Ponds Part of SJU & Jefferson HS History

SJU also just missed out on another Jefferson star, Jim McMillian, who chose Columbia, and was the best player on the team that beat us in the final of the last Holiday festival at the old Garden, 1967.
That eight school field included four or five top twenty schools. In the semis, SJU beat BC in a close game and Columbia, with three future NBA players, beat the powerful Louisville team, with Wes Unseld and Butch Beard.
Columbia won the final that went down to the wire.
SJU beat Syracuse in the first round.
 
SJU also just missed out on another Jefferson star, Jim McMillian, who chose Columbia, and was the best player on the team that beat us in the final of the last Holiday festival at the old Garden, 1967.
That eight school field included four or five top twenty schools. In the semis, SJU beat BC in a close game and Columbia, with three future NBA players, beat the powerful Louisville team, with Wes Unseld and Butch Beard.
Columbia won the final that went down to the wire.
SJU beat Syracuse in the first round.
Click to expand...

Dave Newmark and Heyward Dotson were solid players for Columbia as well. Actually attended that game. Great tourney as you noted.
 
The Johnnies are getting very good coverage from the NY Post. Nice to see. Even more will come with winning consistently.
 


I thought this was an interesting article with some nice highlights from the Duke, Villanova and Marquette games.
 
Great article Andrew. Thanks man.
It seems to give credence to the point I've been making, that IF Ponds extends this performance level through the end of the Season--and if so, that should pile up some great wins forSt. John's--then odds become much greater that the NBA will send positive vibes his way and he'll leave. And I'll applaud him for a great personal season, for making us a better team this year, and wish him great success in the NBA.
Yes. that will not be 'good' for the program for next year. But, trying to see the glass half-full, IF he does extend his stellar play through the post season--leading us to unexpected success, recruits may well look upon us as a place to play, improve their game, and become stars.
I recall the vacuum following Harkless' and Sampson's departures--but this program is at a different level under Mullim & Co. Sans Ponds and excluding new recruits, we've got Simon, Clark, Owens, Dixon, Keita, Williams, Trimble, Roberts, Diakite on tap for next season.
And with a resounding end to our season, with this staff's dedication to rebuilding the program, it seems probable to me, that they'll attract some very solid additions from the 2018 class to St. John's for next season.
Let's go Johnnies.
 
We also missed out on arguably the greatest Tom Jeff player ever, Phil Sellers. Who Dick Vitale lured to Rutgers and who was the cornerstone of their undefeated(till Final 4) team that featured Eddie Jordan, James Bailey, Hollis Copeland and Mike Dabney. All their home games were televised on UHF channel 50 back then. So got to see a lot of that team on TV. One hell of a team.
 
[quote="Monte" post=272873]We also missed out on arguably the greatest Tom Jeff player ever, Phil Sellers. Who Dick Vitale lured to Rutgers and who was the cornerstone of their undefeated(till Final 4) team that featured Eddie Jordan, James Bailey, Hollis Copeland and Mike Dabney. All their home games were televised on UHF channel 50 back then. So got to see a lot of that team on TV. One hell of a team.[/quote]
We had some great battles with that team. I recall a Saturday afternoon game with them for the ECAC championship and an auto bid to NCAA where we lost like 72-71 in a tremendous game. I had to work that day but then feigned illness and left work early and I remember getting into my car to drive to the game feeling sick until I reminded myself that I really wasn't sick I was just faking it. :)
 
I grew up a few blocks from Jeff saw all those Jefferson high kids play. My older teen friends who didn't attend Catholic schools went to Jeff and took me to games with them. Jefferson was in Brownsville, Brooklyn and was the heart and soul of Jewish Brooklyn but more importantly the home of many of the Jewish high school stars that eventually became college stars, including St. John's. My fondest memories are of Tony Jackson and LeRoy Ellis from my neighborhood who went on to star at St. John's.
For those of you, especially some of the older fans, who want to remenice if you grew up in Brooklyn and where all the Jeff players are mentioned, I highly recommend reading "Basketball Is in My Blood: A Basketball Addict’S Autobiography
By Martin Groveman.
You will not be disappointed.;)
 
