Temple University Athletics
Marty Stahurski to be Inducted into Philadelphia Big 5 Hall of Fame
3.7.22 | Men's Basketball
PHILADELPHIA – Temple standout Marty Stahurski will be one of seven all-time greats inducted into the Philadelphia Big 5 Hall of Fame at the 2021-22 awards banquet being held at The Palestra on Monday, April 11 at 6 p.m. On that night, the 2021-22 All-Big 5 teams will also be honored along with the Big 5's postseason honors.
This event is open to the public, tickets are $15 ahead of time (click here to buy tickets online) or $20 at the door that night.
Stahurski, who passed away on Dec. 16, 2017, starred for the Cherry and White from the 1974-75 through the 1977-78 seasons and was inducted into the Temple Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018. A four-year starter, the 6-4 forward from Freeport, N.Y. finished his career with 1,499 points which was the fourth-highest total at the time of his graduation (17th currently). He averaged double figures in scoring all four seasons, with a high of 15.7 points during his senior season.
A two-time First Team all-Philadelphia Big 5 honoree, Stahurski helped lead the 1977-78 Owls to 24 wins during his senior season, the third-highest total in school history at the time. He had his most productive season to close out his collegiate career, making 183 of his 324 field goal attempts for a 56.5 field goal percentage which still ranks ninth on the school's single season list. He scored 20 or more points eight times. Temple would lose only three regular season games that year with the first to #16 Virginia at the Sugar Bowl Tournament in New Orleans. The other two losses were to eventual East Coast Conference Champion La Salle and at #10 Syracuse.
The Owls lost again in the ECC Championship game by one point (73-72) to La Salle but earned a berth in the 1978 National Invitation Tournament where they ended the year with a loss at #16 Texas.
Here are bio sketches of the other Hall of Fame inductees…
SONNY HILL
Already a member of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame, Sonny's name is synonymous with Philadelphia basketball for generations of Big 5 players, coaches and fans. He founded the Charles Baker Memorial Summer League in 1960 and then developed the Sonny Hill League as an amateur outlet for college, high school and pre-high school players in 1968. In more than a half-century of existence, the Sonny Hill League has helped foster and nurture the talents of some of the biggest names to emerge from the Delaware Valley and was the home for hundreds of Big 5 players. It also was the first program in the country to allow coed basketball leagues. Four of the current Big 5 head coach emerged from his program, and for years his program was the only one in the country that had all five Big 5 coaches coaching at the same time, including two who went on to coach at the Olympics (Jay Wright, Villanova/Dawn Staley, Temple). Sonny also co-founded the McDonald's All-America Game, which has been a gateway to the NBA for many of its participants. The first minority broadcaster for games at Penn and Temple, Sonny was named one of the 100 most influential minorities in sports by Sports Illustrated in 2004, and among his many positions he has been a 76ers executive, a radio host and a broadcaster as well as a counselor and mentor to thousands of young men across the city and the region.
LA SALLE – Cheryl Reeve (1985-88)
The recently named head coach of the USA Women's National Team through 2024, Reeve played collegiately at La Salle where she was a second-team All-Big 5 and first-team All-MAAC pick as a senior. She finished her Explorers career second in program history in assists and steals, making 110 starts in her career and helping La Salle go 89-29 with two Big 5 titles, two MAAC regular-season championships, and two NCAA Tournament appearances (1986, 1988). A team captain as a senior, Reeve also excelled in the classroom, earning spots on the MAAC and Big 5 All-Academic teams her senior year and being awarded the MAAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Postgraduate Scholarship and an NCAA Postgraduate Grant. Among her many honors, Reeve is a member of the La Salle Hall of Athletes and an Atlantic-10 Legend. The current Minnesota Lynx head coach has helmed four WNBA championship teams, been WNBA Coach of the Year twice, and before taking over the National Team served as an assistant coach as Team USA won gold medals at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games as well as the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.
