Basketball Runs In Donahue Family

It was a marriage made in Hoop Heaven.

David Donahue, a three-sport athlete and starting guard on one of coach Joe Ciriello's best basketball teams in the 1980s, married Heather McGugan, an All-State field hockey, track star and key contributor on SHS's first state championship girls' basketball team.

They saw early signs their kids would become proficient in basketball when first son Chad became obsessed with tossing a Nerf ball through a kiddie indoor hoop at nine-months-old.

But not even the most optimistic parents could envision the role sports, specifically the Donahue's basketball success, would play in their lives.

The Donahues have raised a starting five and sixth man—six sons. The boys have excelled and loved the sport so much, the family has devoted much of the backyard of their Pawcatuck home to a basketball training ground.

As in installing a regulation 94-foot, playground-like court with hoops six years ago. From their perspective, it raised the property value as much as their pool did.

"The boys have some serious three-on-three games amongst the brothers," Heather said. "Quite often their friends and teammates drop by and it's full-court five on five. Putting the court in the backyard has been worth it."

Few families in eastern Connecticut, let alone Stonington, can match exploits etched in the Donahue's basketball diaries. Donahues boast two 1,000-plus point career scorers at Stonington High with another well on his way. The guards are sinking jumpers at the college, prep, high and middle school level, one on college scholarship and perhaps others to follow.

Currently, Kevin, the second oldest son, leads Assumption College in scoring with 16 points a game. Sam, the fourth oldest, averages 11 points a game for Northfield Mount Hermon, one of the nation's best prep schools. Jackson, the fifth oldest, is averaging 25.5 points a game as a sophomore early on for SHS. Youngest son Matt scored 26 points in 's opener.

David and Heather are working nearly as hard, arranging travel plans to watch as many games possible in Worcester, Northfield, Mass., Stonington and Mystic.

"I'm not totally surprised at how well they're doing because they were steered in this direction," said Heather, who coached four of her sons at Mystic Middle School with her sister Vianna, who was a SHS Hall of Fame basketball player. David coached the kids in youth ball.

"Sports has always run in the our families," David said. "Our boys loved basketball and Kevin took it to a different level and became a role model showing the value of training and hard work."

Chad, a recent CCSU grad, started at Stonington on state tournament teams in 2004 and 2005, toiling as a rebounder and defensive-minded swingman. He enjoyed moments in the sun, registering a game-winning shot against East Lyme. Kevin, a left-hander, was an instant standout, starting as a freshman and finishing as SHS' second all-time scoring leader with over 1,700 points, making All-State twice.

Nick specialized in soccer, but Sam resumed the Donahue hoop pipeline, blossoming into a 21-point a game, three-point shooting ace as a sophomore and 1,000-point career scorer as an All-State junior last year. For basketball and academic reasons, he took his game to prep school where now he is projecting as a Division I college prospect, making a superb rate (40 percent) of his 3-point shots for the nation's No. 5 ranked team.

So who's the best Donahue?

"In the household we're all looked at as the same level," Sam said. "Nobody is viewed as better as anyone else. We strive to get the best out of our ability athletically and academically."

Jackson measures himself against his established older brothers.

"There is a lot of family competition, trying to be better than your older brothers," Jackson said. "Whether it's playing one-on-one after a shoot-a-round in the backyard to putting up better numbers in high school, trying to out due each other brings out the best in us. I look up to my older brother and at the same time I try to set an example for Matt."

In some ways, the Donahues are similar, guards all standing around 6-foot-1 and exhibiting a scoring mentality. Kevin, the only southpaw, displayed a signature 15-foot pull-up jumper and penetrating moves in high school. As one of the smaller players in college, he gravitates to the 3-point line for most of his offense.

After two seasons as a key Assumption sixth man, Donahue missed most of last season with an Achilles tendon injury. He's bounced back strong this year under a new coach to post his best collegiate season, doubling his college scoring average to 14 a game.

While Kevin excels in Division II, Sam is establishing himself as a Division I prospect, possibly Ivy League, with a superb start in the New England Prep School League at a school that aptly bills itself "the best combination of academics and basketball in the United States."

Northfield Mount Hermon has produced 25 Division I recruits in the last five seasons.

"This season so far has helped my image as a player," Sam said. "The main reason I transferred was to compete at the highest level academically and athletically."

His superior skill is curling around screens for a quick 3-point shooting stroke. He holds the SHS record with 10 threes (during a 43-point game) and has made 30 of 70 3-point shots in seven prep contest. Jackson has blended Kevin's slashing, Sam's long-range prowess plus his own fearless style as only a sophomore, showcasing a 42-point game already. Kevin reports Matt, already around 6-feet, may break the 6-1 mold and be taller.

"We all have different attributes as players," Kevin said. "But what we all share is a work ethic second to none. It's a testament to all the hard work we put in."

The time extends beyond the backyard. All Donahues play or played with the AAU Rhode Island Hawks in Providence year-round. They eschew other sports out of season to invest in attending hoop camps or individual instruction from local trainers such as Mark Jones (former NFA and Division I star), (former Fitch star and current British pro) and Kareen Brown (former New London and Division I player) and ex-NBA player Chris Herren.

"Honestly, we're not the tallest guys nor the most athletic," Kevin said. "But when you put in the time and effort, you get results."

Results as in two 1,000-point SHS career scorers and one on pace to do the same.

"Two in one family is a tremendous accomplishment and I'm going to go all out to become the third," Jackson said.

Download the movie