MOUNT VERNON — Former Ohio State basketball superstar Scoonie Penn is coming to Mount Vernon.
Penn will speak at a luncheon in the shelter house at Chapel Hill Golf Course on Saturday, Aug. 11.
The Mount Vernon High School boys basketball team is sponsoring the event.
Fans of all ages are invited to attend the luncheon for a fee and hear Penn recall his days as a Buckeye point guard and his years as a professional in Europe.
Fans are also invited to attend the free autograph session following the luncheon, and are encouraged to bring OSU memorabilita for Penn to sign.
“We want to boost enthusiasm for basketball in Mount Vernon and elsewhere,” said Mount Vernon boys head basketball coach Kurt Kaufman. “We’re thrilled for the privilege to have Scoonie Penn here to speak with us.”
The event follows a golf scramble at Chapel Hill, starting at 8 a.m., which benefits the basketball team.
A native of Salem, Mass., Penn played for a year with Boston College before transferring to Ohio State. He was named Big Ten Conference Player of the Year in 1999 while leading the Buckeyes to the NCAA Final Four. The following season he received the Naismith Award as the nation’s top senior under six-foot tall. He left as the school’s all-time leader in three-point field goals.
After leaving, Penn was drafted in the second round in 2000 by the Atlanta Hawks. He chose instead to play professionally in Europe, where he spent 11 years on such prestigious teams as Virtis Bologna and Olympiacos.
Published on July 28, 2012