St Joe’s Closing Hoop Dreams High

[mcderjim]

Not sure if this was mentioned but St Joe's announced they are closing. MU had some great recruits from there. I met Coach P once at a restaurant... a tremendous human being. RIP

[GooooMarquette]

I know Will Gates and Amal McCaskill played there. Did we have others from St. Joe's?

[Galway Eagle]

Wow integrating into fenwick and Montini?

Just guessing given their location.

[GoldenWarrior11]

Very sad day (yesterday) for Chicago Catholic HS alums/students/families/friends.  The school served over 11,600 young men and women over 61 years, and Gene Pingatore's legacy as head basketball coach really spoke for itself.  Hoping that their current students and staff find quality landing spots for the Fall. 

Unfortunately, this was inevitable.  It was only a matter of time. 

[Shooter McGavin]

Disappointing to hear.  But is was inevitable.  Used to live in Westchester 15 years ago and most of our friends started sending their kids to Montini and Fenwick.  That was not a good sign.

[Dish]

I remember in 6th grade, playing in a basketball tournament at St. Joe's, and it was like the biggest deal ever because Isiah played there.

Seemed like it was a matter of time though, their enrollment had been dropping over the years, and there's just too many options that are close to St. Joe's. Geography had to be a big part in their fall off.

Off the top of my head, I believe IC, Montini, Nazareth are all around 15 minutes away. If you get closer to the city, you have Fenwick, St. Ignatius among others. The wealthy DuPage/Kane kids are going to Benet/St. Francis, not saying that St. Joe's would have been an option, they were really just located in a tough spot with other options available to most families.

[Jockey]

I know Will Gates and Amal McCaskill played there. Did we have others from St. Joe's?

The great Tony Reeder

[Jables1604]

The great Tony Reeder

Or, due to his penchant for the hippie lettuce, as he was affectionally known during my stretch in Milwaukee...Tony Weeder...

[MarquetteMike1977]

The great Tony Reeder

Tony and I were paired in a 2 person team on a class project at MU when we were there and we got an A. Good times!

[We R Final Four]

Is this because the Agee's didn't pay??

[ChitownSpaceForRent]

Disappointing to hear.  But is was inevitable.  Used to live in Westchester 15 years ago and most of our friends started sending their kids to Montini and Fenwick.  That was not a good sign.

Which is weird because Montini's enrollment has been way down the last few years.

Think they're sub-500 students at this point. Wouldn't shock me if they're next.

[jsglow]

Sad news.  An excellent educational opportunity for Chicago kids who often have too few quality options.

[MarquetteMike1977]

I know Will Gates and Amal McCaskill played there. Did we have others from St. Joe's?

Amal and I were both doing a phone sales gig thing on the side until He signed with the Magic haha more good times!

[mcderjim]

Coach P entertained me for hours with stories about Al McG and Ray Mayer. Al would turn the hot water off to the DePaul locker room after a bitter defeat.  I was enthralled and in tears laughing. They were competitive but best of friends. Coach P just seemed so genuine & charismatic. A once in a life time man.... I shed a tear over the news about St Joe's

[JWags85]

Is this because the Agee's didn't pay??

BRAVO.

Let's be honest, this all could have been stopped if Evan "The Villain" Turner wasn't so selfish with his NBA earnings

[Jockey]

Coach P entertained me for hours with stories about Al McG and Ray Mayer. Al would turn the hot water off to the DePaul locker room after a bitter defeat.  I was enthralled and in tears laughing. They were competitive but best of friends. Coach P just seemed so genuine & charismatic. A once in a life time man.... I shed a tear over the news about St Joe's

Majerus always had great things to say about Pingatore.

Isaiah was obviously his best player.

[Dish]

Which is weird because Montini's enrollment has been way down the last few years.

Think they're sub-500 students at this point. Wouldn't shock me if they're next.

As someone who went to St. Francis, it would bum me out if Montini was next. It was a bummer when Driscoll closed shop.

When I graduated from Francis, enrollment was around 500, they're now capping enrollment just under 800. The campus is completely different now. When I went there it felt like just an extension of Catholic education in the west burbs, and it's now a state of the art campus with all kinds of money rolling in.

[keefe]

Is this because the Agee's didn't pay??

What they did to that family was terrible.

I have heard Pignatore wasn't really a nice guy. I have no first hand knowledge but was told that by someone who does. I don't actually care one way or the other.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

What they did to that family was terrible.

I have heard Pignatore wasn't really a nice guy. I have no first hand knowledge but was told that by someone who does. I don't actually care one way or the other.

Maybe seven years ago he came in with his girlfriend as she bought a car. He was kinda a Dick then, so I can believe it.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

Wow integrating into fenwick and Montini?

Just guessing given their location.

And Nazareth. And to a lesser extent, Immaculate Conception in Elmhurst.

And there were only 185 kids enrolled there last year.

[WI inferiority Complexes]

As someone who went to St. Francis, it would bum me out if Montini was next. It was a bummer when Driscoll closed shop.

Montini is nowhere near closing.

[Warrior of Law]

They had under 200 kids enrolled. Most of the Milwaukee-area Catholic/Lutheran high schools would be closed too, but for School Choice.

[Dish]

Montini is nowhere near closing.

I didn't necessarily think so, was just responding to the other post.

[MU82]

What they did to that family was terrible.

I have heard Pignatore wasn't really a nice guy. I have no first hand knowledge but was told that by someone who does. I don't actually care one way or the other.

Most who watched Hoop Dreams would not conclude that Pingatore was a great guy. And the Agees certainly wouldn't. Like you, I never knew him, though.

[warriorchick]

There's just not that much demand for Catholic High School in DuPage County, especially given its high cost and the fact that in general, the public schools there are pretty good.