Matt Steinmetz

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!

Steve Rossignoli was the closest thing Reading/Berks had to Larry Bird. Oh, you could argue that Chris Finch belongs on that short list, and he probably does. But “Stevie Roz” did it all a little bit before “Finchy.”

Roz was a fierce competitor, a tenacious rebounder, and, quite frankly, was the best player in Reading, PA during the mid-80s, after his graduation from Mount St. Mary’s, where he carved out a historic collegiate career. He owned 11th and Pike, which was the pre-eminent summer league at that time. Sorry, Mr. Kuhn, the West Reading Summer League played second fiddle to the Pike in those early years.

Though Roz would take a hard-right turn, politically, later in life, never forget that he was a lefty first!

Roz was all of 6-foot-5 with a feathery touch from the perimeter, and an ability to post up any non-power forward who dared to guard him down there. He was tough and nasty, and he wasn’t afraid to hold teammates accountable. His pedigree and fundamentally sound game was borne out of playing for two absolutely phenomenal and legendary coaches: Jim Gano and Jim Phelan. An unbelievable one-two, coaching punch.

And, boy, could he pass! Roz was one of those players who the game slowed down for. He played at his own pace, and few defenses could take him out of his game. I watched Roz for years and never saw anyone who could stop him. The closest anyone came to shutting down Roz was Robert Steinmetz sr. and a cadre of Berks County officials who just didn’t get his passion and intensity and language.

Roz still holds the Reading/Berks all-time record for technical fouls in summer league, a Rasheed Wallace-like total that will never be matched. But this mark comes with an asterisk. Roz had the misfortune of playing at a time when my dad went through a little “born again” period, and he was dishing out T’s left and right. Pop’s philosophy at the time was simple: he would T-up anyone who used profanity, even if it was self-directed. “There are kids at this playground,” my dad would say, “and they don’t need to hear those words.”

Almost 40 years later, I’m making it official: Roz got a bad whistle at times from my dad. Just don’t tell my dad I said it.

So here’s to “Stevie Roz,” one of the greatest players and competitors Reading/Berks has ever seen!

See, I knew this was going to happen. I played some golf, saw my mom in San Diego and there this goes. And by this I mean the blog (ssshhh book). Nothing … for too long. Anyway, Kuminga looks pretty good, no doubt. At least through one game. Not a real game, but still a game.

A lotta Ben Simmons talk today and that he’d be open to coming to the Warriors. I don’t know about you, but if I got a shot at Simmons, I’m taking it. You can talk to me till you’re blue in the face about his lack of shooting ability and non-aggressiveness on offense. Warriors have a player like that, too: Draymond Green.

You show me a guy who is terrific passer and wants to pass — and he can defend at a high level … I’ll take that guy anytime on my team.

What do you guys out there think?