Notre Dame-West Haven head coach Jason Sheavs holds the championship plaque after the Green Knights defeated St. Bernard in the CIAC Division I boys basketball championship at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn., Sunday, March 17, 2024.
Dave Zajac/Hearst Connecticut Media
Pete Novak has always had an affinity for the game of basketball and love of spending time in Poland, whether it was for business or for rest and relaxation.
Novak brought both things together by creating the Vertical Hoops EuroCup, featuring various age groups for both boys and girls to be held in June. He also coordinated to bring his high school alma mater to the U17 tournament.
Notre Dame-West Haven will be competing in the U17 event June 7-9 in Wroclaw, Poland.
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“My objective, why I wanted to do it, was to get a U.S. team to come and get those kids to expand their horizons,” said Novak, the former owner and agent for Charter Oak Financial and 1974 Notre Dame-West Haven graduate. He has retired from Charter Oak.
Notre Dame was the only undefeated boys basketball team during the 2023-24 boys basketball season. Led by GameTimeCT Player of the Year Abdou Toure, the Green Knights won the CIAC Division I championship in March, the program’s first.
“A lot of the guys have never experienced being out of the country. They are getting exposure to a different culture,” Notre Dame coach Jason Shea said. “It’s an opportunity to build camaraderie.”
Shea said he and Novak discussed the Vertical Hoops tournament company, of which Shea is the president. He let Novak use the name for his EuroCup event.
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Novak, a New Haven native, played basketball at Notre Dame and at AIC. He has since supported philanthropic causes, such as donating to Quinnipiac University’s Central European Institute. Novak was able to raise the funds necessary to help make the trip possible for Notre Dame.
Poland will have the majority of teams competing in the U17 tournament. Lithuania will be represented as well. Among the three games Notre Dame is playing includes one against WKK Wroclaw.
Before Notre Dame plays any games, the team will visit some historical sites in Old Town Wroclaw and also visit Ksiaz Castle in Wałbrzych, said Shea, who is also expected to help run a coaches’ clinic for the teams and youth coaches in other divisions taking part in the Euro Cup.
Visiting the historical sites in Poland and building camaraderie with the international teams was a must for the trip to be approved by the CIAC Board of Control. Among the things listed in the CIAC handbook under “Good Will Trips Abroad,” was allowing just three games to be played. The players won’t be missing class time because Notre Dame has finished its school year.
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According to CIAC executive director Glenn Lungarini, Notre Dame received Board of Control approval for the trip at the Feb. 15 meeting.
“This will broaden their (the players’) horizons, give a little more of a world view,” Shea said. “We are going to see different types of players and different types of basketball culture in general. … I can’t imagine this doesn’t enrich their lives a little bit and give them a different perspective on things.”
The opening ceremonies are on Friday. A dunk and 3-point shooting contest are scheduled before the invitational begins. It ends June 9 and Notre Dame flies back home June 10.
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There are also U13 and U15 tournaments, both boys and girls, being held. Novak wants to expand the tournament in the future and maybe have the opportunity to invite other Connecticut high school teams.
“What’s great about Poland is it’s safe, clean, a great environment for these kids,” Novak said. “Our style of play is a lot different than the European style. It will be good for (Notre Dame) to see a different style of play.”