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[quote="Class of 72" post=272891]I grew up a few blocks from Jeff saw all those Jefferson high kids play. My older teen friends who didn't attend Catholic schools went to Jeff and took me to games with them. Jefferson was in Brownsville, Brooklyn and was the heart and soul of Jewish Brooklyn but more importantly the home of many of the Jewish high school stars that eventually became college stars, including St. John's. My fondest memories are of Tony Jackson and LeRoy Ellis from my neighborhood who went on to star at St. John's.
For those of you, especially some of the older fans, who want to remenice if you grew up in Brooklyn and where all the Jeff players are mentioned, I highly recommend reading "Basketball Is in My Blood: A Basketball Addict’S Autobiography
By Martin Groveman.
You will not be disappointed.;)[/quote]

Not sure if there was an earlier location, but the one on Pennsylvania Ave which has been there at least going back to the 60's(I remember it from drives to Canarsie to visit my Mom's family) is in East NY, not Brownsville.
 
[quote="bamafan" post=272888][quote="Monte" post=272873]We also missed out on arguably the greatest Tom Jeff player ever, Phil Sellers. Who Dick Vitale lured to Rutgers and who was the cornerstone of their undefeated(till Final 4) team that featured Eddie Jordan, James Bailey, Hollis Copeland and Mike Dabney. All their home games were televised on UHF channel 50 back then. So got to see a lot of that team on TV. One hell of a team.[/quote]
We had some great battles with that team. I recall a Saturday afternoon game with them for the ECAC championship and an auto bid to NCAA where we lost like 72-71 in a tremendous game. I had to work that day but then feigned illness and left work early and I remember getting into my car to drive to the game feeling sick until I reminded myself that I really wasn't sick I was just faking it. :)[/quote]
Remember that game. Sat in student section behind basket. Bunch of Rutgers students paraded past us with a string of banners for each team they had beaten to date. We yanked it into the Redmen crowd. Great memories.

Remember a bad call against us ( think it was against Glen Williams) that cost us the game.
 
[quote="Monte" post=272873]We also missed out on arguably the greatest Tom Jeff player ever, Phil Sellers. Who Dick Vitale lured to Rutgers and who was the cornerstone of their undefeated(till Final 4) team that featured Eddie Jordan, James Bailey, Hollis Copeland and Mike Dabney. All their home games were televised on UHF channel 50 back then. So got to see a lot of that team on TV. One hell of a team.[/quote]

That's Sir James Bailey to you. B)
 
[quote="Monte" post=272894][quote="Class of 72" post=272891]I grew up a few blocks from Jeff saw all those Jefferson high kids play. My older teen friends who didn't attend Catholic schools went to Jeff and took me to games with them. Jefferson was in Brownsville, Brooklyn and was the heart and soul of Jewish Brooklyn but more importantly the home of many of the Jewish high school stars that eventually became college stars, including St. John's. My fondest memories are of Tony Jackson and LeRoy Ellis from my neighborhood who went on to star at St. John's.
For those of you, especially some of the older fans, who want to remenice if you grew up in Brooklyn and where all the Jeff players are mentioned, I highly recommend reading "Basketball Is in My Blood: A Basketball Addict’S Autobiography
By Martin Groveman.
You will not be disappointed.;)[/quote]

Not sure if there was an earlier location, but the one on Pennsylvania Ave which has been there at least going back to the 60's(I remember it from drives to Canarsie to visit my Mom's family) is in East NY, not Brownsville.[/quote].

Jeff is on the border of ENY and Brownsville but back then the kids from Brownsville were zoned to Jefferson while the kids from East New York were zoned to Franklin K. Lane on Jamaica Ave. Since the Brownsville kids all went to Jeff everyone considered it a Brownsville school.
It was reorganized by the NYC Dept. of Education into 4 separate schools so the old Jeff technically no longer exists but they are located in the original building.

