New Rochelle High School Retires Jerseys of 3 All-Time Great Basketball Players

NEW ROCHELLE, NY (October 16, 2022) — The New Rochelle High School Athletics Department today retired the basketball jerseys of three legendary alumni.

In a ceremony in the high school gymnasium, Coach Nat Harris, who also works at Ward Elementary School in the City School District of New Rochelle, honored Kent “Ken” Washington from the NRHS class of 1973, Jimmy McGhee from the NRHS class of 1985, and Rasaun “Crabby” Young from the NRHS class of 1993, who is currently a New Rochelle High School varsity basketball coach.

“Basketball taught me perseverance on the court and off the court and to never quit, no matter how challenging life gets,” said McGhee. “It’s an honor to have that jersey retired. It was not just me who earned that, it was all the people who helped me. When I started to play basketball, it wasn’t a sport I was good at. I had so many good friends, good people, good coaches like Nat Harris, Jim Bostic, and Fio Nardone. Its about all of us, not just about me.”

“It’s very humbling. So many great players came out of NRHS. To be one of the guys whose jerseys they retire is truly and honor. It’s something I never thought of when I was playing high school basketball. They had Clyde Vaughn’s jersey up there when I was a player. Hearing the great stories and what a fabulous player he was. I never thought it would happen for me,” said Young. “I was overwhelmed, surprised, nervous, and excited. So many feelings coming over me right now. It’s truly an honor to be a high school coach and to have my number retired in front of my players.”

“What an honor to be able to celebrate the accomplishments of these three New Rochelleans,” said Superintendent Jonathan P. Raymond. “Their contributions to our high school and community will forever be remembered.”

“Our athletes deserve this respect and recognition,” said Coach Harris. “These players all had outstanding high school careers and went on to achieve more great things in college and professionally. They are role models for our current athletes and a source of pride for our entire community.”

“I am excited that we are honoring these three gentlemen who brought so much pride and success to New Rochelle High School, not only in their high school careers, but also in their achievements in their post-high school careers,” said Athletic Director Steve Young. “Not only were these individuals great athletes, they are also great role models. I have had the pleasure of working with Rasaun for 11 years as our varsity basketball coach and I know the impact that he has had on the youth in our community. Kenny and Jimmy have also given our community a great deal to be proud of. I also hope that this is the start of an annual tradition of honoring New Rochelle High School athletes.”

Washington made history as the first American to play basketball behind the Iron Curtain in communist Poland. His book, Kentomania, journals his basketball career from youth sports to becoming the first Black American to play professionally in Poland’s top league, where he was named MVP in 1980. While at NRHS in 1973, he was All-Conference and All-County and MVP of the Westchester Holiday Tournament. He earned a full, four-year basketball scholarship at Southampton College on Long Island, where he was team captain in 1976 and 1977 and scored 1,082 points. He was inducted into the Westchester County Sports Hall of Fame in 2021.

McGhee was the third all-time leading scorer at NRHS, with 1,151 career points. In his junior year, he averaged 26 points per game and 10 rebounds and was named an All-Section player. Senior year milestones include games where he scored 38 points and had 14 rebounds, 62 points and 12 rebounds, and 37 points. He was named All-Section and All-League. At Westchester County Community College, he averaged 24 points per game and was MVP of three Westchester Holiday Tournaments. He then went to Texas A&M, averaging 16 points per game in the 1987-1988 season.

Young was an All-Section and All-County player at NRHS. He is the all-time leading scorer for the University of Buffalo men’s basketball team, where he completed his career with 1,908 points. His jersey was also retired there. He averaged 19.8 points per game in his senior year and was a three-time first-team All-Mid-Continent Conference player. He played in the USBL for the Connecticut Skyhawks, in the IBA for the Youngstown Hawks and played the 2000-2001 season in Europe, where he led the league with 31 average points per game. His photo hangs on the NRHS Alumni Wall of Fame.

Coach Harris, along with Washington, McGhee, and Young, have all been inducted into the City of New Rochelle Sports Hall of Fame.