D-I players everywhere decades ago

It’s not exactly breaking new ground to say high school basketball talent in Western Pa. isn’t close to what it was a number of decades ago. That point has been made time and time again by everyone from high school and college coaches to fans.

Much of the evidence is anecdotal. But a week ago, I accidentally stumbled upon hard facts that reveal the way it was in Western Pa. basketball. The difference from now to 40 years ago is startling when the evidence is tangible.

In 1978, the Pittsburgh Press published five-player all-section teams for all sections in the WPIAL and City League. The Post-Gazette has been doing the same thing for decades.

Forty years ago, the all-section teams included almost 30 players from sophomores to seniors who would go on to play Division I basketball. Some of those players played on college teams that are now in the power five conferences.

Now consider that the 2016 allsection teams had only five players (sophomores to seniors) go on to play Division I. In 2015, nine players went on to Division I colleges, including two as walk-ons.

This isn’t meant to totally knock the talent nowadays in Western Pa. It’s better than some think. But oh, how it used to be in these parts four decades ago. And the early 1970s, 60s and 50s were even better.

There were at least 15 seniors on the all-section teams of 1978 who played Division I, and maybe a few more. Also, there were at least a dozen non-seniors on those all-section teams who went on to play major-college basketball.

And one of the members of the 1978 WPIAL senior class was John Calipari, the University of Kentucky coach who played at Moon and was selected the No. 1 player in his section. He played at North Carolina-Wilmington before transferring to Division II Clarion. A few other members of the WPIAL-City League class of 1978 were Wilkinsburg’s Bruce Atkins (Duquesne), Norwin’s Doug Arnold (Duquesne), Schenley’s James Smith (Wisconsin), Schenley’s Dave Thornton (George Washington) and South Hills Catholic’s Tom McConnell (Davidson). McConnell is now the women’s coach at IUP.

But among the non-seniors on those all-section teams of 1978 were Valley’s Bill Varner (Notre Dame), Schenley’s Larry Anderson (Nevada-Las Vegas), Allderdice’s Frank Dobbs (Villanova), Northgate’s Ed Major (Ohio State), Wilkinsburg’s John Ryan (Pitt), Central Catholic’s Marc Marotta (Marquette), South Allegheny’s Paul Brozovich (Pitt), Clairton’s Darrell Gissendanner (Pitt), Northgate’s Rod Scott (Duquesne) and Burrell’s Joe Myers (Duquesne).

What those all-section teams of 1978 also showed was how the WPIAL and City League used to produce so many more “big” players. Of those players on the all-section teams who played at Division I colleges, 12 stood 6-5 or taller. For the past couple decades, the WPIAL and City League has lacked many “big” Division I prospects.

One last comparison might best show the way basketball used to be in the district. The WPIAL-City League basketball class of 1978 had almost 20 Division I college players. The WPIAL-City League