Some of the greatest basketball players and coaches in the history of the Rider University program will return to Alumni Gymnasium on Saturday, November 17. “This is going to be an exciting day for the entire Rider basketball family,” said Rider Head Coach Tommy Dempsey.

Two former head coaches with a combined 16 years and 258 victories on the Rider bench, Kevin Bannon and Don Harnum, will be the honorary coaches for the alumni game, which will be played at 11 a.m., prior to Rider’s 3 p.m. home opener against the University of Delaware. “Having Kevin and Don back on the benches certainly will add to the fun,” said Dempsey, who begins his second season as the Bronc head coach with a 16-15 record.

Bannon, a Rider Hall of Famer, took the Broncs to two NCAA tournaments and five conference title games, winning three regular season crowns on his way to 131 victories.

Harnum, now the Rider Director of Athletics, won 127 games leading to two MAAC regular season titles and an appearance in the NIT. The MAAC Coach of the Year led Rider to the MAAC Title Game in his final season.

“This is a proud program and it is important to link current players to our basketball alumni,” Dempsey said.

Rider’s all-time leading scorer, Hall of Famer Darrick Suber ’93, is expected to be one of the many players returning. If Suber’s team trails by one point with four seconds left and he has the ball under his own basket, watch out. He made that coast-to-coast driving shot at the buzzer the last time he played in Alumni Gym, back in 1993, only that game was on ESPN and that victory sent Rider to the NCAA Tournament.

Players from the 1960s, ’70s, ’80s and ’90s and this decade are expected to return, including Mark Wilcox ’94, who was inducted into the Rider Athletics Hall of Fame last January. “We have a long-standing, strong tradition in men’s basketball,” said Harnum, “and it will be great to get players from all eras back at the same time.”

Former players and current Rider employees, such as Director of the Educational Opportunity Program Rubin Joyner ’73 and Graphics Design Assistant Mike Scott ’02, won’t have far to travel to the game. Neither will the voice of Alumni Gymnasium, Rider basketball public address announcer Dan Collins ’95.

Don’t be surprised to see Ron Simpson ’88 try one or two three-point field goals. In the first game Rider ever played with the three-point field goal rule, Simpson made nine three-pointers at St. Francis-NY., a Rider record that still stands today. At least until Simpson suits up for the alumni game.

Former team captains like Rich Weise ’82 and Jeff Parker ’96 will be back, as well as team MVPs Jim Bolger ’85, Tom O’Hara ’83, and Simpson. Richard H. Bubacz Award (sportsmanship, leadership, scholarship) winners Aaron White ’06, Darren Rice ’86, and R. J. Wicks ’02 will be back, as well as former winners of the Rider Coaches Award, including Glen Albano ’73 and Antonio “Samson” Stapleton ’96.

“These are people who are part of our history, part of the Rider basketball family,” Harnum said.

These are just some of the names from Rider hoops history that will be on hand Saturday, November 17, in the Rider basketball Alumni Game.

Admission is free to the general public.

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