6th tournament to honor late Jeannette great Tre Cunningham ready to tip off

Unaware he was a role model, Tre Cunningham always shied away from the limelight.

Even after a big game, whether in baseball, football or basketball, the late Jeannette standout remained humble or was quick to deflect praise to his teammates.

For one weekend a year, though, he gets all the attention when the Jeannette Education Foundation hosts the Tre Cunningham Memorial Basketball Tournament.

It is that time of year again as the sixth annual event is set for Thursday through Saturday with boys varsity games at Jeannette High School and Jeannette McKee Elementary School.

The winning team gets the championship chain, akin to the chain Cunningham wore, and the MVP earns a $1,000 scholarship.

Cunningham's legend grows each summer when the teams take the court.

"This weekend is all about Tre Cunningham," tournament organizer Tim Carney said. "We will tell stories and speak to what a great student-athlete Tre was. He was a freak athlete and an even better student, and he had such a humble personality. Everyone needs to know and remember that."

Eleven teams will play this year, with seeding games Thursday and Friday before a single-elimination tournament Saturday.

Competing teams are Jeannette, Yough, Norwin, Ringgold, Greensburg Central Catholic, Greensburg Salem, Westmont Hilltop, Penn-Trafford, Hempfield, Belle Vernon and Mt. Pleasant.

Carney said he had to turn down two teams that entered late but encourages them to sign up for next year.

Imani Christian, the champion last year, was not invited back because it did not pay the entry fee, Carney said.

Penn-Trafford returns for the first time since winning the inaugural event in 2021.

"The tournament is exactly what I wanted it to be," Carney said. "Each year it seems to draw a little more attention."

Cunningham was a beloved athlete who experienced success in all three sports, winning WPIAL titles in baseball and football and a PIAA title in football. He was a TribLive Westmoreland athlete of the year, as well as the publication's football and basketball player of the year.

The budding baseball pitcher who began his college career at La Roche died in a motorcycle accident in the summer of 2020. He was 20.

"I want to keep this going as long and Steve and Tracey (Cunningham) want to," Carney said. "Tre is missed so badly in our community. We just want to keep his memory and legacy alive for as long as we can."

A $1,000 scholarship also is given each year to a male and female senior from Jeannette.

Tickets are $10 for adults and $3 for students.

Bill Beckner Jr. is a TribLive reporter covering local sports in Westmoreland County. He can be reached at bbeckner@triblive.com.

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This story was originally published June 10, 2026 at 8:04 PM.