Digger Phelps

[quote="bobo" post=384714]Good article on Digger written by Mike Vaccaro.

Cant believe it was 50 years ago when he was at Fordham. Boy am I getting old.


https://nypost.com/2020/04/08/digger-phelps-on-fordhams-great-26-3-season-50-years-ago/[/quote]

Fordham beat us at the Garden, too. Saturday afternoon game, went down to wire and Charlie Yelverton , a 6-2 power forward outplayed Mel Davis. He had an unreal block of a late close-in shot by Mel. Digger could certainly act like a jerk, but that was an exceptional coaching job. Mostly a bunch of second tier CHSAA kids.
 
[quote="Las Vegan" post=384733][quote="bobo" post=384714]Good article on Digger written by Mike Vaccaro.

Cant believe it was 50 years ago when he was at Fordham. Boy am I getting old.


https://nypost.com/2020/04/08/digger-phelps-on-fordhams-great-26-3-season-50-years-ago/[/quote]

Fordham beat us at the Garden, too. Saturday afternoon game, went down to wire and Charlie Yelverton , a 6-2 power forward outplayed Mel Davis. He had an unreal block of a late close-in shot by Mel. Digger could certainly act like a jerk, but that was an exceptional coaching job. Mostly a bunch of second tier CHSAA kids.[/quote]

I recall listening to that game on radio, praying that we would break Fordham's streak
Digger was smart to parlay that season into taking the job at Notre Dame
It was unlikely that he could ever come anything close to that magical season again
Strike when the iron is hot!!!!
 
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I will never forgive Digger for leaving Fordham . I love ND football but I will never root for an ND basketrbaall team because of the Digger move !!!!!!!!!!
 
Most of those who watched CHSAA basketball back then will tell you that while Dean Meminger got all the hype, Charlie Yelverton was the best player on that Rice HS team. He had an outstanding career at Fordham. He ended up being blackballed by the NBA after he did not stand for the National Anthem before a game during his rookie year with the Portland Trailblazers.

He ended up going overseas and having a great career. he won championships in Greece and Italy. He was voted to the All Time Euro league team. He still resides in Europe.
 
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[quote="panther2" post=384756]Most of those who watched CHSAA basketball back then will tell you that while Dean Meminger got all the hype, Charlie Yelverton was the best player on that Rice HS team. He had an outstanding career at Fordham. He ended up being blackballed by the NBA after he did not stand for the National Anthem before a game during his rookie year with the Portland Trailblazers.

He ended up going overseas and having a great career. he won championships in Greece and Italy. He was voted to the All Time Euro league team. He still resides in Europe.[/quote]

Did Rice win the CHSAA championship that year? Who were the other top CHSAA teams ? I'll guess LaSalle, Molloy and Power
 
[quote="Las Vegan" post=384762][quote="panther2" post=384756]Most of those who watched CHSAA basketball back then will tell you that while Dean Meminger got all the hype, Charlie Yelverton was the best player on that Rice HS team. He had an outstanding career at Fordham. He ended up being blackballed by the NBA after he did not stand for the National Anthem before a game during his rookie year with the Portland Trailblazers.

He ended up going overseas and having a great career. he won championships in Greece and Italy. He was voted to the All Time Euro league team. He still resides in Europe.[/quote]

Did Rice win the CHSAA championship that year? Who were the other top CHSAA teams ? I'll guess LaSalle, Molloy and Power[/quo



Rice won in 1966 which was Meminger's and Yelverton's junior year. LaSalle won the following year with Tom Owens and John Roche. Rice also had a tall redheaded kid Bob Leinhard who went on to play at Georgia.
 
[quote="panther2" post=384769][quote="Las Vegan" post=384762][quote="panther2" post=384756]Most of those who watched CHSAA basketball back then will tell you that while Dean Meminger got all the hype, Charlie Yelverton was the best player on that Rice HS team. He had an outstanding career at Fordham. He ended up being blackballed by the NBA after he did not stand for the National Anthem before a game during his rookie year with the Portland Trailblazers.

