Best SJU big man you've seen

[quote="Andrew" post=385240]I didn't have a chance to read the entire thread but for what it's worth. (I have only been following the team for about 40 years). It's hard to define a big man at times today as the game has changed. Here are my top 6. I am not locked into where a few of these should rank.

Jayson Williams
Bill Wennington
Shawnelle Scott
Shelton Jones
Zendon Hamilton
Robert Werdann[/quote]

Zendon gets a lot of crap from fans for his flaws, but if you put him on any of our recent teams we go to second weekend in Dance instead of flaming out or missing it completely.
 
[quote="L J S A" post=385273][quote="Andrew" post=385240]I didn't have a chance to read the entire thread but for what it's worth. (I have only been following the team for about 40 years). It's hard to define a big man at times today as the game has changed. Here are my top 6. I am not locked into where a few of these should rank.

Jayson Williams
Bill Wennington
Shawnelle Scott
Shelton Jones
Zendon Hamilton
Robert Werdann[/quote]

Zendon gets a lot of crap from fans for his flaws, but if you put him on any of our recent teams we go to second weekend in Dance instead of flaming out or missing it completely.[/quote] If he were playing now, his game would be totally different. He'd be an oversized three, who would be working on his outside shot more. That might make him more effective (especially woth a good point guard), though his rebounds and ft attempts would go down (he was a good FT shooter).
 
[quote="SJU61982" post=385274][quote="L J S A" post=385273][quote="Andrew" post=385240]I didn't have a chance to read the entire thread but for what it's worth. (I have only been following the team for about 40 years). It's hard to define a big man at times today as the game has changed. Here are my top 6. I am not locked into where a few of these should rank.

Jayson Williams
Bill Wennington
Shawnelle Scott
Shelton Jones
Zendon Hamilton
Robert Werdann[/quote]

Zendon gets a lot of crap from fans for his flaws, but if you put him on any of our recent teams we go to second weekend in Dance instead of flaming out or missing it completely.[/quote] If he were playing now, his game would be totally different. He'd be an oversized three, who would be working on his outside shot more. That might make him more effective (especially woth a good point guard), though his rebounds and ft attempts would go down (he was a good FT shooter).[/quote]

I meant plopping the Zendon we witnessed into our lineups, not a modern Zendon who would have left Sewanhaka for a New England prep school or Monteverde. His dad was pretty protective and turned down overtures from CtK and Holy Cross at the time, though. Would a modern-day George Hamilton have done the same thing, though? Not sure.
 
[quote="Andrew" post=385240]I didn't have a chance to read the entire thread but for what it's worth. (I have only been following the team for about 40 years). It's hard to define a big man at times today as the game has changed. Here are my top 6. I am not locked into where a few of these should rank.

Jayson Williams
Bill Wennington
Shawnelle Scott
Shelton Jones
Zendon Hamilton
Robert Werdann[/quote]
Realize I’m on my soapbox again,,,.40 years...so you didn’t see George Johnson...all very good players, none even close to George...

On related note, George was at the last CA game (1st time i have seen him at a game) ...i dropped a note to Mike Cragg telling him I was disappointed that a top 3-5 player over the last 45 years was not acknowledged. Mike, to his credit, responded and indicated that unless the player gets tix thru the athletic dept, they have no idea that they are in the house. I suggested that (where available) show video highlights of former players when they attend to illustrate our storied history and the quality players that have come thru the doors
 
LJSA is right. Zen don is one of my favorites. Averaged almost a double for his career. While maybe neither he nor Felipe measured up fully to their hype, we would have been immeasurably better the past 10 years or more with Zendon or a player like him.
 
[quote="L J S A" post=385271][quote="Andrew" post=385256]Would see him at some bars when we were “21”. Nice guy. Hope he is doing well.[/quote]

I used to see him at Malachy's on Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont. I assume it is long gone now. He was dating an Elmont girl at the time.[/quote]

The whopper once showed up at 10 downing street in kew gardens on halloween dressed as a 7 foot pumpkin. Supposed ti be a great partier.
 
[quote="L J S A" post=385271][quote="Andrew" post=385256]Would see him at some bars when we were “21”. Nice guy. Hope he is doing well.[/quote]

I used to see him at Malachy's on Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont. I assume it is long gone now. He was dating an Elmont girl at the time.[/quote]

Are you thinking of Dublin Pub? It closed a few years ago. Great place. The Mulcahy’s I remember was in Wantagh which was a great place also and I think still open. When I was in college I worked three summers at Jones Beach. My hours were 6am-2pm. I spent a lot of time in bars in the area. Fun times.
 
