Marty Stahurski inducted into Big 5 Hall of Fame
Temple guards Damian Dunn and Jahlil White were honored at Monday’s Big 5 awards banquet at The Palestra on the same night that the late former Owls great Marty Stahurski was posthumously inducted into the Big 5 Hall of Fame.
Temple head coach and fellow Philadelphia Big 5 Hall of Fame inductee Aaron McKie sat shoulder-to-shoulder with Dunn, a first team all-Big 5 selection, and White, who was named the Big 5’s Rookie of the Year, from the stands.
Stahurski, a four-year starter for Temple from 1974-1978, passed away on Dec. 16, 2017. He was later inducted into the Temple Athletics Hall of Fame in 2018.
Monday night, Stahurski’s son, Michael Stahurski, spoke on his behalf.
“My dad was my coach growing up, and he taught me everything I know about the game,” Stahurski said. “We used to sit together and watch games constantly, breaking down what is going on.”
Marty Stahurski, a 6-foot-4 forward from Freeport, New York, put together an impressive career at Temple. He ranks 17th all-time in program history with 1,499 points scored, and he averaged a career-high 15.7 points per game in his final season with the Owls in 1978.
Stahurski was a two-time First Team all- Big 5 selection for multiple reasons, including his shooting efficiency. During his senior season with the Owls, Stahurski finished with a 56.5 field goal percentage, which ranks ninth in program history. In the same season, Stahurski scored 20 or more points against eight different opponents.
Stahurski always felt at home playing in front of the fans at McGonigle Hall, his son said.
“He wasn’t one for public speaking, so if he was here today, I probably would still be the person here accepting this award,” Michael Stahurski said. “Because there is no chance he would get up in front of this many people unless there was a basketball here.”
Stahurksi joins an impressive list of former Temple players in the Big 5 Hall of Fame. Rick Brunson, Pepe Sanchez and McKie were honored in previous years, among other former Owls.
“Growing up, I was told what a great basketball player my dad was,” Michael said. “When I was younger, it was kind of hard to appreciate. Being here now and seeing all these people here to honor him really brings everything together. Really can realize his accomplishments.”
Dunn averaged 15.2 points and grabbed 4.4 rebounds per contest in earning First Team all-Big 5 honors. Dunn developed into Temple’s most consistent offensive scoring threat and replaced the injured Khalif Battle as Temple’s go-to-guy.
White, a second-year freshman, missed his true freshman season because of a torn meniscus. After returning to the court this past fall, he racked up 32 steals and 18 blocks and improved his offensive game down the stretch, averaging 7.5 points per game.
Also, former Temple guard Jeremiah Williams, who entered the transfer portal and committed to Iowa State on April 4, was named a Second Team all-Big 5 selection. Williams started only 16 games because of a torn labrum, but he managed to finish with 30 steals and 15 blocks.
Once the current Big 5 players were honored, the Hall of Fame speeches stole the show, including those from former Villanova star Allan Ray and former St. Joseph’s big man Ahmad Nivins.