Five hoop standouts named to JP Morgan Chase 40th tourney team

Five hoop standouts named to
JP Morgan Chase 40th tourney team

Highlighting the celebration of the 40th Anniversary of the JP Morgan Chase Scholarship Basketball Tournament on January 10-14 will be the presentation of the 25 players who have been selected to the Men's Tournament 40th Anniversary Team.

Former Roberts Wesleyan College standouts Joe Ribisz and Ryan Fitch, SUNY Brockport former stars Ron Gilliam and Guy Vickers, and Ian Tudman (Spencerport High School 1991) of SUNY Geneseo are five of the 25 honorees who will be introduced during the halftime center-court ceremony of the Saturday, January 14 men's championship game at the University of Rochester's Alexander Palestra at 8 p.m.

The 40th Anniversary Team was selected from the 2679 different players during the Men's Tournament's first 39 years of play without any quotas for positions, eras played, or school affiliations. The seven-person Selection Committee chose the 25 honorees based solely on their play in all of their tournament games. To be eligible for selection, a player must have participated in at least two tournaments. A total of 50 players were nominated.

Rebisz, a 6-6 center from Perry High School who starred for the Raiders from 1998 to 2002, played in 12 tournament games (8-4 record). He averaged 19.5 points and 10.3 rebounds per game, hitting 60.8 percent from the field and 62.3 percent at the foul line. He was a First Team All-Tournament pick and the three game tourney leader in rebounding in 1999-00 (24.7 ppg, 11.3 rebs. pg), 2000-01 (20.0 ppg, 9.7 rebs. pg), and 2001-02 (24.3 ppg, 16.0 rebs. pg). On the tourney career charts, Rebisz is fifth in points (234) and third in rebounds (124).

Fitch, a 6-1 point guard who was a Roberts Wesleyan standout from 1995 to 1999, played in 12 (4-8 record) tournament contests. He averaged 16.4 points, 5.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.6 steals per game, hitting at a 53.9 percent clip from the floor and 72.4 percent from the charity stripe. Fitch was a Second Team All-Tournament choice in 1996-97 (20.0 ppg, 71.0 FG percent, 82.4 FS percent), 1997-98 (20.0 ppg, 7.0 asts. pg), and 1998-99 (17.0 ppg). He is fourth in assists (69) and steals (26) on the Tournament's career lists.

Gilliam, a 5-11 point-guard who was the Golden Eagles' top player from 1971 to 1973, participated in four tournament contests (the tourney was a two-game event until 1974-75) with a perfect 4-0 slate, averaging 31.0 points, 6.5 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game. He led Brockport to the 1971-72 (31.5 ppg, 9.5 asts. pg) and 1972-73 (30.5 ppg, 95.5 FS percent) Tournament titles as the event's MVP and scoring leader both sessions.

Vickers, a 6-4 power-forward who also starred for Brockport from 1971 to 1974, played in six (5-1) tourney contests with a 15.2 ppg figure. He was a First Team All-Tournament pick in 1971-72 (14.5 ppg, 7.0 rebs. pg) and 1972-73 (19.5 ppg, tourney leader in rebounds with 12.5 pg and FG with 58.6 percent). Vickers was inducted into the Tournament Hall of Fame in 2005.

Tudman, a 6-8 center for Geneseo from 1991 to 1995, played in 12 tourney contests (8-4 record) and averaged 11.1 points and 6.8 rebounds per game, hitting 48.2 percent from the field. He was a First Team All-Tournament pick in 1992-93 (Geneseo won title), 1993-94 (Blue Knights were second), and 1994-95 (Geneseo was runner-up). Tudman was inducted into the Tournament Hall of Fame in 2003.

Besides being the longest-running NCAA Division III Tournament in the country, the JP Morgan Chase is also the nation's largest in-season NCAA Division III basketball tournament with 16 squads, eight women's (since 1993-94) and eight men's teams, playing 24 games over five days at five campus sites.

The participating area schools are Keuka College, Nazareth College, Roberts Wesleyan, University of Rochester, RIT, St. John Fisher College (defending men's and women's champs) SUNY Brockport, and SUNY Geneseo.

Brockport and Nazareth will host the Women's (January 10) and Men's (January 11) quarter-final doubleheaders at 6:15 and 8:15 p.m. each evening. The U of R will host the Women's semi-finals on January 12 (6:15 and 8:15 p.m.), the Men's semi-finals on January 13 (6:15 and 8:15 p.m.) and the title games on January 14 (Women's at 5:30 p.m., Men's at 8 p.m.).