Nominations begin for 2nd Mercer HOF class
Last March, the inaugural class of the Mercer County Basketball Hall of Fame was enshrined and, in a basketball rich area like ours, the games never really end.
With that thought in mind it’s time to start planning for the next group of Hall of Fame candidates to shine through and be recognized. The ceremony is scheduled for April 7, 2019 at Mercer Oaks.
The Hall of Fame website is mercercountybasketballhof.com, and on the website is a nominations form. Know an eligible player, coach, referee, sports writer, or contributor? Please share it with the committee. All nominations are greatly appreciated.
The inaugural class included former Trenton Catholic coach Fr. Clarence O’Shea, Norm Van-Arsdalen, the legendary basketball official, Vicky Picott, standout player at Hightstown and Rutgers, Kate Larkin, a player at St. Anthony’s/McCorristin that set the tone for girls basketball in the county and Dahntay Jones, who was a great star at Steinert, then played at Duke and was an NBA champion with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
George O’Gorman, the longtime Trentonian writer, who penned many a story about the heroics of Mercer County basketball both with the boys and the girls was also inducted. The great Trenton High and Trenton State player Greg Grant, who took the Lions to the NCAA Division III Final Four and then was drafted and played in the NBA, was a great listen as he was inducted.
The longtime and renowned Ewing High coach Emil Wandishin joined the inaugural group along with one of his former players Hollis Copeland, who played at Rutgers and for the New York Knicks.
Nick Werkman’s ability to put the ball is the basket was well known, and once he began his induction speech he proved to be quite an entertainer, too.
Just as everyone’s speech was memorable, Werkman put the finishing touches on a great event.
There have been a lot of great players to take the court in Mercer County, the Colonial Valley Conference and the prep ranks, and they deserve to be recognized and honored for their accomplishments.
Back to the classic battles of Trenton High and Trenton Catholic, to those battles with THS and Wandishin’s Ewing powerhouses right up to the great Trenton Catholic Academy teams and this year’s Nottingham MCT and state championship team, there are plenty of worthy inductees.
There are many great girls players that have brought attention to the area, too. There were some great players and coaches guiding Hightstown, Notre Dame, Trenton, Hamilton, Ewing, St. Anthony, McCorristin and Trenton Catholic Academy to state titles and Tournament of Champions honors.
It’s never too early to start talking basketball in Mercer County and never too early to plan for another terrific event, just as the first Hall of Fame induction ceremony.