The Mel Greenberg Big 5 Classic MVP Award will be presented for the first time on December 6 at Villanova in honor of the legendary women's college basketball writer.
By AARON BRACY
October 25, 2024
Earlier this month at Atlantic 10 media day in Washington, DC, Mel Greenberg addressed a question to Richmond women’s basketball coach Aaron Roussell. However, Roussell didn’t hear the question and asked Greenberg to repeat it.
Following the guidance of the mediator to state your name and organization before your question, Greenberg started to repeat his question by saying his name: “Mel Green—” was all that he could get out, though, as Roussell cut him off and, with a smile, said, “I know who you are.” The exchange drew laughs from the gathered media and A-10 officials.
Of course, Greenberg didn’t need to state his name to Roussell—or anyone else in women’s basketball—because everyone in the sport knows him for his pioneering contributions.
Poll Founder
Greenberg, the longtime women’s basketball writer for the Philadelphia Inquirer, where he worked for 40 years, founded the first women’s basketball poll in 1976. The poll eventually morphed into the AP Top 25 poll. Today, women’s basketball has gained mainstream recognition, and players like Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese, and A’ja Wilson are easily identifiable by sports fans. There has been a heightened interest in the women’s game, in recent years especially.
Before its rise in popularity, Greenberg was there. Helped by a few influential supporters, including locally successful Immaculata and others, Greenberg got a women’s poll off the ground in spite of protests from organizations such as the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (AIAW), which was concerned about the “evils” a poll could bring to the women’s game, according to Greenberg.
But Greenberg persisted, running his poll in the paper each week along with box scores from local, regional, and national programs. He was a regular presence on press row at women’s games, and somehow managed to be everywhere all at once—something you understand when talking to Greenberg about all of his travel wisdom. He continues to cover women’s basketball with the same passion and enthusiasm today on his website, womhoops.blogspot.com.
Big 5 Classic Greenberg Award
For his innovation and dedication to women’s basketball, Greenberg, known by many nicknames, most notably “The Guru,” was the first writer inducted into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame. That honor happened in 2007. He also has earned a spot in many more Hall of Fames, including Big 5 Hall of Fame, the Philly Sports Hall of Fame, and several others. Additionally, each year the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association presents the Mel Greenberg Award at the Final Four to a worthy media member.
Beginning this year, there will be another honor bearing Greenberg’s name, as the MVP of the championship game of the Big 5 Classic will be recognized with the Mel Greenberg Big 5 Classic MVP Award, as voted by the media. It is a fitting honor in his hometown for someone who has given so much of himself to women’s basketball.
The award will debut on Friday, December 6 at Villanova, where the women’s Big 5 tripleheader will be held in the women’s inaugural season of following the men’s format that was so successful in its first run in 2023-24. (You can read the story that I co-authored with Greenberg when the announcement for the shift in format for the women’s Big 5 by clicking HERE.)
Electronic Voting Only
The idea for the Mel Greenberg Award followed a similar one for the Jack Scheuer “VGH” (Very Good Hoops) Award given to a deserving player in the men’s Big 5 Classic title game. Last season, Saint Joseph’s Rasheer Fleming was tabbed by media members as the recipient after accumulating 22 points, 9 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 3 assists in the Hawks’ 74-65 win over Temple.
The Scheuer award was created to honor the legacy and important contributions to the Big 5 of longtime Associated Press writer and Big 5 Hall of Famer Jack Scheuer. (You can read more about the Jack Scheuer VGH Award by clicking HERE.) Votes for the award are accepted via paper ballots only, as Scheuer was not fond of computers or technology.
Conversely for the Greenberg award, ballots will be accepted by electronic submission only. Greenberg always has been ahead of the curve when it comes to technology and can usually be seen utilizing multiple devices while covering games. You can see the plaque below that will be presented to recipients.
Content Collaboration
In addition to the award, you will see links to Greenberg’s coverage of the Big 5 women on this website as part of a content collaboration between us.
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Big 5 Women’s Schedule
Pod 1
Nov. 15: St. Joe’s at Penn, 4:30 p.m.
Nov. 20: Penn at Villanova, 7 p.m.
Dec. 1: Villanova at St. Joe’s, 2 p.m.
Pod 2
Nov. 13: La Salle at Drexel, 2 p.m.
Nov. 23: Drexel at Temple, 2 p.m.
Dec. 1: Temple at La Salle, 2 p.m.
Big 5 Classic Tripleheader
Dec. 6: At Villanova, Times TBA
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Aaron Bracy has been covering Philadelphia sports since 1996. His byline regularly appears on Associated Press stories. Follow Bracy on X: @Aaron_Bracy and like his Facebook and Instagram pages. His book on the 2003-04 Saint Joseph’s men’s basketball team is expected to be published on March 1, 2025. Read a summary and preorder it by clicking HERE. Contact him at aaron@big5hoops.com.