FYI:
On May 11, 1922, ground was broken by Mayor Hylan for the construction of Thomas Jefferson High School, located in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. Over the years, the large school was instrumental in the education of many notable people, but by the 1990s the neighborhood and school had fallen into decline. In the fall of 2002, Thomas Jefferson High School was named one of seven low-performing Brooklyn high schools scheduled for restructuring under the Brooklyn New Century High Schools initiative. In 2004 it was announced that Jefferson would no longer accept incoming 9th graders, although the existing students would be allowed to stay and graduate. Four new small schools opened in the building in September 2004:
1. The Performing Arts and Technical High School (PATH)
2. High School for Fire and Life Safety (FDNY)
3. High School for Civil Rights (CIVIL RIGHTS)
4. World Advocacy for Total Community Health High School (WATCH)

Famous alumni of Thomas Jefferson High School include actors Danny Kaye, Shelley Winters, and Jimmy Smits.
 
[quote="Class of 72" post=272897][quote="Monte" post=272894][quote="Class of 72" post=272891]I grew up a few blocks from Jeff saw all those Jefferson high kids play. My older teen friends who didn't attend Catholic schools went to Jeff and took me to games with them. Jefferson was in Brownsville, Brooklyn and was the heart and soul of Jewish Brooklyn but more importantly the home of many of the Jewish high school stars that eventually became college stars, including St. John's. My fondest memories are of Tony Jackson and LeRoy Ellis from my neighborhood who went on to star at St. John's.
For those of you, especially some of the older fans, who want to remenice if you grew up in Brooklyn and where all the Jeff players are mentioned, I highly recommend reading "Basketball Is in My Blood: A Basketball Addict’S Autobiography
By Martin Groveman.
You will not be disappointed.;)[/quote]

Not sure if there was an earlier location, but the one on Pennsylvania Ave which has been there at least going back to the 60's(I remember it from drives to Canarsie to visit my Mom's family) is in East NY, not Brownsville.[/quote].

Jeff is on the border of ENY and Brownsville but back then the kids from Brownsville were zoned to Jefferson while the kids from East New York were zoned to Franklin K. Lane on Jamaica Ave. Since the Brownsville kids all went to Jeff everyone considered it a Brownsville school.
It was reorganized by the NYC Dept. of Education into 4 separate schools so the old Jeff technically no longer exists but they are located in the original building.

FYI:
On May 11, 1922, ground was broken by Mayor Hylan for the construction of Thomas Jefferson High School, located in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. Over the years, the large school was instrumental in the education of many notable people, but by the 1990s the neighborhood and school had fallen into decline. In the fall of 2002, Thomas Jefferson High School was named one of seven low-performing Brooklyn high schools scheduled for restructuring under the Brooklyn New Century High Schools initiative. In 2004 it was announced that Jefferson would no longer accept incoming 9th graders, although the existing students would be allowed to stay and graduate. Four new small schools opened in the building in September 2004:
1. The Performing Arts and Technical High School (PATH)
2. High School for Fire and Life Safety (FDNY)
3. High School for Civil Rights (CIVIL RIGHTS)
4. World Advocacy for Total Community Health High School (WATCH)

Famous alumni of Thomas Jefferson High School include actors Danny Kaye, Shelley Winters, and Jimmy Smits.[/quote]

Shelley Winters: Talk about a wide-body who could hit the boards!
 
[quote="redken" post=272898][quote="Class of 72" post=272897][quote="Monte" post=272894][quote="Class of 72" post=272891]I grew up a few blocks from Jeff saw all those Jefferson high kids play. My older teen friends who didn't attend Catholic schools went to Jeff and took me to games with them. Jefferson was in Brownsville, Brooklyn and was the heart and soul of Jewish Brooklyn but more importantly the home of many of the Jewish high school stars that eventually became college stars, including St. John's. My fondest memories are of Tony Jackson and LeRoy Ellis from my neighborhood who went on to star at St. John's.
For those of you, especially some of the older fans, who want to remenice if you grew up in Brooklyn and where all the Jeff players are mentioned, I highly recommend reading "Basketball Is in My Blood: A Basketball Addict’S Autobiography
By Martin Groveman.
You will not be disappointed.;)[/quote]

Not sure if there was an earlier location, but the one on Pennsylvania Ave which has been there at least going back to the 60's(I remember it from drives to Canarsie to visit my Mom's family) is in East NY, not Brownsville.[/quote].

