Newsday's Long Island All-Decade boys basketball players: The 1960s
From left, Julius Erving of Roosevelt, Tom Riker of St. Dominic and Southampton coach Joe Romanosky.
There is a rich history of Long Island boys basketball, and the 1960s was the decade of the game-changer.
The biggest star, of course, was Julius Erving, who became known as Dr. J for his out-of-this-world dunking ability as he soared to Hall of Fame status. But before that, the greatest player from Long Island wasn’t heavily recruited at Roosevelt High School.
The decisions on selections of players were made based on the totality of their careers, not just their high school accomplishments.
This is Part 2 of Newsday's look back at Long Island's best basketball players for each decade, a series that will take you through seven decades for the boys and five decades for the girls.
The selection committee consisted of two longtime sportswriters, Gregg Sarra and Mike Candel. Sarra has covered high school sports for 40 years. Candel covered high school and college sports from 1976 until his retirement in 2002.
North Carolina's Bill Chamberlain, right, battles with UMass' Chris Coffin during an NIT game at MSG on March 20, 1971. Credit: AP
Bill Chamberlain, LI Lutheran
A rugged 6-6 forward who was first-team All-Long Island, first-team All-State and a Parade All-American. He had a terrific career at the University of North Carolina and was the second Black player behind Charlie Scott to integrate the Atlantic Coast Conference. He played in the NBA and ABA.
Joe DePre, Westbury
A big, tough shooting guard who was named first-team All-Long Island in 1966. He went on to a stellar career at St. John’s University, after which he was drafted by Phoenix in the NBA and the Nets in the ABA. He spent three years with the Nets.
Julius Erving, Roosevelt
He is better known as "Dr. J," an outstanding high school player who exploded on the college scene at UMass. He starred on championship teams with the Nets in the ABA and the Philadelphia 76ers in the NBA. He changed the game with a previously unseen variety of thunderous dunks.
Phil Hankinson, Great Neck North
He was a silky-smooth 6-8 forward who averaged 28 points and 17 rebounds while leading Great Neck North to the Nassau title, scoring 39 points in the county final. He starred at the University of Pennsylvania, leading the Quakers to three Ivy League titles and three NCAA Tournaments. He was Penn’s MVP in 1973 and played two seasons for the Boston Celtics in the NBA.
Tom Riker, St. Dominic
He was the best big man in the country as a high school senior, a Parade All-America first-team selection and the New York State Player of the Year in 1968. He was an All-American at the University of South Carolina and was selected in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Knicks. He spent parts of three years in the NBA.
Randy Smith, Bellport
The Bellport High School basketball court was dedicated to Randy Smith on Feb 2, 2019. Credit: Daniel De Mato
Randy Smith was a fabulous all-around athlete who excelled in basketball, soccer and track, a second-team All-Long Island basketball player and a Division II All-American in three sports at Buffalo State. He enjoyed a 12-year NBA career and set the then-NBA record by playing in 906 straight games. He was a two-time NBA All-Star and an All-Star Game MVP.
Chris Thomforde, LI Lutheran
The 6-9 center put the Crusaders' program on the basketball map. He was an All-Long Island selection before enjoying a superb career at Princeton, leading the Tigers to three Ivy League titles and becoming an All-American selection. Thomforde was featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated, was drafted by the Knicks and became a college president at several schools.
Clarence "Foots" Walker, Southampton
Foots Walker of the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1977. Credit: Getty Images/Focus On Sport
He was a two-time first-team All-Long Island star who led the Mariners to consecutive unbeaten seasons and Suffolk championships. He was a major force in Southampton's record 61-game winning streak. He led West Georgia College to the NAIA collegiate title in 1974 and had a 10-year NBA career with the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Nets.
Al Williams, Hempstead
He was a fantastic high school guard who was a first-team All-Long Island selection and also quarterbacked an unbeaten Tigers football team. He attended Laurinburg Prep before accepting a scholarship to Niagara, where he starred for three years and eventually was inducted into the school’s Hall of Fame.
Wandy Williams, Malverne
He was an elite all-around athlete who starred in high school basketball, football and track and was a first-team All-Long Island pick after leading the Mules to their first county championship in 1964. He transferred from the University of Kansas to Hofstra University, where he played football and basketball. The running back was drafted in the sixth round by the Broncos and played for Denver in 1969 and 1970.
Coach: Joe Romanosky, Southampton
His teams used a relentless fast-breaking offense to produce three straight unbeaten regular seasons and two Suffolk championships. From 1967 to 1970, Southampton won an astounding 61 straight games, a Long Island record that has stood for 55 years.
