PMHS alumni and former varsity basketball starter Jack Cork has recently made the decision to play professional basketball in England while pursuing his Master’s degree in banking and finance at Newcastle University.  

Cork was an essential piece in the 2016 Pelham varsity team, which included other collegiate-level athletes such as James Carey (Gettysburg College), Ryan O’Neil (Kenyon College) and Harry Ravitz (Elmira College).  While at PMHS, Cork lettered in golf and soccer in addition to basketball.

“One of my teammates from Haverford actually played on the team last year, and he said it was a great experience, so that really encouraged me to pursue this opportunity,” said Cork.  

Though there is a skill gap between collegiate athletics and professional, Cork said he is assured  of his capability to perform at the next level.

“I think the level of basketball over there is going to be higher than Division 3 basketball, but I am confident in my ability to be a contributor to the team this year,” said Cork. 

After his graduation from PMHS in 2016, Cork attended Haverford. While at Haverford, Cork played for the basketball team in all four of his years at the school. In the 2019-2020 season, Cork played in 26 games and averaged 8.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.5 apg.  In addition, Cork received the award of Centennial Conference Academic Honor Roll. Last year, Haverford finished the season 16-10, their first winning season in nine years, and made the Centennial Conference Tournament for the first time since the 2010- 2011 season.

“Overall, I’m really looking forward to continuing my basketball career, and I think it’s going to be a great experience playing at a higher level,” he said. 

Cork will play forward for Team Newcastle, which competes in the NBL Division 2, and the BUCS (British University and Colleges sports) Northern Premier Division. In the 2019- 2020 season, Team Newcastle finished the season in first place with a 16-2 record in the NBL.