SAINT ANTHONY'S HIGH SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT ALUMNI ...

Update
Once In A
Lifetime
By Gus Alfieri
Former Boys Varsity Basketball Coach 1968 - 1986
7 6 F R I A R F O C U S 0 2 / 2 0 1 2
Once In A Lifetime is a memoir of the best Saint Anthony’s
basketball team I ever coached, one that still conjures up fond
memories. My literary agent, Philip Spitzer, is working diligently
to find the right publisher for it, and by the next alumni notice,
I hope to be telling you that Once In A Lifetime will be available
for you to read.
The memoir places the championship Friar team in the midst
of what I call the “Golden Age of Long Island Basketball,” a
time when Long Island was fertile ground for great basketball
and was turning out as many as 25 to 30 Division I scholarship
players a year.
The book centers on six St. Anthony’s players, with senior point
guard Tom Hicks the catalyst that led our team to a champion -
ship, and made every All-American team in the country.
Forward Ken Kolakowski did everything a coach could ask:
score, rebound, play defense, and be a team player. The reader
will grow to appreciate Ken’s contribution to the team.
Our team was also blessed with
Manny Figueroa, the 6-7 late arrival
from Puerto Rico. Manny always
had a smile on his face, which only
disappeared when he walked onto
the court. What I most remember
of him was his physical strength
that would make backboards
vibrate when rebounding.
Gerry Mikalauskas filled the small
forward position with stoic superiority.
Like Kolakowski, Gerry had an
unbelievable vertical leap, and was
a strong, clutch jump shooter.
“Smiling Jack” Carroll was a physical
6-0 defensive guard whose mother
prepared pregame pasta meals for his teammates that became
kind of a good luck tradition. Jack paid his dues playing
outstanding defense, which was the most important aspect
of our team.
Last but far from least was 6-4 Craig Delaney. Tall, lean, and
quiet, Craig made his presence felt on the court by making
every key skill of the game something that he mastered.
In the memoir, I describe him as a “Five Tool” player while
also being a fierce team player.
I’m happy to say each of these six players played college
basketball with five of them receiving Division I scholarships.
In Once In A Lifetime you’ll get to know all of them, how our
Friar team melded together, and weaved through unfamiliar
territory to become the first Saint Anthony’s team to attain
national attention.
Now that I’ve whetted your appetites, I hope to see all of you
at a reunion of the 1973-1974 team when we can sit down
and reminisce about the days that helped open the way for
Saint Anthony’s perennial academic and sports reputation.