Last dance
Roundball Classic provides one final basketball game for select area seniors
Rob Kezmarsky should feel right at home while coaching the Class 5A South boys basketball team in the 2025 Roundball Classic on Saturday even though the game will be taking place at North Allegheny High School.
That鈥檚 because Kezmarsky will have assistant coaches Warare Gladman and Calvin Winfrey Jr. with him along with senior Red Raiders Notorious Grooms, Calvin Winfrey III and Kelan Milsom on his squad.
鈥淲hen you have really good high school careers you get picked for this game, like Cal, Tori and Kelan,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淚 was really happy for Kelan to get that recognition because everyone knows how great Cal and Tori were but Kelan had a great season, too.鈥�
The Roundball Classic also has a slate of games on Sunday and if the Class 2A team needs a lengthy shot at the end of a quarter it has the right player on its roster. That would be West Greene鈥檚 Lane Allison, who made an almost full-court heave for a game-winning 3-pointer that handed Chartiers-Houston a shocking defeat and drew national attention this past season.
There were 11 area players invited to play in the 2025 Roundball Classic and seven are expected to take the floor during the weekend. In addition to the Uniontown trio and Allison, Albert Gallatin鈥檚 Mya Glisan (Class 5A West girls team) and Belle Vernon鈥檚 Zion Moore and Tommy Davis (Class 4A team) are confirmed to be participating.
Other area players who were chosen to play in the Roundball Classic but won鈥檛 be able to participate are Miya Harris and Ayrianna Sumpter of Laurel Highlands (Class 4A/City League girls team), Grayce Panos of Albert Gallatin (Class 5A West girls team) and Elliot Premus of Southmoreland (Class 3A team).
The group of invitees includes seven 1,000-point players in Grooms, Winfrey, Moore, Allison, Glisan, Harris and Sumpter.
Kezmarsky is familiar with the Roundball Classic, having played in it himself representing Laurel Highlands in 1990鈥檚 preliminary game after leading the state in scoring with a 35.7 points per game average. He scored 19 points and was named his team鈥檚 MVP.
鈥淭hat game was at the Civic Arena,鈥� Kezmarsky recalled. 鈥淚 still have my Roundball jersey and I remember sitting on the Gateway Clipper with Penny Hardaway. After the game I was interviewed by Bill Hillgrove so that was pretty cool.
鈥淭he Roundball has changed over the years but it鈥檚 still a nicely run event by (Roundball Classic director) Allen Deep that honors top senior players and it鈥檚 a nice way for the kids to end their (high school) career.鈥�
Kezmarsky鈥檚 Class 5A South team will face the District 10 team at 3 p.m. Saturday.
鈥淲e鈥檙e going to have one practice Friday,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 15 kids on my roster so we鈥檒l probably have three sets we鈥檒l run in and out together around every four minutes or so. I鈥檓 not sure who the starters will be or how that鈥檒l work out yet but I think that鈥檚 sort of a collaboration with the Roundball people.鈥�
When asked if he鈥檒l try to put all three Uniontown players out on the floor at the same time, Kezmarsky said, 鈥淭hat鈥檚 kind of an interesting thing so I think I鈥檓 going to talk to Allen on that. If I split Cal and Tori then I鈥檓 assured of having a really good point guard on both teams, so I don鈥檛 know yet.
鈥淚n my opinion, this is a recognition game. It鈥檚 not about who wins, it鈥檚 supposed to be fun and then they can say forever they played in the Roundball Classic.鈥�
Kezmarsky did hedge a little bit on not worrying about winning when asked how he鈥檒l coach if the outcome is still up in the air near the end of the game.
鈥淲e鈥檒l try to play everybody about the same amount, but in the last couple minutes if it鈥檚 close I might go with our best guys to try to win,鈥� said Kezmarsky whose Red Raiders have been well represented in the Roundball Classic over the years.
鈥淚鈥檝e been very fortunate to have a lot of players play in this game,鈥� Kezmarsky said. 鈥淥ur kids always appreciate it when they get that opportunity.鈥�
That includes Kezmarsky鈥檚 nephew Christian who played in the 2013 event.
Roundball Classic games are known to be high-scoring affairs in recent years, which led Kezmarsky to have one tongue-in-cheek piece of advice for his three players in the game.
鈥淚 told them don鈥檛 take the ball out of bounds,鈥� Kezmarsky said with a laugh. 鈥淚 know there鈥檚 a lot of offense in these games.鈥�
Moore and Davis, who helped lead Belle Vernon to a WPIAL championship in coach Joe Salvino鈥檚 final season, will lead the Class 4A team against the Class A/City League team at 6 p.m. Saturday.
Allison鈥檚 Class 2A team plays the Class 3A team at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty cool. There鈥檚 only a select amount of players who get to do it every year so it鈥檚 an honor to be chosen for a high-level event like this,鈥� Allison said.
Allison was a 1,000-point scorer who helped lead the Pioneers to the playoffs in three of his four years, but the shot heard round the country still resonates with him.
鈥淚 look back at a lot of things in my career but my mind always goes back to that full-court shot,鈥� Allsison said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 ever stop thinking about that one. That will always be in my head.鈥�
The miraculous last-second shot, which came off a short inbounds pass after the Buccaneers had scored to take the lead, handed Chartiers-Houston its only section loss of the season.
Allison will be accompanied at the game by his family and former head coach Jim Romanus, who stepped down after the season.
鈥淗e was such a great guy and great coach, I鈥檓 not sure any coach could replace him,鈥� Allison said of Romanus.
It will be Allison鈥檚 final organized basketball game as he has chosen not to pursue playing basketball in college.
鈥淚鈥檒l be studying sports management at PennWest California,鈥� Allison said.
鈥淎s for the game, I鈥檓 going to try to have some fun and try to score a little bit, and play some defense, maybe,鈥� Allison said with a laugh.
Glisan鈥檚 Class 5A West team will play the Class 6A team at 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
鈥淚 was definitely not expecting to be chosen so I鈥檓 very honored to be,鈥� said Glisan who was a four-year starter for the Lady Colonials.
Glisan will play in college for Potomac State after wrapping up her career with the Lady Colonials with over 1,000 points.
鈥淧otomac State told me they see me as someone who can play anywhere and that gives them a lot of options on how to use me,鈥� said Glisan, who will attend the Roundball Classic with her family.
鈥淚 put in a lot of hard work so I鈥檓 glad to have this chance to play in this game. My mindset going in is to obviously have fun and just do the best that I can and hopefully show people what kind of player I am.鈥