Sept. 16, 2005
The Nova Notebook, by Villanova director of media relations Mike Sheridan, appears each week beginning in the fall and continues through the basketball regular season. This week we spotlight former head men's basketball coach Jack Kraft, who will be the special honoree on Sept. 19 at the third annual Villanova Classic at Canoe Brook Country Club.
Asked to recall a specific anecdote about his former college basketball coach, Jack Kraft, legendary Wildcat guard Bill Melchionni chuckles.
"It was a long time ago," he says from his home on Long Island.
In truth, it was. Melchionni emerged as an All-American when a tank of gas could be purchased with singles. When Jack Kraft, the man who brought him to campus and built powerhouse squads that helped Villanova basketball earn a national following, completed his tenure as Wildcat coach John Wooden still roamed the sidelines at UCLA.
Yet the passage of time hasn't erased Kraft's accomplishments or the impact he had on the lives of the young men he tutored from 1962-73.
"I just have great admiration for the man," states Melchionni, who went on to become one of the top guards in the American Basketball Association as a member of the New York Nets. "He allowed me the opportunity to develop as a player and as a person. Over the years you come to appreciate that even more."
On Monday, Kraft steps into the spotlight again. The former coach, now retired and living near the Jersey Shore, will be on hand at Canoe Brook Country Club as the special honoree at the Villanova Classic in Summit, N.J. He will be joined by over 200 Villanova basketball dignitaries, including former pupils like Melchionni and Chris Ford, for an afternoon of golf and a dinner reception.
"I'm so glad we are going to have the chance to recognize Coach Kraft in this way for the enormous contributions he made to our program," states current head coach Jay Wright, who will be in attendance along with the rest of the coaching staff as well as former head coach Rollie Massimino, the 2004 special honoree at this event.
Kraft owns the best winning percentage of Villanova's five men's basketball coaches (.715). In 12 seasons, he posted a record of 238-95 and elevated the Wildcats to a new era of national prominence. In 1970-71, his club advanced to the finals of the NCAA Tournament, where it pushed mighty UCLA - in the midst of its eight consecutive national crowns - to the limit in a 68-62 loss at the Houston Astrodome. On three occasions he was named Eastern Coach of the Year.
"To me, one thing that that stands out is his humility," says Ed Hastings, a part of the group that helped the `Cats reach the NCAA Final in '71. "Even when he won coach of the year in '71, he never made it about him. He wasn't into self-promotion or the flash that you see so much of today."
Prior to his arrival at Villanova, Kraft was a successful high school coach in the area. He spent 12 years at Bishop Neumann and one season at Malvern Prep. After posting a 28-7 mark at the Prep, he was selected to replace Al Severance, the man who took Villanova to its first Final Four in 1939, on April 7, 1961.
It didn't take long for Kraft to make his mark with the `Cats. Only one season removed from an 11-13 campaign, Villanova rebounded to a 21-7 mark and won a pair of NCAA Tournament games before falling to Wake Forest 79-69 at College Park, Md. That club included Hubie White, George Leftwich, Wali Jones, Jim McMonagle and Joe O'Brien.
Across the river in New Jersey, a burgeoning basketball talent took notice.
"I remember his first year very well," says Melchionni, who was then a rising senior at Bishop Eustace High School. "I had begun to receive some letters and phone calls after Jack had gotten the job and I went to watch them play. It was a very exciting team to watch and had some tremendous players in Wali, George and Hubie. They were very athletic and played great defense."
The next fall, Melchionni was on campus as a member of the freshman team. By the 1963-64 season he was part of another powerhouse Wildcat club. This one would finish 24-4 and featured Jones, Leftwich and Jim Washington in addition to Melchionni, who would go on to score more than 1,600 career points.
There was a delicate balancing act in place that season. Leftwich was a loyal senior who had been instrumental in Villanova's success as a sophomore and junior. However, an injury had taken its toll on him by the time he reached his senior season. Melchionni, meanwhile, was a blossoming talent who played the same backcourt position and would ultimately go on to have his jersey number retired at the school.
Such conundrums can envelop a club if a coach doesn't manage them properly. Kraft's light touch was, in the view of one of the principals, just right.
"I thought Jack was very fair," says Melchionni. "George was in the starting lineup for most of the season. In the next to last game, Jack made the change. It was hard on George but he handled it with class.
"One of the things about Jack that stands out in my mind is that he played the people he thought gave us the best chance to win. There wasn't any other agenda at work. He was extremely fair and treated everyone the same."
Melchionni, who carved a successful career in finance after his playing days ended, is looking forward to this chance to once again express his gratitude to the man who helped launch him on this path.
"I think it's nice when people are recognized in this manner, when they are able to enjoy it," says Melchionni. "A lot of times it doesn't happen until it's too late and the person isn't around to see how much he meant to everyone.
"This is well-deserved. Rollie and Jay will be there, all of the coaches and a lot of former players. It should be a terrific day and I'm looking forward to it."
Adds Hastings: "Above and beyond being a great coach, he is a gentleman. There was a grandfatherliness about him, even back then. In the heat of the battle you don't always appreciate that. Looking back now, though, that's what I am reminded of."
The opportunity remains for the public to participate. Select openings for golf and dinner (which includes an auction and 50/50 raffle) are available by calling the V Club at 1-877-434-1500.
A trio of Wildcats earned a place on the Big East's 2004-05 academic all-star team. Jason Fraser, Tom Grace and Ross Condon were all cited by the conference for their academic excellence.
