Dennis Westley’s basketball resume speaks for itself: Division III All-American; Final Four participant. It wouldn’t be fair to call Westley a late-bloomer, though he was a more impactful player at Franklin and Marshall College (D3 Powerhouse; home of beautiful basketball) than he was at Holy Name.

Lloyd Wolf (RIP) brought Westley as far as he could. Then Glenn Robinson took Westley to another level. Westley was a ferocious rebounder, particularly offensively, with good hands and above-average athleticism. To put it mildly, he was a problem in his prime during the West Reading Summer League halcyon days. Nevertheless, all players have flaws and Westley had his.

It was a head-scratcher, too. Westley was a terrific shooter from the elbows — where the foul line meets key. His face-up game for a big man was ahead of its time. But alas, something happened between those elbows. For whatever reason, Westley struggled at the foul line … and Jesus Christ did the baseline crew in June and July — Mike Fry, Richie Heckler, the Bailey brothers, Rugs, Alfred Pieterbone, Tommy Moyer, etc. — drill him for that.

Nevertheless, no list of great players from Reading is complete without Dennis Westley: A dogged, heady competitor who always had to be accounted for. Here’s to my fellow Holy Name and Franklin and Marshall brother Dennis Westley! You were a hell of a player, my man!