He ended up going overseas and having a great career. he won championships in Greece and Italy. He was voted to the All Time Euro league team. He still resides in Europe.[/quote]

Did Rice win the CHSAA championship that year? Who were the other top CHSAA teams ? I'll guess LaSalle, Molloy and Power[/quo



Rice won in 1966 which was Meminger's and Yelverton's junior year. LaSalle won the following year with Tom Owens and John Roche. Rice also had a tall redheaded kid Bob Leinhard who went on to play at Georgia.[/quote]

Panther2 the living and breathing encyclopedia of NYC. Bball. Boy are we lucky to have you, such a wonderful asset and an even better person.
 
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[quote="redmannorth" post=384771][quote="panther2" post=384769][quote="Las Vegan" post=384762][quote="panther2" post=384756]Most of those who watched CHSAA basketball back then will tell you that while Dean Meminger got all the hype, Charlie Yelverton was the best player on that Rice HS team. He had an outstanding career at Fordham. He ended up being blackballed by the NBA after he did not stand for the National Anthem before a game during his rookie year with the Portland Trailblazers.

He ended up going overseas and having a great career. he won championships in Greece and Italy. He was voted to the All Time Euro league team. He still resides in Europe.[/quote]

Did Rice win the CHSAA championship that year? Who were the other top CHSAA teams ? I'll guess LaSalle, Molloy and Power[/quo



Rice won in 1966 which was Meminger's and Yelverton's junior year. LaSalle won the following year with Tom Owens and John Roche. Rice also had a tall redheaded kid Bob Leinhard who went on to play at Georgia.[/quote]

Panther2 the living and breathing encyclopedia of NYC. Bball. Boy are we lucky to have you, such a wonderful asset and an even better person.[/quote]



LMAO, just means that I am an old man, raised in NYC, who loves basketball.
 
[quote="panther2" post=384779][quote="redmannorth" post=384771][quote="panther2" post=384769][quote="Las Vegan" post=384762][quote="panther2" post=384756]Most of those who watched CHSAA basketball back then will tell you that while Dean Meminger got all the hype, Charlie Yelverton was the best player on that Rice HS team. He had an outstanding career at Fordham. He ended up being blackballed by the NBA after he did not stand for the National Anthem before a game during his rookie year with the Portland Trailblazers.

He ended up going overseas and having a great career. he won championships in Greece and Italy. He was voted to the All Time Euro league team. He still resides in Europe.[/quote]

Did Rice win the CHSAA championship that year? Who were the other top CHSAA teams ? I'll guess LaSalle, Molloy and Power[/quo



Rice won in 1966 which was Meminger's and Yelverton's junior year. LaSalle won the following year with Tom Owens and John Roche. Rice also had a tall redheaded kid Bob Leinhard who went on to play at Georgia.[/quote]

Panther2 the living and breathing encyclopedia of NYC. Bball. Boy are we lucky to have you, such a wonderful asset and an even better person.[/quote]



LMAO, just means that I am an old man, raised in NYC, who loves basketball.[/quote]
And a great guy & I also grew up in that era you referenced. Another Rice great on that team was Louie LaSalle who unfortunately had his demons.
 
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[quote="panther2" post=384769][quote="Las Vegan" post=384762][quote="panther2" post=384756]Most of those who watched CHSAA basketball back then will tell you that while Dean Meminger got all the hype, Charlie Yelverton was the best player on that Rice HS team. He had an outstanding career at Fordham. He ended up being blackballed by the NBA after he did not stand for the National Anthem before a game during his rookie year with the Portland Trailblazers.

He ended up going overseas and having a great career. he won championships in Greece and Italy. He was voted to the All Time Euro league team. He still resides in Europe.[/quote]

Did Rice win the CHSAA championship that year? Who were the other top CHSAA teams ? I'll guess LaSalle, Molloy and Power[/quo



Rice won in 1966 which was Meminger's and Yelverton's junior year. LaSalle won the following year with Tom Owens and John Roche. Rice also had a tall redheaded kid Bob Leinhard who went on to play at Georgia.[/quote]

Who did John Candelaria play for?
 
