Prep talk: The Marcaccini family is back in high school basketball
Monte Marcaccini was one of the best basketball players in Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High history, leading the Knights to a 1993 Southern Section Division III-A championship. He was a 6-foot-5 guard who turned down a scholarship to Indiana to play club ball in Italy, then ended up at Pepperdine and later Virginia before playing overseas.
Now Marcaccini, 51, is back in high school basketball, serving as an assistant coach at Oaks Christian High, where his son, James, is a 6-3 freshman playing for the 20-4 Lions.
“He loves the game and works hard,” Monte said. “I was a lot smaller than he was. He’s a much better player than I was as a freshman.”
Monte was known for being a little flamboyant and trash talking with the best. He’d tell anyone and everyone he could beat you one on one.
So who wins when it’s father vs. son these days?
“Now it would be pretty close,” the father said. “I would be worried now.”
Monte started a private business 25 years ago using his Italian roots — gelato, a frozen dessert.
Monte played for coach Mick Cady at Notre Dame. Cady also was the high school coach in Northern California for Oaks Christian coach Mark Amaral and recently dropped by to give a pep talk to the Oaks Christian players.
The big question is whether the son talks more than the father.
“I talked way more. He’s much more of a gentleman,” Monte said.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.