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[quote="Section3" post=385278][quote="Andrew" post=385240]I didn't have a chance to read the entire thread but for what it's worth. (I have only been following the team for about 40 years). It's hard to define a big man at times today as the game has changed. Here are my top 6. I am not locked into where a few of these should rank.

Jayson Williams
Bill Wennington
Shawnelle Scott
Shelton Jones
Zendon Hamilton
Robert Werdann[/quote]
Realize I’m on my soapbox again,,,.40 years...so you didn’t see George Johnson...all very good players, none even close to George...

On related note, George was at the last CA game (1st time i have seen him at a game) ...i dropped a note to Mike Cragg telling him I was disappointed that a top 3-5 player over the last 45 years was not acknowledged. Mike, to his credit, responded and indicated that unless the player gets tix thru the athletic dept, they have no idea that they are in the house. I suggested that (where available) show video highlights of former players when they attend to illustrate our storied history and the quality players that have come thru the doors[/quote]

I agree completely. George Johnson was a superb college player, great defender and rebounder. Very good offensive player who routinely made big plays at the end of games. Interesting concept of Johnson vs. Berry head to head. I'm not sure if Berry scores 24 per game against Johnson, but pretty confident Johnson would get his 18-20 and a dozen boards. Absolutely one of the most complete and finest big men we've ever had, and definitely more of a 4.
 
[quote="Andrew" post=385308][quote="L J S A" post=385271][quote="Andrew" post=385256]Would see him at some bars when we were “21”. Nice guy. Hope he is doing well.[/quote]

I used to see him at Malachy's on Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont. I assume it is long gone now. He was dating an Elmont girl at the time.[/quote]

Are you thinking of Dublin Pub? It closed a few years ago. Great place. The Mulcahy’s I remember was in Wantagh which was a great place also and I think still open. When I was in college I worked three summers at Jones Beach. My hours were 6am-2pm. I spent a lot of time in bars in the area. Fun times.[/quote]

I hated the Dublin Pub but went there frequently especially when Kivetsky was playing there (my friend's sister was a phenomenal lead singer who could rock Linda Ronstadt and Loggins and Messina songs.. The Boston Burglars (?) were the house band. It was always wall to wall people, and impossible to get a drink at the bar.
 
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[quote="Beast of the East" post=385315][quote="Andrew" post=385308][quote="L J S A" post=385271][quote="Andrew" post=385256]Would see him at some bars when we were “21”. Nice guy. Hope he is doing well.[/quote]

I used to see him at Malachy's on Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont. I assume it is long gone now. He was dating an Elmont girl at the time.[/quote]

Are you thinking of Dublin Pub? It closed a few years ago. Great place. The Mulcahy’s I remember was in Wantagh which was a great place also and I think still open. When I was in college I worked three summers at Jones Beach. My hours were 6am-2pm. I spent a lot of time in bars in the area. Fun times.[/quote]

I hated the Dublin Pub but went there frequently especially when Kivetsky was playing there (my friend's sister was a phenomenal lead singer who could rock Linda Ronstadt and Loggins and Messina songs.. The Boston Burglars (?) were the house band. It was always wall to wall people, and impossible to get a drink at the bar.[/quote]

Unfortunately(fortunately) I can,t remember everything from my younger days. I do remember being there on my 24th birthday when NBC switched the Knicks-Rockets championship game to the OJ Chase.
 
[quote="Beast of the East" post=385315][quote="Andrew" post=385308][quote="L J S A" post=385271][quote="Andrew" post=385256]Would see him at some bars when we were “21”. Nice guy. Hope he is doing well.[/quote]

I used to see him at Malachy's on Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont. I assume it is long gone now. He was dating an Elmont girl at the time.[/quote]

Are you thinking of Dublin Pub? It closed a few years ago. Great place. The Mulcahy’s I remember was in Wantagh which was a great place also and I think still open. When I was in college I worked three summers at Jones Beach. My hours were 6am-2pm. I spent a lot of time in bars in the area. Fun times.[/quote]

I hated the Dublin Pub but went there frequently especially when Kivetsky was playing there (my friend's sister was a phenomenal lead singer who could rock Linda Ronstadt and Loggins and Messina songs.. The Boston Burglars (?) were the house band. It was always wall to wall people, and impossible to get a drink at the bar.[/quote]

It's great to see Kivetsky brought up. I saw them at the Dublin Pub and at Queens College soon after they started up. . They would hand out a list of the 60s hits they would play, and it was a long list. Here is a story on their successor band, Just Sixties.
http://www.justsixties.com/uploads/4/4/6/8/44681147/smithtown_news.pdf
 
Zendon gets dinged for a couple things:
-he/the team underperformed based on the expectations of many (count me as one of them)
-He peaked as a So
-He was aesthetically displeasing to watch

But in the context of our bigs over the last 30 years he was clearly one of our best and I'm glad to see most have recognized him as such.
 
