Prep talk: The Marcaccini family is back in high school basketball

Monte Marcaccini was one of the best basketball players in Sherman Oaks Notre Dame High history, leading the Knights to a Southern Section Division III-A championship in 1993. He was a 6-foot-5 guard who turned down a scholarship to Indiana to play club ball in Italy, then ended up at Pepperdine and later Virginia before playing overseas.

Today, Marcaccini, 51, is back in high school basketball, serving as an assistant coach at Oaks Christian High, where his son, James, is a 6-3 freshman playing for the 20-4 Lions.

“He loves the game and works hard,” Monte said. “I was a lot smaller than him. He’s a much better player than I was as a freshman.”

Monte was known for being a bit flamboyant and trash talking with the best. He would tell anyone he could beat you one-on-one.

So who wins when it’s father versus son these days?

“Now it would be pretty tight,” the father said. “I would be worried now.”

Monte started a private business 25 years ago using his Italian roots: gelato, a frozen dessert.

Monte played for coach Mick Cady at Notre Dame. Cady was also the high school coach in Northern California for Oaks Christian coach Mark Amaral and recently stopped by to give a pep talk to the Oaks Christian players.

The big question is whether the son talks more than the father.

“I talked a lot more. He’s a lot more of a gentleman,” Monte said.

This is a daily look at positive happenings in high school sports. To submit news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.