Mark Your Calendars For December 30th Because Something Special Is Happening At Fordham University. The Fordham Athletic Department Is Gearing Up To Celebrate The Life And Legacy Of The One And Only Tom Konchalski, A Legendary Fordham Alumnus. It’S Going To Be A Basketball Doubleheader At The Rose Hill Gym, And You Won’T Want To Miss It! The Men’S Team Will Be Taking On Columbia At 1 P.M., Followed By The Women’S Squad Hosting Saint Joe’S In Its Atlantic 10 Home Opener At 4 P.M.
According To Fordham Athletic Director Ed Kull, Tom Konchalski Embodied The True Spirit Of Fordham. He Was Not Only Known For His Incredible Knowledge Of The Game, But Also For His Kindness And Sharp Wit. It’S Going To Be An Honor To Continue This New Tradition And Pay Tribute To Tom’S Legacy.
Last Year, The Tom Konchalski Classic Was A Four-Team Tournament Played The Week Before Thanksgiving, And The Rams Totally Rocked It With A 3-0 Record.
For Almost Forty Years, Konchalski Published High School Basketball Illustrated, A 16-Part Annual Newsletter That Gave Insights About Players From All Over The Country. The Newsletter Had A Loyal Subscriber Base Of College Coaches Who Valued Konchalski’S Analysis And Evaluation. What’S Interesting Is That Konchalski Was A Bit Of A Traditionalist – He Didn’T Publish His Newsletter Online, Didn’T Own A Computer, Cell Phone, Or VCR, And Even Disconnected His Answering Machine After A Few Weeks. He Never Owned A Car And Preferred Public Transportation Or Catching A Ride With Someone Who Wanted To Pick His Brain About Basketball.
Earlier This Year, The Naismtih Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame Posthumously Honored Konchalski With The John Bunn Lifetime Achievement Award.
Konchalski, A Magna Cum Laude Graduate From Rose Hill With Degrees In Philosophy And Political Science, Was Known For His Incredible Way With Words. His Descriptions Of Players Were So Clever And Unique. He Didn’T Just Say A Player Jumped High, He Said The Player Was “No Match For Earth’S Gravitational Pull.” He Didn’T Just Call A Player Large, He Described Him As “A Mountain Masquerading As A Man.” And When A Player Made Shots Effortlessly, He Said, “He Scored As We Breathe.” Now That’S Some Serious Wordplay!
But That’S Not All – Konchalski’S Memory Was As Strong As His Handshake. In A World Filled With Statistics, He Could Recall The Most Obscure Figures With Unimpeachable Accuracy. He Would Even Remember The Names Of Players’ Family Members And Their Pets!
When Konchalski Passed Away In February Of 2021 After Battling Cancer, The Basketball World Came Together To Remember Him. Coaches, Journalists, And Former Players All Offered Their Condolences And Praised His Brilliant Mind And Character.
In Addition To Honoring Tom Konchalski, The Tom Konchalski Classic Will Also Pay Tribute To Another Iconic Figure In New York Basketball. The Game’S Most Valuable Player Award Will Be Named The Jim O’Connell MVP Trophy. O’Connell, Who Passed Away In 2018, Was A Prominent College Basketball Writer For The Associated Press For 40 Years. He Covered Every Final Four From Magic-Bird In 1979 Until 2017 And Received The Curt Gowdy Award From The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame In 2002.
Kull Also Shared His Personal Experience With O’Connell, Describing Him As A Humble And Prominent Journalist Who Made Time For Everyone. O’Connell’S Love For The Game Brought Him To The Rose Hill Gym, And His Legacy Will Be Remembered Through The MVP Trophy.
Before His Time At AP, O’Connell Spent Two Years As The Sports Information Director At Fordham From 1976-78. He Was Married To The Former Anne Gregory, The Leading Scorer And Rebounder In Fordham Women’S Basketball History And The First Female Inductee Into The School’S Athletic Hall Of Fame.
So, There You Have It – A Day Filled With Basketball, Memories, And Tributes To Two Incredible Figures In The World Of Sports. It’S Going To Be A Day To Remember, And I Can’T Wait To Be There!