Hall of Fame
Enzo Spagnuolo (BA '85) was a star for the York men's basketball team from 1979-84, helping the team to the provincial championship game in all four of his seasons and winning three OUAA championships in that stretch (1979-80, 1980-81, 1983-84). In 1983 he earned the E.C. Lebel Plaque as the OUAA East Division's player of the year, and he was awarded the Kitch McPherson Trophy as most valuable player of the Ontario championship game in 1984. During his career, Spagnuolo was a two-time OUA all-star (1983, 1984) and earned CIAU all-Canadian honours in his final season in 1984. He also spent five years on the Ontario provincial team.
Induction video: Enzo Spagnuolo (Introduction by Bob Bain)
Enzo Spanguolo never had any doubts about which University would be the right place for him.
“York was the place to go when I was growing up because the men’s basketball program was so successful at that time. I wanted to stay close to home and be part of the great tradition that existed there. I also knew a lot of the guys from playing with them previously, so it was a natural fit.”
The men’s basketball program at York was consistently ranked among the top three teams in the country in the late 1970s and early 1980s, and having Spagnuolo join the squad was another welcome addition for the storied program. It took him some time to get used to the high level of basketball, but it wasn’t long before his signature spin move was taking over the court.
“It was a tough adjustment first coming to York because I was one of the main players in high school, but then I came to a program where there were so many great players. The experience taught me to be patient and to keep working hard while waiting for my time.”
He didn’t have to wait long. Spagnuolo was impressive early, taking over the starting job in his second year in 1980, and he became one of the best point guards in the country over the next three seasons.
With him running the offence, the squad advanced to the provincial championship game in all of his four seasons and won three OUAA titles. In 1983 he earned the E.C. Lebel Plaque as the OUAA East Division’s player of the year, and he was awarded the Kitch McPherson Trophy as most valuable player of the Ontario championship game in 1984. During his career, he was a two-time OUAA all-star (1983, 1984) and earned CIAU all-Canadian honours in his final season in 1984.
Spagnuolo, who was also a member of the Ontario provincial team for five years, was part of a very successful time period for the York men’s basketball team, and he continues to stay in touch with the program to this day, attending a couple of games every year while also maintaining a relationship with current head coach Tom Oliveri.
“Every time I go in the gym I still get that rush, and being there brings back a lot of good memories,” he says fondly. “What stands out most for me from my time at York is the people. I still remember all the games as well, but it was the people that surrounded me that made my experience so great.”
Spagnuolo has never been very far from the sport. After taking it up as a child because his older brothers were already playing and he wanted to be like them, he advanced quickly through the ranks and spent five years on the Ontario provincial team in addition to his time at York.
When he left the University he continued in the sport as a coach, something he continues to do today. He is now a rep coach for a club team within Ontario Basketball’s system, and he also assists Oliveri with the Centre for Performance (CP) program through Canada Basketball. He has also coached his two boys, who are now 16 and 14, and would love to see them have the same opportunities in the sport that he did. Both of them are point guards and have shown they have the potential to play at the next level.
The boys are certainly off to a great start, given the quality of the father they have to look up to.
