CIAC All-Century Teams feature five local players

Dunn, Pressley, Quimby headline the boys’ team; Buck and Rappahahn are part of the girls’ team

Heather Buck. A two-time Gatorade Connecticut Girls' Basketball Player of the Year who won a state championship at Stonington High School and later participated in five Final Fours as a member of the UConn women's basketball team.

Harold Pressley. A former first team Parade Magazine All-American at St. Bernard and two-time state champion who played in the NBA.

Art Quimby. Led the former Bulkeley School of New London to an unbeaten record in 1951 on the way to state and New England championships and later, while playing for UConn, led the nation in rebounding.

Those were additions this week as the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference unveiled the final members of its 25-player All-Century Teams for high school boys' and girls' basketball in the state.

The selection of the teams, originally scheduled around the CIAC state basketball tournaments, including state championship weekend scheduled for March 21-22 at Mohegan Sun Arena, was a part of the CIAC Centennial Celebration. The CIAC was founded on May 5, 1921.

The teams will now be celebrated at the CIAC's 2021 championship events, following the cancellation of the 2020 tournaments.

The CIAC announced the All-Century Teams in blocks of five each Wednesday and Thursday, culminating this week.

Other local players named were Norwich Free Academy's Krista Rap

pahahn on the girls' side — former Killingly star Tracy Lis, the state's alltime leading scorer with 3,681 points, also represented the Eastern Connecticut Conference — and New London great Kris Dunn on the boys' side.

The-All Century Teams were compiled with input from past and current coaches, high school basketball writers and others closely associated with Connecticut boys' and girls' basketball through the decades.

Players who did not graduate from a CIAC member school were not eligible and the girls' All-Century Team only features players that competed after the CIAC began sponsoring girls' basketball championships in 1974.

Buck is a 2008 Stonington graduate and a four-time all-state selection for the Bears. She finished with career totals of 2,205 points and 1,406 rebounds, averaging 26.4 points and 15.8 rebounds per game as a senior. She is a member of the Connecticut Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

Rappahahn, a 2002 graduate of NFA, helped lead the Wildcats to three state championships (1999, 2001, 2002) and was the Gatorade Connecticut Player of the Year in 2002. She finished with 2,048 career points and had career averages of 22.9 points, 9 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals, as NFA went 106-2 in her four-year tenure. She went on to play collegiately at Stanford.

Pressley led the St. Bernard boys to state titles in 1981 and 1982 and was a three-time all-state selection. Pressley played at Villanova, winning the national championship in 1985, and was selected in the first round of the NBA Draft (17th overall) by the Sacramento Kings.

Quimby was a 1951 Bulkeley graduate who reportedly received offers from 74 colleges. While at UConn, his teams earned an NCAA bid in 1954 and an NIT berth in 1955. A 1,000-point scorer for UConn, he was named to school's All-Century Team in 2001 and as a member of the Huskies of Honor in 2007.

Dunn, currently of the Chicago Bulls, is a 2012 New London graduate and a McDonald's All-American. Dunn helped New London to an unbeaten state championship season in 2011 and two title game appearances. A three-time all-state selection before heading for a four-year career at Providence, Dunn averaged 31.4 points and 10.1 rebounds per game his senior season. He was a firstround draft pick (fifth overall) by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2016.

Other members of the CIAC's All-Century Teams are:

Girls — Kelley Camp (West Haven, 1977); Tracy Claxton (Wilbur Cross, 1980); Bethany Collins (Branford, 1984); Maria Conlon (Seymour, 2000); Nadine Domond (Bridgeport Central, 1994); Desiree Elmore (Capital Prep, 2016); Kiah Gillespie (Capital Prep, 2015); Bria Holmes (Hillhouse, 2012); Cathy Inglese (Sheehan, 1976).

Cindy Malinowski (Westbrook, 1981); Jennifer Monti (Ellington, 1998); Jennifer O'Brien (Mercy, 1996); Ann Odoy (Masuk, 1984); Holly Oslander (North Branford, 1989); Amanda Pape (Trinity Catholic, 2003); Jennifer Rizzotti (New Fairfield, 1992); Symone Roberts (New Britain, 2009); Nykesha Sales (Bloomfield, 1994); Da'Shena Stevens (Trinity Catholic, 2008); Tracy Stolle (Wamogo, 1995); C.B. Tomasiewicz (Weston, 1975) and Rita Williams (Brien McMahon, 1994).

Boys — Chuck Aleksinas (Wamogo, 1977); John Bagley (Harding, 1979); Scott Burrell (Hamden, 1989); Marcus Camby (Hartford Public, 1993); Rick DiCicco (St. Joseph, 1973); Johnny Egan (Weaver, 1957); Walter Esdaile (Hillhouse, 1965); Rod Foster (St. Thomas Aquinas, 1979); Mike Gminski (Masuk, 1976); Eddie Griffin (Hartford Public, 1962); Tony Hanson (Holy Cross, 1973); Anthony Harris (Danbury, 1991); Mustapha Heron (Sacred Heart, 2016); Dave Hicks (Wilbur Cross).

Walter Luckett (Kolbe Cathedral, 1972); Wes Matthews (Harding, 1977); Calvin Murphy (Norwalk, 1966); Tom Roy (South Windsor, 1971); Charles Smith (Harding, 1984); Chris Smith (Kolbe Cathedral, 1988); Corny Thompson (Middletown, 1978); and John Williamson (Wilbur Cross, 1970). v.fulkerson@theday.com

DAY FILE PHOTO New London’s Kris Dunn, a McDonald’s All-American and current member of the NBA’s Chicago Bulls, was named to the 25-player CIAC All-Century boys’ basketball team.

DAY FILE PHOTO Stonington’s Heather Buck, a two-time Connecticut Gatorade Player of the Year, was named to the 25-player CIAC All-Century girls’ basketball team.

PHOTO COURTESY OF UCONN ATHLETICS St. Bernard’s Harold Pressley, who led the Saints to back-to-back state titles before playing on a national championship team at Villanova, is a member the the 25-player CIAC All-Century boys’ basketball team. The late Art Quimby, who led the Bulkeley School of New London to state and New England titles in 1951 before leading the nation in rebounding one season at UConn, has been named to the 25-player CIAC AllCentury boys’ basketball team.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ST. BERNARD SCHOOL

DAY FILE PHOTO NFA’s Krista Rappahahn, who helped lead the Wildcats to three Class LL state championships, has been named to the 25-player CIAC All-Century girls’ basketball team.