PORTVILLE — A tradition that has been about showcasing the great basketball talent on both sides of the NY/PA border, the Big 30 Senior Classic is set for what organizers hope is another thrilling installation.
Coaching the New York boys side in this year’s event, which will be held at Portville Central School on Sunday, will be former Wellsville coach Raymie Auman who led the Lions to three Section 5 championships during his seven years at the helm. For Pennsylvania’s boys team it will be Brian Hobbs who, from 2010-2020, was the head coach of the Bradford boys basketball team. Hobbs led the Owls to back-to-back District 9 titles in the 2011-12 and 2012-13 season and six District 9 championship games altogether during his tenure.
The boys game is set for 4 p.m. Sunday, following the girls game at 2.
And while they may have experienced basketball on opposite sides of the state border, both have expressed gratitude in being able to be a part of such a prestigious event and excitement for the show their sides will put on for those in attendance.
“It’s an honor to (coach) and, No. 2, be there for these kids and then No. 2, be a part of this game because it’s become a tradition and something that I know, these kids strive to achieve,” Auman said. “Not every senior gets into the game. So, it’s pretty prestigious. I understand the importance of it, I think it’s valuable and I understand how competitive these kids are. I hope I can guide them to have a memorable game that allows them to showcase some of their skills.”
Hobbs, who has been out of the coaching sphere for a few years now, is more ready than ever to get back in the saddle.
“It really is an honor to be able to do this,” Hobbs said. “I have been out of coaching for about three years now. So this year, the fact that I am missing (coaching) terribly has really hit me. I miss that competition, I miss being around these young men that are competing. I’m super excited to take this on this year.”
Luckily, for these two coaches, there are few other elite weapons that they could possibly have at their disposal. With the likes of Salamanca’s Lucus Brown, Fillmore’s Zach Sisson and Bolivar-Richburg’s Aydin Sisson amongst other on the New York side and the Warren trio of Tommy Nyquist, Braylon Barnes and Brady Berdine surrounded by great talent as well on the Pennsylvania squad, the teams are true headline material. And Auman and Hobbs know that with that much talent on the floor at the same time, they are truly in for something special.
“This is the classic debate that you get to have where it’s like ‘Man, what if we put this super-team together? What could we do?’ it’s a one chance moment to just see what it might look like, especially without much practice,” Auman said. “I think (teams) win a lot of games because they are good at picking on the weak links of high school teams … and to have a game where there’s kids that aren’t very limited is going to be a lot of fun.”
Hobbs also stressed how important it is for these players to be able to showcase their talents on a local level. With travel ball and AAU basketball, you get culminations of talent on bigger stages, but in more cases than not, those games aren’t held locally.
“One of the things we always used to talk about when I was at Bradford,” Hobbs said, “especially once we hit the playoffs, was what a rare opportunity you have to be in this position and I think that that rolls over into this all star game. More and more guys are playing AAU basketball … but this is a game that has some value and you’re able to showcase yourself in a local setting. A lot of those AAU games are in the cities. Buffalo, Erie, whatever but this is a great opportunity for some people to come out and see what kind of basketball we have here in the local area.”
Now, just because there will be a plethora of basketball talent on the court at one time, that does not mean there will be a decrease in competition level according to Auman. Instead of making the game about who can beat who, he hopes to see the players truly buckle down and fight together for each other.
“I’m hoping to see a competitive nature,” Auman said. “It’s easy to get caught up in trying to get yours and showcasing yourself. I hope that they know that we’re individually competitive as a team, if that makes sense. So, you know, (the mindset of) ‘I want to beat the guy that’s guarding me and I want to stop him when I’m guarding him.’ If we got five kids that are doing that, this could look a lot of fun … I’d rather have it look like a mid-major college basketball game than an NBA game.”
The game itself aside, Auman and Hobbs also share an understanding of the importance of a game such as the Classic. Not only is it an opportunity to put on a show for the ages, but also one to learn from and take pride in.
“I strongly believe that the challenges that any sport, basketball in particular, brings, helps provide experience of what you’re gonna face in the real world,” Auman said. “Whether it’s dealing with a boss or dealing with adversity within your professional career.”
“(The players) should feel a great deal of accomplishment about being recognized and invited,” Hobbs said. “When you think about the Big 30 Basketball Classic as a whole, it’s not just just about the game. It’s about giving back to those players and individuals throughout Northwestern PA and Western New York.”
