Philadelphia Team Shows Its Character

UCLA’s Pooh Richardson thought the question was absurd. He may be a West Coast citizen these days as the point guard for the Bruin basketball team, but his roots are still in Philadelphia.

So which team would he root for in Saturday night’s exhibition basketball game between Mid-Valley of the American Roundball Corp. and the Philadelphia all-star team?

“That’s a crazy question. I’ll root for some of the Mid-Valley players, but I’m rooting for the whole Philadelphia team,” Richardson said. “I’ve known these guys since they were kids. I’ll be sitting on the bench with them.”

Richardson kept his word, joining the Philadelphia team on the bench at Valley College as the East Coast visitors handed Mid-Valley its first loss in 17 games this season, a 92-79 defeat without the use of Simi Valley High’s Don MacLean, who missed the game because of a sore back.

Richardson is one of the latest products of Philadelphia’s finest finishing school for basketball players: The Sonny Hill League, run by Hill, the program’s founder and operator. Hill’s team concluded a series of three exhibitions with Saturday’s win and the team returns to Philadelphia today.

But before departing, Hill squeezed in time to discuss his favorite subject: The Sonny Hill League.

“All you have out here with summer leagues, I’m the originator. I set the tone for all this. That’s not boastful, that’s just the truth,” he said.

Hill, 50, makes no attempt to disguise his pride in the program, which he started in 1960 as a summer league for professional players in the Philadelphia area. Passing through the league through the years have been NBA players Wilt Chamberlain, Earl Monroe, Hal Greer, Billy Cunningham and Guy Rodgers, and Hill himself, who played for 10 years in the Eastern League.

In 1968, Hill expanded the program to include college, high school and youth leagues, which are regarded as among the best in the nation. The program has produced players such as Maurice Lucas, Gene Banks and Lewis LLoyd of the NBA, along with recent products Richardson and Bo Kimble and Hank Gathers of Loyola Marymount.

Hill insists that basketball is just one part of the program, saying that productive citizens are the league’s leading attribute. He points to the league’s tutorial program that is mandatory for any player who tests more than two grades below his class standing. Hill also has instituted programs in career awareness, and drug and alcohol abuse, plus a reach-back program in which former league players return to counsel current members.

“This is the best thing I had in Philadelphia,” Richardson said. “Once you’re in the league you have to make a commitment to school and to follow directions. I had the best people behind me, combined with the best coaching.”

One of those coaches is James Flint, who directs the current all-star team.

“Our program is about building character,” he said. “We want to give them some understanding, and this is an era that a lot of understanding is needed.”

They also like to win basketball games.

Mid-Valley was led by Fairfax’s Sean Higgins with 23 points, and Chris Mills of Fairfax and James Moses of Serra, who each scored 14. Taft’s Kevin Franklin scored four.

In an earlier game, Gary Gray of Granada Hills scored 24 points to lead Ventura County ARC to an 89-76 win over Rockfish.