In December 2023, Central Catholic will once again host the Jack Twyman Tip-Off Classic at Alumni Hall, honoring 1951 Central Catholic graduate and Hall of Famer, Jack Twyman. 

After graduating from Central Catholic, Jack attended the University of Cincinnati, where he finished his career as the school's all-time leading scorer (1,598) and rebounder (1,242). From there, he played his entire 11-year NBA career with the Rochester/Cincinnati Royals (present day Sacramento Kings), where his accomplishments included six NBA All-Star Game appearances and 15,840 career points (which ranked 20th on the NBA's all-time list when he retired). Jack's #27 was retired by the Sacramento Kings and he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983.

Jack also earned accolades off the court when, at the age of 23, he became the legal guardian of his Royals teammate (and Pittsburgh-native) Maurice Stokes, who became paralyzed from the neck down after suffering a head injury during a 1958 game. Jack championed fundraising efforts (organizing an annual charity exhibition game of NBA players to raise money for both Maurice and other needy former players), supported and cared for Maurice until Maurice's death in 1970.

In 2013, the NBA introduced the Twyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year Award, an annual award that recognizes the player deemed the best teammate based on selfless play, on- and off-court leadership as a mentor and role model to other NBA players, and commitment and dedication to team.

Here's the schedule of the 2023 Jack Twyman Tip-Off Classic:

Friday, Dec. 8

• 6:00pm - Varsity - Gateway v. Penn Hills
• 8:00pm - Varsity - Central Catholic v. Moon

Saturday, Dec. 9

• 1:00pm - JV - Moon v. Penn Hills
• 2:30pm - Varsity - Moon v. Penn Hills
• 4:30pm - JV - Gateway v. Central Catholic
• 6:00pm - Varsity - Gateway v. Central Catholic