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Pawtucket YMCA launches college hoop league |
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Tuesday, 09 June 2009 |
By BRENDAN McGAIR
Sports writer
PAWTUCKET – For Curtis McCants, traipsing through Europe – and beyond – was made possible thanks to his basketball skill set. His 10-year overseas career witnessed this ex-St. Raphael Academy great carve out a great life in Israel, Russia, Portugal, France and Italy. Along the way McCants was a teammate of or suited up against current NBA’ers Tony Parker, Andre Kirilenko and Mickael Pietrus.
“Any time those guys come and play the Celtics, I go and see them,” said McCants, who played collegiately at George Mason (1993-96), where he still stands as the Patriots’ all-time assist leader (598, 7.3 per).
His transatlantic odyssey in the rear (2006-07 was his final season), McCants these days devotes his time and energy to a hoops project taking shape at the Pawtucket Family YMCA. Though in its infant stages, McCants is envisioning the day when the 20 Summer Street building becomes a primo destination for summertime basketball.
Beginning next Monday, the Pawtucket YMCA will raise the curtain on its first NCAA Sanctioned Summer Basketball League. The league is open to college players from Southern New England, both returning and incoming. The eight-team league already has allegiances pledged from Division I players from Providence College, Boston College, URI, Bryant and Brown along with those hailing from neighboring UMass-Dartmouth, Johnson & Wales and Assumption.
Among the headline names are Pawtucket native and current BC swingman Rakim Sanders and PC’s Marshon Brooks. The league will run every Tuesday and Thursday with playoffs held in early August.
McCants, the Y’s athletic director, is fully aware he is trying to compete against the Smithfield Summer Basketball League, which has been in place for over 27 years. That hasn’t stopped the ex-SRA cager from launching, even in these uncertain economic times, a potential windfall on several fronts.
From a player standpoint, McCants believes his creation is an opportunity “to stay in shape and bring athletes closer together.” League rules stipulate that no more than two returning players can play on the same team. McCants mentioned he expects to obtain commitments from virtually all of the seven-player recruiting class Keno Davis will bring to the PC campus in the fall.
McCants is familiar with the importance of having a summer league for college players in place. He partook in the Baker League, based in Philadelphia, and the Kenner League in the Washington, D.C. area, which primarily caters to players from George Mason, Georgetown and Maryland.
“We took an online test and made sure our insurance is up to par,” said McCants about the measures taken to become NCAA-certified.
When McCants, ’93 graduate of St. Raphael, was earning honors such as MVP of the French League, he realized a trend – one he strongly believes will drift towards the United States before long. “I saw how European League teams were funded through marketing and sponsorships,” he said.
McCants’ aim is to apply the same savvy technique to his league. Currently the NCAA summer league is being operated on a limited budget, backed by $3,000 in startup funds from the Pawtucket Y. Before long, McCants wants the gym, where Sanders, Brooks and the rest of the athletes will gather at, blanketed with advertising from area businesses – a la European arena style.
“The key right now is that the league is free, though we hope to raise money through cooperate sponsorships,” said McCants. “We have a lot of things going on daily and hope to bring publicity to the Y and exposure to local businesses.
“It’s about getting your name out there.”
McCants mentioned that there’s still time for hoopsters to signup. The league is also in the market for area high school coaches who wish to become involved.
(For more information, contact the Pawtucket YMCA at (401) 727-7900).
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 24 June 2009 )
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