Sanford, Saint Mark's have dual inductees in new Delaware Basketball Hall of Fame class
The six 2024 inductees to the Delaware Basketball Hall of Fame include a player who won a state high school title and then played in two NCAA Tournament Final Fours.
Trevor Cooney starred at Sanford School and was a three-year starter at Syracuse.
He’s joined in the hall of fame’s 16th induction class by players Michelle Albanese Delle Cave of Saint Mark’s, Annie Igo Rizzo from St. Elizabeth and the University of Delaware, Sanford’s Kenny Mitchell and Holy Cross’ Danny Roberts along with former Brandywine, Wilmington Friends and Saint Mark’s coach Lee Sibley.
They’ll be honored Feb. 10 at the Embassy Suites in Newark. Tickets are available at debbhof.ticketleap.com/2023/.
The 2024 inductees:
Michelle Albanese Delle Cave
The 5-foot-2 sparkplug was state Player of the Year at Saint Mark’s in 2000 and 2001 while sparking the Spartans to state titles. Albanese scored 1,154 career points, including 27 in a 36-34 state-final win over Ursuline in 2001. She then scored 1,208 career points at Bloomsburg University and set a school record with eight 3-pointers in a game. Albanese was later named to Delaware’s 2000s All-Decade first team.
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Trevor Cooney
A five-year starter at guard, Cooney was state Player of the Year as a junior in 2010 and a repeat first-team All-State pick as a senior. Sanford won state titles both years. He then scored 1,427 career points at Syracuse from 2012-16, starting every game his last three years and making the Final Four in 2013 and 2016. Cooney was second in the ACC in steals as a senior. He then played professionally in Germany, Spain and the NBG G League.
Annie Igo Rizzo
Ann Marie Igo starred at St. Elizabeth before girls basketball had a state tournament or All-State teams. She then excelled on early University of Delaware teams, including serving as senior captain and leading the Blue Hens with 18.6 points per game in 1973-74. She set early school records for points in a game (29), season (260) and career (602). Her career 14.8 points per game is still tied for fourth in school history. She continued playing well after college, including on club and senior teams that competed for national titles.
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Kenny Mitchell
Mitchell was the dazzling point guard as a starter for Sanford’s 1991 and 1992 state champions and 1993 state semifinalists. He dealt a school record 565 assists on teams that went 64-9 and also scored 1,110 career points. He then dished 460 career assists and had 178 steals at Dartmouth, both third on the school’s all-time list, and led the nation with 7.8 assists per game in 1996-97. His 70 steals that year set a Dartmouth record. Mitchell then played professionally overseas for several years.
Danny Roberts
Roberts was the state’s leading scorer in 1965 at Holy Cross in Dover, which closed as a high school in 1987. He scored 26.4 points per game and was first-team All-State. His 1,175 career points were fifth in state history when he graduated. Roberts then starred at Frederick College and Towson, where he was team MVP in his one season (1968-69) while setting school marks for scoring (25.1 ppg) and rebounding (18.0). Roberts later served a long stint as Dover High athletic director.
Lee Sibley
Sibley coached Saint Mark’s to a record of 244-133 over 16 years starting in 1992-93 with his 1994-95 team going undefeated and winning the state championship. Sibley also coached Brandywine for two seasons after assisting with the Bulldogs’ 1977 state champions, and Wilmington Friends for eight years. Sibley also coordinated the defense for the football teams at Saint Mark's and other schools.
Contact Kevin Tresolini at ktresolini@delawareonline.com and follow on Twitter @kevintresolini. Support local journalism by subscribing to delawareonline.com and our DE Game Day newsletter.
This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Trevor Cooney, Kenny Mitchell make Delaware Basketball Hall of Fame