PENN – Bruce Lefkowitz (1984-87)
An absolute beast on the playing floor during his days wearing the Red and Blue, Lefkowitz is still the standard by which many of today's players are measured by longtime fans of Penn basketball. A dominating frontcourt presence throughout the mid-1980s, "Lefko" finished his career with 1,443 points, which at the time of his graduation placed him fifth on Penn's all-time scoring chart and still has him 12th all-time within the program. His career field-goal percentage was 58.7, which to this day remains second all-time at Penn—a stat enhanced by the fact that he took more shots than any of the top six listed in that category. Lefkowitz still remains the all-time leader in free throws made (469) and attempted (666), and he is eighth all-time with 766 career rebounds. Lefkowitz was first-team All-Ivy as a senior, second-team All-Ivy as a junior, and All-Ivy honorable mention as a sophomore. He was second-team All-Big 5 as a senior. Penn won a pair of the Ivy League titles during Lefkowitz's career, in 1984-85 and his senior year of 1986-87 (he was a captain of that team). The Quakers went 10-4 both of those seasons. His junior year, the Red and Blue went 9-5 in league play and tied for second place.
SAINT JOSEPH'S – Ahmad Nivins (2006-09)
The 2008-09 Geasey Award recipient as Big 5 Player of the Year, Nivins earned first-team All-Big 5 honors his sophomore and senior years and was a second-team All-Big 5 pick as a junior. Nivins was the Atlantic-10 Player of the Year and honorable mention All-America as a senior, a two-time NABC All-District selection, and earned three A-10 all-conference honors including first-team recognitions in 2006-07 and 2008-09. He led the Hawks to the 2008 NCAA Tournament and graduated fifth all-time in career scoring with 1,789 points, fifth all-time with 166 blocked shots, and sixth all-time with 955 career rebounds. Nivins also holds the Saint Joseph's records for field-goal percentage in a season (.647 in 2007-08) and for a career (.627).
VILLANOVA – Allan Ray (2003-06)
Ray was a first-team All-Big 5 selection three times who was a consensus All-America and Naismith Award finalist his senior year. The Wildcats reached the Elite Eight that season after advancing to the Sweet 16 his junior year, going a combined 52-13 over those two seasons. Ray scored 2,025 points at Villanova—a number that remains seventh on the program's all-time scoring list—as he averaged 15.6 points per game over 130 appearances. He converted 312 three-point shots over his career, hitting at a .367 clip from beyond the arc. Ray was first-team All-Big East as a senior, second-team All-Big East as a junior, and third-team All-Big East as a sophomore. A three-year captain, Ray had his number 14 jersey retired by Villanova on December 21, 2019.
VILLANOVA – Head Coach Harry Perretta
The winner of 18 Philadelphia Big 5 titles and a five-time Big 5 Coach of the Year from 2003-20, Harry Perretta was the only head coach the Wildcats women's basketball program had for 42 years. Eight of Perretta's players won a total of 10 Big 5 Player of the Year honors, led by three-time recipient Shelley Pennefather and two-time honoree Caroline Coyer. He finished his career with a 122-41 Big 5 record, giving him 80 more wins than any other coach in Big 5 women's history, and his .749 win percentage in city play is bettered only by Stephanie Gaitley (.868 from 1992-01 at Saint Joseph's) and Dawn Staley (.813 at Temple from 2001-08). Perretta won 783 games overall, ranking him as the winningest coach in the history of Villanova basketball (men or women) and 13th on the NCAA Division I all-time coaching list. Perretta had 30 winning seasons including 20 with at least 20 wins, and his teams earned 11 NCAA Tournament bids and made 11 WNIT appearances. Villanova won five Big East championships during the Perretta Era—three Tournament titles and two regular-season crowns—and he coached 79 All-Big East players including 19 who earned first-team honors. Perretta finished his career with 345 Big East wins which put him behind only Jim Boeheim (Syracuse men) and Geno Auriemma (UConn women) for Big East basketball wins. Perretta's 2002-03 team advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight, and pre-NCAA he coached the Wildcats to the 1982 AIAW Final Four at The Palestra.
list. Perretta had 30 winning seasons including 20 with at least 20 wins, and his teams earned 11 NCAA Tournament bids and made 11 WNIT appearances. Villanova won five Big East championships during the Perretta Era—three Tournament titles and two regular-season crowns—and he coached 79 All-Big East players including 19 who earned first-team honors. Perretta finished his career with 345 Big East wins which put him behind only Jim Boeheim (Syracuse men) and Geno Auriemma (UConn women) for Big East basketball wins. Perretta's 2002-03 team advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight, and pre-NCAA he coached the Wildcats to the 1982 AIAW Final Four at The Palestra.
