St. Joe's agrees to host public school all-star hoops games

Nearly one week after Drexel University said it would not host the annual Public League basketball all-star doubleheader in the wake of the March 1 shootings near the Palestra, St. Joseph's University stepped in to provide a venue for the games. The March 10 announcement by St. Joseph's and School District of Philadelphia officials came nine days after the shootings that followed the Public League high school championship game. The shooting left a North Philadelphia man dead and three others wounded, including a Penn senior. While police officials said they did not believe the shooting was related to the game, Drexel decided two days later not to host the all-star doubleheader -- leaving the annual event homeless less than three weeks before the game, which was scheduled for March 22. St. Joseph's officials said they chose to offer their Alumni Memorial Fieldhouse, which can hold 3,200 spectators, out of a belief that area universities should do what they can to help out the city. "Universities should be fixtures in the community and should be able to extend their facilities when needed," St. Joseph's Athletic Department spokesperson Larry Dougherty said. Mitchell Kurtz, president of the Public League Coaches Association, which runs the games, said he was "ecstatic" about the offer. "I was glad that someone did the right thing," he said. The athletes are "absolutely thrilled" that officials were able to find a venue, Kurtz added. When Drexel announced it would not host the games, the school cited a March 2 editorial in The Daily Pennsylvanian recommending that Penn not host the Public League championship in the future because of the possibility of violence. Penn also hosted the championship in 1997. Gunshots were fired outside the Palestra after that game, too, but no injuries were reported. Neither St. Joseph's or School District officials said they were expecting a security problem, but the District will "provide whatever support is necessary to ensure that the game takes place in a safe environment," school board President Floyd Alston said in a statement. St. Joseph's and the Philadelphia Police Department will also provide security for the event, but the security will not be "too oppressive," Dougherty said. Neither Dougherty nor the Philadelphia Police Department could say how many police officers and security guards would patrol the event. More than 100 police officers and security guards were on hand for the championship games at the Palestra. "The intent is just to have a presence, not an oppressive environment," Dougherty added. "Fans should be able to enjoy themselves but also feel safe." A Philadelphia Police Department spokesperson said the event would not be "any different than any other game." Public League officials also received an offer from the CoreStates Center to host the game, but unspecified scheduling conflicts prevented its use. The all-star game is a chance for select Philadelphia basketball players to compete in front of college scouts. There are traditionally two games at the event: the All-Senior game, which is comprised of the top senior at each district high school, and the All-Public game, with the top 20 district athletes, regardless of school or age. Many of the players earn college athletic scholarships based on their performances in the game, Kurtz said. About five players from the league end up in the National Basketball Association each year, including former NBA great Wilt Chamberlain and current players Rasheed Wallace, Doug Overton and Jerome Richardson.

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