Prestigious Summer Hoops League Coming To West Hartford

WEST HARTFORD, CT — A major summer basketball league drawing top professionals and amateurs from all over the area will settle into West Hartford in June after a long hiatus.

League organizers Tuesday gathered at The James A. Calhoun Gymnasium at the University of Saint Joseph (USJ) to announce the return of the Greater Hartford Pro-Am, which will be hosted by USJ this summer and be sponsored by Hartford HealthCare.

This summer will mark the 25th anniversary of the Pro-Am, which brings college and professional basketball players together to play in summer competition.

The tournament, which previously took place in Hartford, hasn't been held in recent years due to financial issues and the pandemic.

But with a sponsor in place and a site secured, opening day is Sunday, June 25.

Games will take place every Sunday, Monday and Wednesday evening until Aug. 17 and they are open to the public and free.

Hall-of-fame coach Calhoun was on hand at the press conference, where USJ President Rhona Free, Hartford HealthCare President and Chief Executive Officer Jeff Flaks, and Pro-Am Commissioner Anthony Price discussed the return of the Pro-Am.

Calhoun is a college hoops coaching legend who coached at Northeastern University; the University of Connecticut, where he won three national titles; and came out of retirement to become USJ's first-ever men's basketball coach.

Free said USJ is “a place nobody would have predicted would become a 'basketball Mecca.'”

“We’re thrilled that there will be college and professional players here,” she said, “and I want to emphasize we’re really looking forward to welcoming families, friends, spectators to the campus. We are very grateful to Hartford Healthcare for making all of this possible.”

“We are so excited to have it hosted here at Saint Joseph’s and the wonderful opportunity to bring it back to metro Hartford,” added Flaks. “And at the same time, with the support of Hartford HealthCare, we’re going to bring our Neighborhood Healthcare team here to support this event, to make it about more than basketball – to make it about community health, wellness and well-being.”

Hartford HealthCare sports medicine professionals, physical therapists and neighborhood health teams will be on site during all Pro-Am games offering their expertise to community members all summer long.

Anthony Price gave special mention to two “pioneers” in the gym – Calhoun and Pro-Am founder Pete Higgins, before introducing two college basketball players from Connecticut who will be playing in the Pro-Am – Matt Knowling of Manchester, now a rising senior at Yale University, and Guy Ragland Jr., of West Hartford, a graduate of Northwest Catholic High School in West Hartford, now a student at Cornell.

“I’m very honored to have this opportunity,” Ragland said. “I’m a product of West Hartford. I was born and raised just across the street. I grew up around here and played basketball and fell in love with the game, and I’m so grateful for this opportunity to play.”

Calhoun, standing in the gym named after him, lauded everyone involved in bringing the Pro-Am to USJ and to the greater Hartford region.

“This is special,” he said. “The Pro-Am represents all of Hartford. Let’s go.”

For more information on the Greater Hartford Pro-Am, click on this link.