This event is open to the public, tickets are $15 ahead of time or $20 at the door that night.
This event is open to the public, tickets are $15 ahead of time (click here to buy tickets online) or $20 at the door that night.
Stahurski, who passed away on Dec. 16, 2017, starred for the Cherry and White from the 1974-75 through the 1977-78 seasons and was inducted into the Temple Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018. A four-year starter, the 6-4 forward from Freeport, N.Y. finished his career with 1,499 points which was the fourth-highest total at the time of his graduation (17th currently). He averaged double figures in scoring all four seasons, with a high of 15.7 points during his senior season.
A two-time First Team all-Philadelphia Big 5 honoree, Stahurski helped lead the 1977-78 Owls to 24 wins during his senior season, the third-highest total in school history at the time. He had his most productive season to close out his collegiate career, making 183 of his 324 field goal attempts for a 56.5 field goal percentage which still ranks ninth on the school's single season list. He scored 20 or more points eight times. Temple would lose only three regular season games that year with the first to #16 Virginia at the Sugar Bowl Tournament in New Orleans. The other two losses were to eventual East Coast Conference Champion La Salle and at #10 Syracuse.
The Owls lost again in the ECC Championship game by one point (73-72) to La Salle but earned a berth in the 1978 National Invitation Tournament where they ended the year with a loss at #16 Texas.
Here are bio sketches of the other Hall of Fame inductees…
SONNY HILL
Already a member of the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame, Sonny's name is synonymous with Philadelphia basketball for generations of Big 5 players, coaches and fans. He founded the Charles Baker Memorial Summer League in 1960 and then developed the Sonny Hill League as an amateur outlet for college, high school and pre-high school players in 1968. In more than a half-century of existence, the Sonny Hill League has helped foster and nurture the talents of some of the biggest names to emerge from the Delaware Valley and was the home for hundreds of Big 5 players. It also was the first program in the country to allow coed basketball leagues. Four of the current Big 5 head coach emerged from his program, and for years his program was the only one in the country that had all five Big 5 coaches coaching at the same time, including two who went on to coach at the Olympics (Jay Wright, Villanova/Dawn Staley, Temple). Sonny also co-founded the McDonald's All-America Game, which has been a gateway to the NBA for many of its participants. The first minority broadcaster for games at Penn and Temple, Sonny was named one of the 100 most influential minorities in sports by Sports Illustrated in 2004, and among his many positions he has been a 76ers executive, a radio host and a broadcaster as well as a counselor and mentor to thousands of young men across the city and the region.
LA SALLE – Cheryl Reeve (1985-88)
The recently named head coach of the USA Women's National Team through 2024, Reeve played collegiately at La Salle where she was a second-team All-Big 5 and first-team All-MAAC pick as a senior. She finished her Explorers career second in program history in assists and steals, making 110 starts in her career and helping La Salle go 89-29 with two Big 5 titles, two MAAC regular-season championships, and two NCAA Tournament appearances (1986, 1988). A team captain as a senior, Reeve also excelled in the classroom, earning spots on the MAAC and Big 5 All-Academic teams her senior year and being awarded the MAAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year Postgraduate Scholarship and an NCAA Postgraduate Grant. Among her many honors, Reeve is a member of the La Salle Hall of Athletes and an Atlantic-10 Legend. The current Minnesota Lynx head coach has helmed four WNBA championship teams, been WNBA Coach of the Year twice, and before taking over the National Team served as an assistant coach as Team USA won gold medals at the 2016 and 2020 Olympic Games as well as the 2014 and 2018 World Cups.
PENN – Bruce Lefkowitz (1984-87)
An absolute beast on the playing floor during his days wearing the Red and Blue, Lefkowitz is still the standard by which many of today's players are measured by longtime fans of Penn basketball. A dominating frontcourt presence throughout the mid-1980s, "Lefko" finished his career with 1,443 points, which at the time of his graduation placed him fifth on Penn's all-time scoring chart and still has him 12th all-time within the program. His career field-goal percentage was 58.7, which to this day remains second all-time at Penn—a stat enhanced by the fact that he took more shots than any of the top six listed in that category. Lefkowitz still remains the all-time leader in free throws made (469) and attempted (666), and he is eighth all-time with 766 career rebounds. Lefkowitz was first-team All-Ivy as a senior, second-team All-Ivy as a junior, and All-Ivy honorable mention as a sophomore. He was second-team All-Big 5 as a senior. Penn won a pair of the Ivy League titles during Lefkowitz's career, in 1984-85 and his senior year of 1986-87 (he was a captain of that team). The Quakers went 10-4 both of those seasons. His junior year, the Red and Blue went 9-5 in league play and tied for second place.
