Celebration of Basketball a great success

Fordham University's

 "Tom Konchalski Classic"

Pictured l-r Fordham Head Coach Keith Urgo, TK Foundation President Steve Konchalski and Fordham AD Ed Kull

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The honorary game ball was presented to

Foundation President Steve Konchalski

Cheers for the Fordham University varsity basketball team ascended from the historic Rose Hill Gym as a prelude to the Thomas C Konchalski Foundation's "Celebration of Basketball" party and fundraiser. The brainchild of Fordham AD Ed Kull, and the Foundations'' Rich Petriccione and Barry "Slice" Rohrssen, the event drew an international crowd of basketball devotees and luminaries.


Fordham won the game vs. Illinois - Chicago (and ultimately the tournament) and the positive energy spilled over into Loyola Hall to celebrate the game Tom loved. Old friends reunited and many connections were made as we enjoyed the food and drink.


Following our thanks to God for the gift of Tom and the joy he brought into our lives was a video of Tom receiving an award at St Thomas Aquinas College. He said, "Basketball is a game of great beauty and elegance. Growing up in New York City in the 50's and early 60's, how could you not fall in love with this game?"


Steve Konchalski spoke of the accomplishments of the TK Foundation in our first year. He introduced Archbishop Molloy's Konchalski scholar, Josh Powell, who expressed his appreciation. Ed Kull welcomed everyone on behalf of Fordham.


Super Supporter, Ed Hall, flew in from Florida and introduced our Title Sponsor, Cyndeo Wealth Partners. Built from the ground up to today's powerhouse by its President, Matt Kilgroe, this firm manages many NBA players.


Our deepest gratitude to the speakers, attendees, supporters, sponsors and TK Foundation Board of Directors who together made this evening a great success.




Kenny Anderson, Jere Quinn and Bob Hurley Sr

headline the "Celebration of Basketball"

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photo credits and many thanks to Gregory A. Shemitz

Photojournalist

Three Village Photo, LLC

Website: 3VPhoto.com


Title Sponsor


We are an independent registered investment advisor, focused on helping you simplify the complexity of managing, growing, and protecting your wealth. 


click here for website cyndeowp.com

Hospitality Sponsors


Concourse Consulting, LLC

We work together with school leaders, non-profit executives, athletic directors, and development professionals to help motivate and design new, successful fundraising and cause-related programs. Rich Petriccione, President

rpetriccione@gmail.com

914.588.5024

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Coach Bobby Cremins


Many thanks to Bobby for his contribution and support for the Foundation


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Many Thanks to Rob Kennedy

Emcee extraordinaire, Rob Kennedy, President of the Hoop Group, introduced the speakers, entertained the audience with great stories and humor.


The Hoop Group and Coach Hurley assisted the TK Foundation in sending 6 NYC boys to overnight summer camp.


visit the Hoop Group website

Molloy Gang Impressive

Pictured above (l to r) Asst. Coach Edwidge Turenne, Asst. Coach Donald Francois, Konchalski scholar Josh Powell, Superstar alum Kenny Anderson,

mastermind and AD Michael McCleary


Foundation President Coach Steve Konchalski (l) presents the first Thomas C Konchalski

"Values of the Game Award" to legendary St Anthony's and Hall of Fame Coach Bob Hurley

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Bob Hurley Sr. says legendary basketball scout Tom Konchalski ‘should be in the Naismith Hall of Fame’


By Adam Zagoria | For NJ Advance Media / NJ.com


NEW YORK -- Bob Hurley Sr. is already a member of the Naismith Hall of Fame.

Now he wants his longtime friend Tom Konchalski to join him.

“Tom should be in the Hall of Fame,” Hurley, the legendary retired coach at St. Anthony’s High School in Jersey City, said Saturday night at Fordham University as he accepted the inaugural Tom Konchalski “Values of the Game Award” from the Tom Konchalski Foundation.


“Eventually they’ll come to their senses on this. He was nominated last year, I wrote a letter on his behalf. I had tears on the paper because I was thinking of all the things that he and I shared.”


The award presentation was part of the “Tom Konchalski Classic,” a three-day, four-team event at Fordham that also includes Holy Cross, Stonehill and the University of Illinois - Chicago. The Tom Konchalski Foundation is dedicated to raising funds to provide need-based scholarships and financial assistance to students who embrace Tom’s values and are committed to learning on and off the court. Josh Powell, a freshman at Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens, Konchalski’s alma mater, was honored with a scholarship at the event.

Along with Hurley, legendary New York City point guard Kenny Anderson, now the head coach at Fisk University (TN), also spoke to the audience about Konchalski’s impact on him. Anderson, who attended Molloy and later starred for the New Jersey Nets, is not in the Naismith Hall of Fame.


Anderson said Konchalski “changed the way I was when I was growing up…I started becoming a good young man.”


“I’m kind of shook up talking about Tom Konchalski…He’s definitely a big part of my life,” he added. “It was a blessing knowing him.”


Anderson said he learned from Konchalski as a young man about the importance of shaking someone’s hand and looking them in the eye.

Longtime St. Thomas More (CT) coach Jere Quinn passionately recalled his 40-plus year friendship with Konchalski, who would make the the trek to his school each fall to evaluate every player on his roster whether he had a legitimate future in basketball or not.


Quinn joked that Konchalski rated him a 2+ point guard during his own playing days, but later told him, “Jere, you were a 2.”



Known for a handshake that drew you in from across the room and seemed to last forever, a phenomenal ability to remember names, dates and statistics from years ago and a humble yet outgoing persona, the 6-foot-6 Konchalski was the most trusted basketball talent evaluator in the nation for close to half a century before he passed from prostate cancer at 74 on Feb. 8, 2021.


Seth Davis of CBS Sports nicknamed him “The Last Honest Man in the Gym.”


Howard Garfinkel, Konchalski’s former partner in the famed Five Star Basketball Camp, was named in 2021 to the Hall of Fame as a contributor.


About a year before that, a friend of Konchalski’s asked him to write a letter of recommendation on Garfinkel’s behalf. Konchalski proceeded to write an impactful and moving letter in Garfinkel’s honor, never once mentioning that he himself was being considered for nomination to the Hall of Fame as well.


It was classic Tom. So quiet, humble and proper.

We would love to hear from you

click here to visit our website


email: tomkfoundation.org@gmail.com


phone / text - John Coman 518-578-6509

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