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Dick DeVenzio

Basketball ∙ Ambridge

Although Dick DeVenzio was born in 1949 in nearby Coraopolis, he was the ‘outsider’ on the 1967 Ambridge High School undefeated (27-0) basketball team with Frank Kaufman, Walt Ostrowski Jr, and Denny Wuycick that won the state championship and the reputation of being the best cage team in Bridger history. Dick came to Ambridge when his father, Chuck DeVenzio, was named head hoops coach. Young Dick quickly established himself as the scoring and playmaking star of the team and is considered by many Bridger fans to be the best basketball player in the history of the school. Dick earned first team honors on the 1967 Parade High School All American Squad. He played his college basketball on the Duke University team, where he was named All Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year in 1969 and was named to the Top Five Academic All American team in 1971. Too small for an American professional career, Dick played and coached professional basketball in Europe and the Caribbean from 1972 to 1980 and in his travels learned five languages for his coaching and camps. Dick was director of Funnel Corporation Basketball Camp in North Carolina from 1971 to 1983 and of the Pre Stars Invitational All Star Camp in 1982 and 1983. Dick also founded the Point Guard College to train basketball players and coaches. Dick published seven basketball books and wrote a syndicated column titled “Inside Stuff” that was carried by 32 newspapers. Dick died at age 52 from colon cancer, on May 19, 2001.