International All-Stars
Coach Brings Foreign Talent To Seton Hill
By Tony DeFazio

Seton Hill University's men's basketball program is beginning its second year. They've already got a 20-win season, a second place finish in the NAIA American Mideast Conference North Division and a professional player to their credit. And to look at head coach Tony Morocco's roster, it appears they've got an International All-Star team. The Griffins have players from Israel, Macedonia, Serbia, Australia, Nigeria, Yugoslavia and Puerto Rico on their roster. Oh, and Natrona Heights and New Castle, too.

Morocco, a Trafford native, has been around the globe himself as a coach. Iowa, Long Beach State, UNLV and Puerto Rico are just a few of his stops. He found his way back to western Pennsylvania recently, coaching at both St. Vincent's and Point Park before taking the position at Seton Hill.

Coaching in the Puerto Rican Superior League, Morocco made the contacts that allow him to recruit internationally for Seton Hill. 'I built up a trust with a lot of coaches, and I've got a good reputation around the world because we get kids great professional instruction and they graduate.'

His most recent success story is Ales Chan, a 7-2 center from Prague, Czech Republic. Chan made his way to Seton Hill last fall after spending three seasons on the bench at West Virginia. Last season, Chan averaged 17.1 points and 10.4 rebounds per game and was an honorable mention NAIA All-American. He shot up NBA scouting charts after the season with his mixture of size, shooting and ability to run the floor. He signed as a free agent with the New York Knicks and spent the past few months on their NBA Summer League team.

Before Chan there was Daniel Santiago, a 7-1 center who played for Morocco at St. Vincent's in 1998. Like Chan, Santiago was another bench warmer for a division 1 program, New Mexico, for three seasons before hooking up with Morocco. He signed with the Phoenix Suns in 2000 and played with the Milwaukee Bucks last season, appearing in 54 games and starting 28.

Developing big guys has become something of a forte for Morocco. It's the reason Chan went to Seton Hill in the first place. The two big men currently under his watchful eye are Australian Danny George and Vuk Ivanovic of Yugoslavia, both 6-foot-11 with high upsides, according to their head coach.

Morocco credits his touch with post players to a system developed by legendary Oregon State basketball coach Ralph Miller. Morocco runs a version of Miller's 1-4 offense not all that different from Phil Jackson's vaunted triangle offense, a style that is conducive to big men. The system does not, as Morocco says, 'Place limitations on certain positions.

'Big guys are traditionally clumsy and slow,' explains Morocco. 'But all of our guys have to pass the ball and catch the ball and run the break. It sounds simple, but through a lot of conditioning we've been able to make big people run and pass and shoot with confidence.'

In addition to George and Ivanovic, Seton Hill's roster is full of international talent with players like Belgium's Sergio Peppe, Jose Sanchez of Puerto Rico; guards Zarko Kostic of Serbia, Naor Amiel of Israel, Bojan Nikolavski and Dimitar Simovski of Macedonia, and, surprise, Americans Brandon Childen of Houston and Clark Witucki of Natrona Heights.

'This is the only team in America that is truly an international team,' he says. 'We feel like Seton Hill is bringing a mini-Olympics to the region. We'll be a very exciting team.'

Other small college notes: Penn Hills graduate and former West Virginia guard Drew Schifino will finish his college career at Division II California (Pa.) this year. Schifino was dismissed last season by Mountaineers' head coach John Beilein for a violation of team rules. He had planned to transfer to division 1 Middle Tennessee State, but NCAA rules would have required him to sit out a full season. Schifino ultimately decided on Cal, where he'll be able to play immediately.