[quote="Beast of the East" post=384791][quote="panther2" post=384769][quote="Las Vegan" post=384762][quote="panther2" post=384756]Most of those who watched CHSAA basketball back then will tell you that while Dean Meminger got all the hype, Charlie Yelverton was the best player on that Rice HS team. He had an outstanding career at Fordham. He ended up being blackballed by the NBA after he did not stand for the National Anthem before a game during his rookie year with the Portland Trailblazers.

He ended up going overseas and having a great career. he won championships in Greece and Italy. He was voted to the All Time Euro league team. He still resides in Europe.[/quote]

Did Rice win the CHSAA championship that year? Who were the other top CHSAA teams ? I'll guess LaSalle, Molloy and Power[/quo



Rice won in 1966 which was Meminger's and Yelverton's junior year. LaSalle won the following year with Tom Owens and John Roche. Rice also had a tall redheaded kid Bob Leinhard who went on to play at Georgia.[/quote]

Who did John Candelaria play for?[/quote]
LaSalle
 
I don't think you can tell the story of the 1970-71 Fordham team without giving a huge shoutout to Kenny Charles. While it is true the senior Charlie Yellverton was the star of the team, as a first year Sophomore Kenny Charles was clearly the other main cog on the Rams that year. He went on to have two more absolutely great years at Fordham plus a very decent five year NBA career.

On a non-basketball note I have had the opportunity to meet Mr. Charles professionally and he is as nice and classy a person as you could ever meet. FYI He works in NYC for the The New York City Human Resources Administration/Department of Social Services (HRA/DSS).

This organization is dedicated to fighting poverty and income inequality by providing New Yorkers in need with essential benefits such as Food Assistance and Emergency Rental Assistance. The type of work he does to me says something positive about the type of person he is.

Below is a little more about Charles the basketball player:

Charles graduated as Fordham's third all-time leading scorer with 1,697 points (he currently ranks seventh), while his 20.0 ppg career scoring average is second best in Fordham history.

Charles also set single season school marks for most points (679), most field goals (275), and most field goals attempted (607) as a senior. Charles averaged 24.3 points per game that year, fourth best all-time in school history.

As a sophomore on the 1970-71 Digger Phelps-coached team, a squad that went 26-3 and was ranked as high as seventh in the nation, Charles averaged 15.3 ppg in his first varsity season.

Selected in the second round of the National Basketball Association (NBA) draft by the Buffalo Braves, Charles played for three years in Buffalo under the tutelage of Hall of Fame coach Jack Ramsay, and then played another three seasons for the Atlanta Hawks, coached by legendary Hubie Brown. Known as an outstanding leaper, "K.C." led all NBA guards in blocked shots in the 1975-76 season.

Charles, who also played high school basketball at Brooklyn Prep, was inducted into the Fordham Athletic Hall of Fame in 1980 and the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011.
 
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I watched Fordham play Furman in the first round of the 1970-71 NCAAs in Alumni Hall. And yes, that year they were New York's team and I remember pulling for them despite being a student at SJU because that's what New Yorkers do. The question has always been, what characteristic or characteristics wins championships - coaching, talent and/or chemistry? In the case of Fordham '70-'71, the answer IMO is coaching and chemistry, Charlie Yelverton notwithstanding.
 
i was at the fordham - SJU freshman game of the 1968-1969 season. yelverton blocked at shot taken by SJU's first 7 footer. a guy from jamaica HS i believe. bill phillips.
on that fordham digger team they had a decent center who became a medical doctor. george zambetti
digger had that fordham team going to mass together every day.
digger wrote to ND about his wanting to be ND's coach before he took the fordham job. after ND hired digger, ND produced digger's handwritten letter.
did not yelverton come down with a medical condition after his nba rookie year that put him out of the nba?
 
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