R.I.P. Mel Utley

So sad! Great player and person, who I had good fortune of meeting a few times at games.

Thx for posting Kevin.
 
R.I.P. Mel. An excellent all around college player, he was in college around the same time I was and believe he played on last Johnnie team for which my dad had season tickets at Alumni Hall.
 
[quote="jerseyshorejohnny" post=358535]Sad to inform everyone that former St. John's basketball player Mel Utley (Class of 1975) passed away today.[/quote]

One of my favorites and a great player. He will be missed
 
Very sad news. Had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Mel at the the renaming-of-CA-festivities. He was a delight to talk with; couldn't have been nicer. RIP to a wonderful, classy man, and an excellent representative of the university.
 
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Mel was a few years behind me in school, he played on the St Johns team with a team with a good friend of mine, Larry Jenkins. Sat with him at games in recent years, he was a very pleasant person. We had a lot of laughs.

May he SIP.
 
Very sad news. Mel was a very good player at St John's and was one half of the "Salt and Pepper" back court with Kevin Cluess. Now both have passed on way too soon.

RIP Mel. Thanks for the memories.
 
Before my time. In those days, post college players would either play in the LI Press league (where the McIntyres tore it up), the Eastern League (a semi pro league), and Brooklyn Queens CYO unlimited division. Mel played CYO for St. Mary's Star of the Sea in Far Rockaway, and I saw him play in our parish gym. If I'm not mistaken Sonny Dove also played in that league.

R.I.P. Mel had a stellar career at SJU, and was the prototypical NYC kid who stayed home and made St. John's a tough out for anyone.
 
Very sad news about the passing of Mel Utley. A good man has left us far too soon.
I had the opportunity to meet him this past Spring when he was inducted into "The Basketball Old Timer's Hall of Fame" at their annual dinner in Brooklyn. His acceptance speech was warm & his sincerity admirable as he thanked the St. John's community in attendance. He was a joy to watch as a player at Far Rockaway H.S. of the PSAL & in his years at St. John's. My prayers go out to his family.
 
At school when I was there and the win against Providence in the NIT was commemorated on the back page of the Daily News. Saved it since I was on it with arms raised
 
Here is a photo I took of him at a game this past year with Billy Schaeffer [attachment=1091]1L6A6385.JPG[/attachment]
 
[quote="NYCRedmen" post=359153]Here is a photo I took of him at a game this past year with Billy Schaeffer [attachment=1091]1L6A6385.JPG[/attachment][/quote]
Thanks, NYCRedmen, for another great photo: two of my favorite Redmen; both terrific individuals on and off the court.
 
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