Newsday's Long Island All-Decade boys basketball players: The 1970s
From left: Mitch Kupchak of Brentwood, Frank Morris of St. Agnes and Howard Wood of East Hampton.
There is a rich history of Long Island boys basketball, and the 1970s was the strongest decade of them all.
Picking just 10 names was no easy assignment. The list includes an NBA All-Star in Jeff Ruland of Sachem, an Olympic gold medalist in Mitch Kupchak of Brentwood and Frank Alagia of St. Agnes, who was recognized as the top college player in the country under 6-foot, an annual award selected by a panel from the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC).
Simply put, a tremendous group.
This is Part 3 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.
Frank Alagia of St. Agnes Credit: Newsday/Jim Nightingale
Frank Alagia, St. Agnes
A generational player who led St. Agnes to three NSCHSAA titles. The 5-9 point guard was an All-Long Island and All-State selection. He was a four-year starter at St. John’s University. He set a school record with 478 assists. As a senior, he won the prestigious Francis Pomeroy Naismith Award as the country’s top player under 6 feet.
Frank Brickowski, Locust Valley
Perhaps the greatest late bloomer in Long Island history. He made All-Division, but not All-Nassau or All-Long Island in high school. Penn State took a chance on the 6-9 center and he blossomed. By his senior year, he was the Nittany Lions’ MVP. He was drafted in the third round by the Knicks and averaged double figures in points eight times in 12 NBA seasons, playing for several teams. Matt Doherty coaches North Carolina against Clemson on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2003. Credit: AP/GRANT HALVERSON
Matt Doherty, Holy Trinity
He was the first freshman to make the varsity for the Titans. A versatile 6-6 forward, he led the team to the 1980 New York State crown. He was named to the McDonald’s and Parade All-American teams and Newsday’s All-Long Island team twice. Doherty went to North Carolina and started alongside Michael Jordan and James Worthy on the 1982 NCAA championship team. He later coached at North Carolina, among other spots.
Marc Iavaroni, Plainview JFK
An outstanding 6-8 player who made Newsday’s All-Long Island first team in 1974. He was a four-year starter at Virginia and averaged double figures in points all four years. He spent four years in Europe before making his NBA debut as a starting power forward for the Philadelphia 76ers on the 1983 NBA championship team. He had a seven-year NBA career.
Toby Knight, Port Jefferson
A 6-9 talent who scored 61 points in one game in 1973. He was an All-Long Island first-team pick as a senior and second team as a junior. He had an outstanding college career at Notre Dame, where he was a three-year starter. He was drafted by the Knicks in the second round in 1977 and had a five-year NBA career. Mitch Kupchak, then GM of the Lakers. Credit: AP/Kirby Lee
Mitch Kupchak, Brentwood
One of the best players in Suffolk history. A 6-9 high school center, he led Brentwood to two Suffolk titles. He averaged 30.1 points as a senior and was a high school All-American. He starred for North Carolina, was an All-American selection and earned ACC Player of the Year as a senior. He was a gold medalist on the U.S. team in the 1976 Olympics and played for two NBA championship teams during his 10-year career with Washington and the Los Angeles Lakers. Sachem's Jeff Ruland. Credit: Newsday/Don Norkett
Jeff Ruland, Sachem
A 6-10, 240-pound dominant high school center, Ruland was a first-team Newsday All-Long Island pick and a first-team McDonald’s All-American. He also was a Parade Magazine All-American. He was heavily recruited and chose Iona, where he became a two-time All-American. He had an eight-year NBA career with Washington, was a two-time All-Star and averaged 22.2 points in his best season.
David Russell, Bellport
A 6-6 forward who could jump to the moon. He led Bellport to the Suffolk Class AA title in 1979, and the Newsday All-Long Island first-teamer was voted the state’s Player of the Year. He was a standout at St. John’s and earned Big East Rookie of the Year. He was an honorable mention All-American and became the Red Storm’s third-highest scorer in school history at that time with 1,753 points. (He ranks ninth now.) William "Beaver" Smith of South Side. Credit: Newsday
William (Beaver) Smith, South Side
Smith was 6-4 and played like he was 6-11. He was a fearsome shot blocker and the best defensive player of the decade. He was an All-Long Island pick and led South Side to consecutive Nassau titles in 1971 and 1972. He had an outstanding career at St. John’s as a four-year starter alongside Alagia. He was drafted by the Knicks in 1976.
Howard Wood, East Hampton
A 6-7, 235-pound powerhouse. He carried East Hampton to the 1977 state championship and was a two-time, first-team All-Long Island pick. A great high school player who was even better in college, Wood was a ferocious rebounder and defender and an All-American at Tennessee. He played in the NBA with the Utah Jazz.
Coach: Frank Morris, St. Agnes
Morris guided the Stags to 471 wins, including four NSCHSAA championships in this decade. He produced a slew of Division I players using a full-court press and fast-break offense to completely demoralize opponents. Surprisingly, Morris never played high school or college basketball.
