallace played in it, so did Gene Banks, Lionel Simmons, Alvin Williams, Michael Brooks, John Salmons, Pooh Richardson, and more contemporary stars like Gerald Henderson and Wayne Ellington.
 
You want to find the best of the best—you find your way down Fifth Street in center-city Conshohocken on a spring weeknight. You’ll usually see quality.
 
The I-3 All-Stars won the tournament championship this year, led by Temple-bound Khalif Wyatt (Norristown), 106-90, over Bucks County, despite the 45 points scored by West Virginia-bound Dalton Pepper (Pennsbury).

The April 15 championship game closed down the 49th season of the event, which began in 1960 as the Conshohocken Teenage Basketball Classic with three teams involved. By 1962, the third year of the tournament, it grew to four teams and a few college coaches began to trickle in to watch a Philly legend, Earl Monroe, do his thing against another future pro, Freddy Carter.
 
In 1976, Donofrio died, and the tournament was renamed in his honor. This year, the single-elimination tournament has grown to 26 teams—with large plans for the 50th anniversary next year already in motion.
 
What is noticeably missing are the familiar noteworthy faces that would frequent the tournament. But due to newly implemented NCAA rules instituted five years ago, Division I coaches cannot attend the games as in the past.
 
That hasn’t stopped college scouts and hoops nuts looking for a great fix from coming. It’s the size of the small gym. It’s a chance to see a future great, like Kobe Bryant, perform up close before the rest of the world finds out how gifted they are.
 
“It’s the best talent in Southeastern Pennsylvania,” said Norm Eavenson, a scout for Bob Gibbons All-Star Sports who’s been going to the Donofrio since 1964. “The only tournaments that are comparable to this, though probably haven’t run as long, are the Port Chester, in New York, started back in the late-1960s, early-70s, and the IS8, out of Queens, New York, which is double-elimination and twice as long as this.
 
“This tournament has lasted the longest, and referees work it for free, in honor of Donofrio, who was a former referee. In the past, you’d find a Dean Smith here, a lot of major college coaches. They wanted to see a kid they’ve signed, or take a look at some underclassmen. It is a shame the new regulations hurt kids, and hurt college programs trying to get a leg up and out-work their fellow coaches. But there is no doubt, this is basketball-junkie heaven.”
 
Dick “Hoops” Weiss, the legendary college basketball writer who’s covered the sport for over 40 years for the Philadelphia Daily News and now New York Daily News, is an annual visitor. At one time, Weiss even coached in the tournament, involved in one of its greatest games, a 120-118 shootout, won by Gene Banks’ team over Michael Brooks’ squad, coached by Weiss.
 
“In the 1970s, you’d have teams with at least eight or 10 Division-I players, that’s how loaded this tournament used to be, before it expanded to 26 teams,” Weiss said. “But there is really nothing like it. All of the great ones have come through here. If you’re a star, this is still the place to validate your reputation and for the younger kids to make star reputations.”
 
Then Weiss relayed a story of Aaron McKie. The Simon Gratz senior appeared headed to Coppin State when legendary Temple coach John Chaney popped into the Donofrio one night and was impressed by what he saw. McKie had a strong career at Temple, and wound up being a 12-year NBA pro.
 
Hoping to be discovered is what I-3 All-Star Amile Jefferson, a stringbean 6-6 freshman from Friends Central with a great upside, and 6-2 Neshaminy freshman guard Ryan Arcidiacono, who played for Bucks County, were trying to do. They were playing with young men heading to college—and both held their own. It’s the magic of Donofrio.

“This is where you learn, and just playing on the same team as these guys is pretty amazing,” Arcidiacono said. “Three of our five starters are Division I players. You see and watch them, especially someone like Dalton Pepper, and that’s how you better better.”
 
“You look around and see some of the names who played in this tournament, and see some of the talent that was on this court tonight, and it is privilege,” Jefferson said. “It’s really all about a chance to find out how good you are.”
 
Joseph Santoliquito covers high schools for the Philadelphia Daily News and is a frequent contributor to MaxPreps.com. He can be contacted at JSantoliquito@yahoo.com.