Aug. 1, 2006

The Nova Notebook, by Villanova director of media relations Mike Sheridan, appears each Friday from September through February and monthly from April through in August. In this entry we look back at the events surrounding the 2006 Villanova Basketball Summer Jam.

9:15 a.m.

One of the first people to approach the table where basketball office staffers Mary Anne Gabuzda and Christina Vuocolo were welcoming alumni at a local golf course approached without golf clubs or shoes. In fact, Clarence Smith, Villanova Class of 1971, was on hand for one reason.

"I just wanted to come here to congratulate Jay (Wright) on the wonderful season his team had last year," stated Smith, one of the integral parts of the 1971 squad that reached the NCAA Final in the Houston Astrodome. "It was a joy to watch that team."

Smith is retired now after spending nearly three decades with an oil company. Recent reunions have brought him back in contact with former teammates Tom Ingelsby, Chris Ford, Hank Siemiontkowski, Mike Daly and Howard Porter. It is the revival of a bond that still very much matters to him.

"To spend time with your former teammates is very special," he says.

When he came to Villanova from Harrisburg, Pa., in 1967 he was part of a five man class that would post a 66-18 record in its three varsity seasons under the direction of coach Jack Kraft, capped by the run to the championship game where it encountered the most storied club of the ea, UCLA.

Upon arriving on the Main Line, Smith, a 6-5 forward, quickly understood the hype attached to one of his classmates, Howard Porter, had not been overstated.

"You could see it right away," recalls Smith. "Howard had size, athleticism and skill. What that told me is that I would have to do things to complement him."

Today Smith volunteers his time to several organizations, including a group directed by former teammate Ed Hastings dedicated to spirituality in sports. Judging by the smile on his face, it is clear that he is enjoying it.

9:50 a.m.

Step out of a car near the first tee on this date each year and the first thing you notice is the noise. There are 120-plus people on hand and it's hard to locate any that do not appear to be having a good time. The banter between former players is endless and often it is punctuated by laughter.

Each year there are unexpected reunions. One of those occurred for former Wildcat forward Eric Eberz. The native of Buffalo, N.Y. was recruited to Villanova by John Olive, an assistant coach to Rollie Massimino through 1992 and a standout player from 1973-77 in a `Cat uniform.

By the time, Eberz enrolled at Villanova, Olive had moved on. Eberz went on to become a key component of the 1994 National Invitation Tournament and 1995 Big East Tournament champions and Olive lives today outside of San Diego. The two saw one another for the first time in 14 years at the Summer Jam.

11:05 a.m.

On the seventh tee, Wright is poking fun at one of his playing partners, Eberz.

"He says he doesn't know his handicap," says Wright, "and he is killing the ball."

On cue, Eberz steps to the tee and whacks a ball down the middle of the fairway, easily 250 yards or more off the tee. His former teammate Kerry Kittles then drives one nearly as far before Wright places one nicely in the center of the fairway.

Wright then turns to a photographer for his "Inside Villanova Basketball" television show and asks: "did you get that? Trust me, it's not going to get any better than that."

1:05 p.m.

Jimmy Huggard is one of the handful of golfers the heat has chased into the clubhouse. The 1961 Villanova graduate, who averaged 15.8 ppg in three varsity seasons playing for coach Al Severance, is awaiting the arrival of several of his classmates and close friends. Wright often calls the basketball class of 1961 one of the tightest he has encountered since returning to Villanova as a head coach.

The group usually consists of Huggard, Tom Samulewicz, Bob Liberatore and Don McGinley, all of whom graduated in '61.

"I think we formed a bond when we played," Huggard says. "We all looked out for each other. We've always enjoyed doing things together and have continued to do so over the years."

After earning his diploma, Huggard played professionally in the old Eastern League, a minor league whose talent level was extremely high in the National Basketball Association's pre-expansion era. Later, he poured his basketball passion into officiating, as he became a Division I official. He refereed in the early days of the Big East and worked games when Patrick Ewing was in the middle for Georgetown and Chris Mullin on the wing at St. John's.

Given his connection to Villanova, Huggard was rarely assigned games involving the `Cats. Yet there was one occasion when the year's schedule arrived and he saw that he had been assigned to a Villanova-Saint Joseph's meeting. It didn't take long before Huggard was on the telephone to suggest that perhaps someone else should handle that assignment.

