Courtside (ePub)

Derick Loury shares his autobiographical debut of a small-town boy traveling the Greater Philadelphia area to chase a dream of Division 1 competitive basketball. Loury combines information and narrative to craft a story full of encyclopedic detail and personal experiences. A humble, slice-of-life chronicle of one man's journey of self-discovery. The sport forms the backbone of the narrative and Loury's connection to it which he carries through boyhood and, ultimately, to a career in law enforcement. He reflects on detailed accounts of growing up in Darby Township. The challenges and milestones of a young black child in a predominantly white neighborhood and his first-hand encounter with racist policies geared to protect the rights and privileges of the Southeast Delco School District in eastern Pennsylvania. And the fallout of a historic legal battle that devastated the Darby Township Black Community. It is basketball and faith that resonate strongest in Loury's life, even if they could not solve every problem. While grief and loss at a young age shadowed his performance in school and home, athleticism brought back structure and purpose. His faith brought him to community and he'd continue to give back through sports programs as an adult. His life was enriched through the unique personalities whose experiences and views were deeply impactful. He recounts piecing himself back together after devastating loss on humble fishing trips with his grandparents. The foreword of this book is offered by Jay Wright, a Naismith Hall of Fame Coach and close friend throughout most of Loury's life. Explore eastern Pennsylvania through Loury's eyes, how his experiences culminate in the dedicated and esteemed person today.

In 21 seasons as Villanova's William B. Finneran Endowed Head Coach, Jay Wright has guided the Wildcats to new heights, including NCAA national championships in 2016 and 2018 and four appearances in the NCAA Final Four. The Bucknell University graduate (1983) was enshrined on Sept. 11, 2021, in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Villanova posted a 30-win season for the sixth time in Wright's tenure as head coach in 2021-22, advancing to the NCAA Final Four with a 50-44 victory over Houston in the South Regional Final. The Wildcats own 20 NCAA Tournament victories since 2016, the most in the nation in that span (20-4). Along the way Villanova captured the 2022 BIG EAST Tournament title, extending to nine consecutive seasons its run of winning a BIG EAST regular season or tournament crown. Since the BIG EAST realigned in 2013, the Wildcats have won 263 games, an average of 29.2 per season. In January 2020, Wright was named the Associated Press men's college basketball Coach of the Decade. In 2017-18, the Wildcats amassed a school record 36 victories and secured Villanova's third NCAA national championship with a 79-62 victory over Michigan on April 2, 2018. Jalen Brunson became Villanova's first consensus National Player of the Year in the modern era, joining Paul Arizin as the only VU players to earn that distinction. In 2016, Villanova defeated North Carolina 77-74 when Kris Jenkins drained a 3-pointer at the buzzer to cap a 35-5 campaign with an NCAA national title. The product of Council Rock High School owns a record of 520-196 (.724) in his 21 seasons at the helm of the Wildcats and is the program's all-time wins leader. With 271 BIG EAST victories, he ranks third all-time among league coaches and is 34-14 (.708) in NCAA Tournament play at Nova. His overall record as head coach - including a successful seven-year stint at Hofstra University from 1994-2001 - is 642-281 (.691). This is Wright's second stint at Villanova. He served as an assistant to the late Rollie Massimino from 1987-92. The Wildcats have succeeded on the academic side too. Since 2012, the Wildcats have received Academic All-BIG EAST recognition on 82 occasions and all 13 members of the roster earned that distinction in 2020-21. Brunson was named a second team CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2018 and teammate Matt Kennedy received the NCAA Elite 90 Award at the Final Four. Collin Gillespie was named the BIG EAST Scholar Athlete of the Year in 2022. Every Villanova player who has spent four years in the program since 1975 has earned his degree. In 2018 Wright received the John R. Wooden Legends of Coaching Award in Los Angeles. He is a two-time winner of the Naismith National Coach of the Year award (2006 and 2016) and in 2018-19 became the first man in BIG EAST history to be selected as the league's Coach of the Year six times. Wright is married to the former Patricia Reilly. The couple has two sons, Taylor (28) and Colin (27) and a daughter Reilly (22). Patty and Jay Wright were honored with the inaugural Saint Augustine Medal in April 2017. Wright's book 'Attitude', published in 2017, was a New York Times bestseller.