Duncan, Hlatky, Schumacher to play in Hoops Classic
Uniontown’s Brandon Duncan, Brownsville’s Paul Hlatky and Waynesburg’s P.J. Schumacher have all excelled as high school basketball players, leading their teams to numerous thrilling victories over the past three years. Now, they’ll have a chance to take their game to a higher level. They’ve all been picked to play in the preliminary game of the Pittsburgh Hoops Classic, scheduled for Thursday, April 10 at the University of Pittsburgh’s Peterson Events Center.
The preliminary game will feature basketball stars from Southwestern Pennsylvania. The nightcap will feature the best players from Pennsylvania taking on the best players from the nation and the world.
They’ll also be taking part in the Pittsburgh Hoops Classic’s Skill Contest scheduled for Thursday, April 10 from 6-9 p.m. at Uniontown High School.
Tryouts for the preliminary attracted hundreds of local high school stars but Duncan, Hlatky and Schumacher all stood among the crowd as they exhibited the skills their fans have come to know and expect over the years.
Duncan, a 6-3 wingman, was a super sub for the Red Raiders his sophomore and junior years, helping them advance to the WPIAL championship two years ago before winning the WPIAL title last year.
An excellent all-around player, Duncan was known mostly for his three-point shooting, but he also wowed Red Raider fans with his pinpoint passing and hustling defense.
After Uniontown lost six of its top seven players from last year many predicted this year would be a rebuilding campaign for the Red Raiders. But Duncan came to the front for new Coach Robbie Kezmarsky and led the Red Raiders to 20-4 record and the Section 3-AAA championship. Averaging 20.9 points a game, he scored more than 30 points three consecutive games.
In addition to his scoring and other skills, Duncan also provided some veteran leadership for the Red Raiders. Kezmarsky praised Duncan often during the season for giving the young Red Raiders guidance and stability.
Hlatky, a 6-5 senior forward, was one of the top big men in the area, averaging 13 points a game. He also pulled down 11.5 rebounds per game and blocked an average of two shots per game.
With Hlatky under the boards, the Falcons finished fourth in Section 3-AAA, losing narrowly to Waynesburg 71-70 for third place and a ticket to the WPIAL playoffs. The highlight of the year for the Falcons was a big win at Uniontown, the Red Raiders only section loss of the season.
A two-year starter, Hlatky was a member of the All-Fayette County Team last year, averaging 10 points per game.
Schumacher, a 6-3 guard, averaged 18.4 points per game this past season, including 59 three-point field goals, in leading Waynesburg to an 18-7 record and a spot in the WPIAL playoffs.
He finished his career as the Raiders’ leading scorer with 1,441 points. The prior scoring leader was Aaron Ankrom with 1,220 points.
A three-year starter, Schumacher starred for the Raiders last year, scoring 17.3 points per game and earning all-section honors.
The names of the other players selected to the all-star squads will be released later.
One change has been announced for the format of the game. It was announced previously that the main event would pit the best players of the United States against those in the world. However, due to the war in Iraq, officials have had a tough time attracting overseas players, thus the format will revert to the one used in previous year with the top players in Pennsylvania squaring off against the top players from throughout the nation and Canada.
Like last year, the Skills Contests will feature a scrimmage between players in the game, a three-point shooting contest, which was won last year by Uniontown’s David Winfrey, and a dunking contest. The players will also be available to sign autographs after the contest. The Skills Contest attracted a packed house last year and event organizers are hoping for another big crowd this year.
Doors will open at 5:45 p.m. for the Skills Contest. Tickets will be $4 in advance and $6 at the door. Tickets are on sale at the Herald-Standard offices in Uniontown, Brownsville and Connellsville, Mom Maruca’s Pizza Shop in Uniontown, Uniontown High School, Gerke’s Exxon gas station in Uniontown, Byers Market in Uniontown and Lash Sporting Goods in Uniontown.
Tickets for the main game will be on sale at Uniontown High School the night of the Skills Contest.
A number of players from last years game are doing well this year, Uniontown star Terrance Vaughns and former West Mifflin star Bryan McAllister started as freshmen at Clarion and Duquesne universities respectively. Daryl Pegram, a 6-8 point guard, has seen considerable playing time as a freshman for Indiana University, who will be playing Pitt today in the NCAA playoffs.
Nana Mensah-Bonsu, who won the dunking contest at the Skills Contest, thrilling fans who attended the event, was a star at George Washington University this past year. He averaged 10 points per game and seven rebounds for the Colonials who compete in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
They join a number of players from previous games who are starring in college basketball, including Emeka Onkafor of Connecticut, John Allen of Seton Hall, Jameer Nelson of St. Joseph, Bryant Matthews of Virginia Tech, Pat Carroll of Notre Dame and Delron Johnson of UNLV.
In addition to drawing the top players in the country, the event also draws many coaches from the top Division I programs in the nation. Among coaches who have attended Pittsburgh Hoop Classic games in the past include Ben Howland of Pitt, Matt Doherty of North Carolina, Jim Calhoun of Connecticut, John Chaney of Temple, John Calipari of Memphis, Tommy Amaker of Michigan and Al Skinner of Boston College.
For more information about tickets and the game, contact Mark O’Keefe at 724-439-7569 or 724-437-2599.