"I told the guy it probably wasn't a good idea," he says with a laugh.

5:15 p.m.

Senior forward Curtis Sumpter has made his way to the football press box for a "Kids' Press Conference". The native of Brooklyn, N.Y., has spent the previous hour as the man in the dunk tank at the carnival portion of "Summer Jam" in Villanova Stadium. He calculated that he had taken the plunge into the water more than 30 times.

"At first it was kind of nice since it was so hot," he states, "but then you get kind of competitive when you keep getting dunked. You start thinking, `man I don't want to go in again.'"

It takes only four questions before the young audience gets around to the inevitable for Sumpter.

"My knee," he responds with a wide smile, "is fine. I'm back playing and it feels good. What I'm working on now is getting back in game shape."

6:20 p.m.

After leaving the carnival, Randy Foye sits for a few moments inside the air-conditioned office of Villanova assistant athletics director and team chaplain Rev. Rob Hagan, O.S.A., inside Nevin Field House. The 6-4 guard, returning to campus for the first time publicly since graduation in May, attracted a large collection of autograph seekers, whom he obliged for as long as he could near the football stands. In the months since he has begun his professional career he has been drafted No. 7 overall, touted as a potential NBA Rookie of the Year, and given a superb performance for his new team, the Minnesota Timberwolves, in the NBA summer league.

"I really haven't had a chance to sit down and look back at it all," he says. "It all happens pretty quickly."

Foye understands that challenges await.

"I know I wasn't playing against LeBron (James) and DWade (Dwyane Wade) in the summer league," he states. "It was like playing freshman ball. It was a lot of young guys like me. I know I have to do it against the varsity when the regular season comes."

The one thing he remains certain of is that his Villanova experience will continue to be a part of him.

"That degree means a lot to me and my family," he says. "I'm the first person in my family to graduate from college and that's something I will always have."

He stays in close contact with his former teammates and promises to watch intently from afar in 2006-07.

"I'll be watching and will get back to games when I can," he states.

With that, he exits for a dressing room where he will change into practice gear to participate in the 2006 Young Alumni game.

7:45 p.m.

Foye's former backcourt partner, Allan Ray, knows all about perseverance. It helped sustain him early in his Wildcat career, when success did not come instantly to a class expected to deliver it quickly. But that experience proved helpful when his name was not called in the 2006 NBA Draft.

"What we went through in my first two years definitely helped me," Ray says. "It teaches you that if you keep working hard, good things can happen even if it isn't right away. It's humbling to go through the draft and not hear your name called. But right after the draft my agent (Bill Duffy) called me and asked, `what do you want to do about it?' I knew I didn't want to pout so we just looked at what the best situation was."

Boston wasted no time in expressing interest in Ray. It didn't take long before Ray was added to the Celtics summer league roster and shortly thereafter he signed a free agent contract. The 6-2 native of the Bronx opened quite a few eyes in Las Vegas and Celtics president Danny Ainge has expressed considerable enthusiasm about Ray.

Ironically, the two had briefly crossed paths in April at the Final Four. Ainge was on hand at the National Association of Basketball Coaches "Guardian of the Game" ceremony in Indianapolis. Ray was seated one row behind his future boss near Wright as a Naismith Award finalist. Ainge turned and spoke briefly with Ray, congratulating him on a fine season.

It was a brief, if fateful, encounter.

These days Ray is preparing to close on a house in the Boston area. Recently he spoke with former Villanova teammate Kyle Lowry, who was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the draft. (Lowry was unable to attend Summer Jam due to a previously scheduled vacation.)

"It's funny," Ray says, "before the draft we were talking about the workouts and the different guys we had played with or against. Now, we're talking about our houses."

The quest to be as prepared as possible for his NBA auditions forced Ray to miss the graduation ceremony. But don't think the event went unnoticed.

"I ripped that envelope open when the diploma came in the mail," he says. "I told my mom that this is something I definitely want to get framed."

As Ray returns to Nevin - he served as an assistant coach on the White team - a young fan approaches for an autograph. The former St. Raymond's High School star signed the card and then capped the encounter by handing the boy his practice jersey. The fan ran off with wide eyes as if to say, "can you believe what he handed me?"

It seemed a fitting end to a day of warm temperatures and even warmer vibes.