SAINT JOSEPH'S – Ahmad Nivins (2006-09)
The 2008-09 Geasey Award recipient as Big 5 Player of the Year, Nivins earned first-team All-Big 5 honors his sophomore and senior years and was a second-team All-Big 5 pick as a junior. Nivins was the Atlantic-10 Player of the Year and honorable mention All-America as a senior, a two-time NABC All-District selection, and earned three A-10 all-conference honors including first-team recognitions in 2006-07 and 2008-09. He led the Hawks to the 2008 NCAA Tournament and graduated fifth all-time in career scoring with 1,789 points, fifth all-time with 166 blocked shots, and sixth all-time with 955 career rebounds. Nivins also holds the Saint Joseph's records for field-goal percentage in a season (.647 in 2007-08) and for a career (.627).
VILLANOVA – Allan Ray (2003-06)
Ray was a first-team All-Big 5 selection three times who was a consensus All-America and Naismith Award finalist his senior year. The Wildcats reached the Elite Eight that season after advancing to the Sweet 16 his junior year, going a combined 52-13 over those two seasons. Ray scored 2,025 points at Villanova—a number that remains seventh on the program's all-time scoring list—as he averaged 15.6 points per game over 130 appearances. He converted 312 three-point shots over his career, hitting at a .367 clip from beyond the arc. Ray was first-team All-Big East as a senior, second-team All-Big East as a junior, and third-team All-Big East as a sophomore. A three-year captain, Ray had his number 14 jersey retired by Villanova on December 21, 2019.
VILLANOVA – Head Coach Harry Perretta
The winner of 18 Philadelphia Big 5 titles and a five-time Big 5 Coach of the Year from 2003-20, Harry Perretta was the only head coach the Wildcats women's basketball program had for 42 years. Eight of Perretta's players won a total of 10 Big 5 Player of the Year honors, led by three-time recipient Shelley Pennefather and two-time honoree Caroline Coyer. He finished his career with a 122-41 Big 5 record, giving him 80 more wins than any other coach in Big 5 women's history, and his .749 win percentage in city play is bettered only by Stephanie Gaitley (.868 from 1992-01 at Saint Joseph's) and Dawn Staley (.813 at Temple from 2001-08). Perretta won 783 games overall, ranking him as the winningest coach in the history of Villanova basketball (men or women) and 13th on the NCAA Division I all-time coaching list. Perretta had 30 winning seasons including 20 with at least 20 wins, and his teams earned 11 NCAA Tournament bids and made 11 WNIT appearances. Villanova won five Big East championships during the Perretta Era—three Tournament titles and two regular-season crowns—and he coached 79 All-Big East players including 19 who earned first-team honors. Perretta finished his career with 345 Big East wins which put him behind only Jim Boeheim (Syracuse men) and Geno Auriemma (UConn women) for Big East basketball wins. Perretta's 2002-03 team advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight, and pre-NCAA he coached the Wildcats to the 1982 AIAW Final Four at The Palestra.
list. Perretta had 30 winning seasons including 20 with at least 20 wins, and his teams earned 11 NCAA Tournament bids and made 11 WNIT appearances. Villanova won five Big East championships during the Perretta Era—three Tournament titles and two regular-season crowns—and he coached 79 All-Big East players including 19 who earned first-team honors. Perretta finished his career with 345 Big East wins which put him behind only Jim Boeheim (Syracuse men) and Geno Auriemma (UConn women) for Big East basketball wins. Perretta's 2002-03 team advanced to the NCAA Elite Eight, and pre-NCAA he coached the Wildcats to the 1982 AIAW Final Four at The Palestra.
This event is open to the public, tickets are $15 ahead of time or $20 at the door that night.
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