[quote="Andrew" post=385308][quote="L J S A" post=385271][quote="Andrew" post=385256]Would see him at some bars when we were “21”. Nice guy. Hope he is doing well.[/quote]

I used to see him at Malachy's on Hempstead Turnpike in Elmont. I assume it is long gone now. He was dating an Elmont girl at the time.[/quote]

Are you thinking of Dublin Pub? It closed a few years ago. Great place. The Mulcahy’s I remember was in Wantagh which was a great place also and I think still open. When I was in college I worked three summers at Jones Beach. My hours were 6am-2pm. I spent a lot of time in bars in the area. Fun times.[/quote]


No, this bar was in Elmont on the south side of Hempstead Turnpike. Owner named it after his brother Malachy. I haven't been down that way in 25 years, so couldn't even tell you what it was next to. I can't even remember if it was in one of the strip malls there or out close to the street. It was big with the Sewanhaka crowd.
 
And lets not forget his pattened move where he brings the ball down to his waist, rendering his 6 ' 11 ' body into a very guardable 6 '5".
 
[quote="Section9" post=385263][quote="newsman13" post=385232]Some great ones...George Johnson, Walter Berry, Sonny Dove who played center out of position. Best true center was Billy Paultz. We beat number two North Carolina at MSG...lost to Number one UCLA...before going down to number two Davidson where we beat them. That's with Paultz at center. Finished season at number seven. I'm a results guy. The following year, Looie hid Paultz behind Dan Cornelius so he could take him to the Nets without losing him in the draft.[/quote]

No love for George Johnson? I'd take him as a better true center than the Whopper, not so much on size but George was a much better defender and rebounder.[/quote]

I loved George Johnson. I'm pretty sure he was about 6'7" and was stuck playing center. Still he was picked 11th or 12th in the NBA first round...by Milwaukee I think.
 
[quote="Beast of the East" post=385234][quote="newsman13" post=385232]Some great ones...George Johnson, Walter Berry, Sonny Dove who played center out of position. Best true center was Billy Paultz. We beat number two North Carolina at MSG...lost to Number one UCLA...before going down to number two Davidson where we beat them. That's with Paultz at center. Finished season at number seven. I'm a results guy. The following year, Looie hid Paultz behind Dan Cornelius so he could take him to the Nets without losing him in the draft.[/quote]

Newsman, do you think Paultz was better in college than Wennington. I always thought Paultz was a late bloomer who was a better pro than collegiate. Paultz had a productive 15 year career, about 11 with significant minutes or starter minutes.[/quote]

Paultz was very smart...which made up for his non-athletic persona. Wennington was a better athlete...and had a better cast of characters around him. I remember Paultz' teammates at his JC expressing shock that he made it big in the pros (or in the pros at all). He was supposedly a complete waste in his freshman year. Sometimes it's about desire.
 
[quote="Matty Hoops" post=385330]Zendon gets dinged for a couple things:
-he/the team underperformed based on the expectations of many (count me as one of them)
-He peaked as a So
-He was aesthetically displeasing to watch

But in the context of our bigs over the last 30 years he was clearly one of our best and I'm glad to see most have recognized him as such.[/quote]

I've become friendly with Zendon and he is a really terrific guy. Gigantic smile that lights a room. Coaching in the G league in California but lives locally in the off season. Really an outstanding guy.
 
[quote="Jeff Smith" post=385331]Not Top 5 Big Men:

Paul Berwanger
Tom Bayne
CuJo
Sean Muto
Jack Wolfinger[/quote]

Berwanger could actually play. He had serious back issues and actually shrunk 2 inches. He was skilled and a gamer considering his injuries.

[URL]https://www.nytimes.com/1977/02/03/archives/stjohns-wins-8266-ending-georgetown-jinx.html[/URL]

I think Paul's dad was Jay Berwanger, who won the heisman trophy (one year before it was renamed that)

The hartford courant lists UCONNs 5 most disappointing losses:

UConn allows a 17-point lead to evaporate with 15 minutes to play and loses on Paul Berwanger's bank shot with 3 seconds left to Boston College 76-75 in a 1974 second-round NIT game.



I had such high hopes for Jack Wolfinger. He was actually a 6ft 9 guard or something like that. He could dribble and at his height had guard skills, but sadly a combination of short of F1 talent, attitude, and at least weed derailed him.

I thought Weadock was pretty brutal even on the layup line
 
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