Jeff is on the border of ENY and Brownsville but back then the kids from Brownsville were zoned to Jefferson while the kids from East New York were zoned to Franklin K. Lane on Jamaica Ave. Since the Brownsville kids all went to Jeff everyone considered it a Brownsville school.
It was reorganized by the NYC Dept. of Education into 4 separate schools so the old Jeff technically no longer exists but they are located in the original building.

FYI:
On May 11, 1922, ground was broken by Mayor Hylan for the construction of Thomas Jefferson High School, located in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. Over the years, the large school was instrumental in the education of many notable people, but by the 1990s the neighborhood and school had fallen into decline. In the fall of 2002, Thomas Jefferson High School was named one of seven low-performing Brooklyn high schools scheduled for restructuring under the Brooklyn New Century High Schools initiative. In 2004 it was announced that Jefferson would no longer accept incoming 9th graders, although the existing students would be allowed to stay and graduate. Four new small schools opened in the building in September 2004:
1. The Performing Arts and Technical High School (PATH)
2. High School for Fire and Life Safety (FDNY)
3. High School for Civil Rights (CIVIL RIGHTS)
4. World Advocacy for Total Community Health High School (WATCH)

Famous alumni of Thomas Jefferson High School include actors Danny Kaye, Shelley Winters, and Jimmy Smits.[/quote]

Shelley Winters: Talk about a wide-body who could hit the boards![/quote]

Like you, me and others, Shelley Winters was HOT in her teens and 20s.

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[quote="Class of 72" post=272897][quote="Monte" post=272894][quote="Class of 72" post=272891]I grew up a few blocks from Jeff saw all those Jefferson high kids play. My older teen friends who didn't attend Catholic schools went to Jeff and took me to games with them. Jefferson was in Brownsville, Brooklyn and was the heart and soul of Jewish Brooklyn but more importantly the home of many of the Jewish high school stars that eventually became college stars, including St. John's. My fondest memories are of Tony Jackson and LeRoy Ellis from my neighborhood who went on to star at St. John's.
For those of you, especially some of the older fans, who want to remenice if you grew up in Brooklyn and where all the Jeff players are mentioned, I highly recommend reading "Basketball Is in My Blood: A Basketball Addict’S Autobiography
By Martin Groveman.
You will not be disappointed.;)[/quote]

Not sure if there was an earlier location, but the one on Pennsylvania Ave which has been there at least going back to the 60's(I remember it from drives to Canarsie to visit my Mom's family) is in East NY, not Brownsville.[/quote].

Jeff is on the border of ENY and Brownsville but back then the kids from Brownsville were zoned to Jefferson while the kids from East New York were zoned to Franklin K. Lane on Jamaica Ave. Since the Brownsville kids all went to Jeff everyone considered it a Brownsville school.
It was reorganized by the NYC Dept. of Education into 4 separate schools so the old Jeff technically no longer exists but they are located in the original building.

FYI:
On May 11, 1922, ground was broken by Mayor Hylan for the construction of Thomas Jefferson High School, located in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. Over the years, the large school was instrumental in the education of many notable people, but by the 1990s the neighborhood and school had fallen into decline. In the fall of 2002, Thomas Jefferson High School was named one of seven low-performing Brooklyn high schools scheduled for restructuring under the Brooklyn New Century High Schools initiative. In 2004 it was announced that Jefferson would no longer accept incoming 9th graders, although the existing students would be allowed to stay and graduate. Four new small schools opened in the building in September 2004:
1. The Performing Arts and Technical High School (PATH)
2. High School for Fire and Life Safety (FDNY)
3. High School for Civil Rights (CIVIL RIGHTS)
4. World Advocacy for Total Community Health High School (WATCH)

Famous alumni of Thomas Jefferson High School include actors Danny Kaye, Shelley Winters, and Jimmy Smits.[/quote]

I'm not saying it didn't serve Brownsville, all I'm saying is that it's located in ENY. From Wiki:

Thomas Jefferson High School was a high school in the East New York section of Brooklyn, New York. It was the alma mater of many people who grew up in the Great Depression and World War II and rose to prominence in the arts, literature, and other fields.[1] In 2007, the New York City Department of Education closed the school and broke it into several small schools because of low graduation rates.[
 
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