Mercer Hoops HoF pushes back induction ceremony to Sept. 13
The Mercer County Basketball Hall of Fame was planning to induct its third class on April 19.
However, due to circumstances surrounding the coronavirus, the event has been rescheduled for Sept. 13 at 3 p.m. at Mercer Oaks Country Club.
The committee certainly appreciates everyone’s understanding and they are looking forward to September when Val Ackerman, Bob Pugh, Sean Casey, Michelle Campbell, Mykeema Ford, Jim Davis, John Castaldo, Deon Hames and Bryan Caver will be inducted.
Also, at that time the George O’Gorman Scholarship will be awarded to a female high school player and the Jim Davis Scholarship will be presented to a male high school player that most exemplifies the dedication and traits of both O’Gorman and Davis.
This year’s class this is one of great talent and commitment and will join past inductee’s Fr. Clarence O’Shea, Emil Wandishin, Harold Driver, Dahntay Jones, Nick Werkman, Greg Grant, Vicky Picott, Kate Larkin, Hollis Copeland, Tal Brody, Norm VanArsdalen, George O’Gorman, George Lee, Dale Hodges, Tonya Grant,
Fred Dumont, Mark Bass, Shelly Dearden, David ‘Poppy’ Sanderson and Jack Adams.
The third class to be inducted in September features, players, coaches, contributors and officials that excelled on and off the court.
Val Ackerman, the Commissioner of the Big East, was a standout player at Hopewell Valley the University of Virginia and prior to the Big East she was a first President of the WNBA.
Mykeema Ford was a great player at Trenton High and then at Stony Brook where she led the Seawolves in scoring all four years. She is second All-Time in career points and second in assists.
Sean Casey and John Castaldo were a pair of state championship coaches, Bob Pugh after an accomplished career at the high school and college level is still involved in officiating as an assessor and as an assignor.
The late Jim Davis chronicled many a high school player during his time as a writer at The Trentonian. Davis loved the game and his stories had a way of bringing the passion and the intensity to the back page.
Michelle Campbell was an AllState player at Notre Dame and then went on to have a great career at Rutgers, where she was the Big East’s Most Improved Player and an
All-Big East selection.
Deon Hames was a great player at Hun gaining All-State recognition and he continued excellence at Rider scoring 1,589 points, which is ninth on the All-Time list and he is still the All-Time assist leader for the Broncs with 598.
Seton Hall has been the scene of many “Trenton Makes the World Takes” moments from Werkman to Myles Powell and in between was a pretty good one, too in Bryan Caver.
After a state championship career at McCorristin (now Trenton Catholic Academy) he was a key part of some very good Seton Hall teams. Caver is among the All-Time assists and steals leaders at Seton Hall.