Say A Prayer For LeRoy Ellis
- Thread starter jerseyshorejohnny
- Start date
Joe, terrific anecdote about a terrific player and, equally important, someone who seems to have been a terrific human being.
Sad day indeed. Just wish there would have been more of a visible relationship between Leroy and the university in recent years -- that is, one that alumni and fans would have been aware of, one that would have been a constant reminder of his lofty place in our program's history.
RIP, Leroy. For many, many of us, you'll be forever etched in our memories.
redmen1969
Active member
Thanks Joe, It's important to keep those memories alive. The St John's family will miss Leroy Ellis.
LeRoy was a very level headed youngster with a smile as big as the world. He wasn't the best He would have been like Magic Johnson in today's world Joe Alba, thanks for the nice piece you wrote on Lee; it was right on point. He was a great young man who every one loved.
BTW, I recall you as having dated Jane B. I married her! I wish you had won that battle 52 years ago!
BTW, I recall you as having dated Jane B. I married her! I wish you had won that battle 52 years ago!
jerseyshorejohnny
Well-known member
For those that would like to send a sympathy card and/or a Mass card to his family the address is:
P.O. Box 642, Scappoose, Oregon 97231
P.O. Box 642, Scappoose, Oregon 97231
Sorry MJ, Not related to Jessica, not as rich, not as cute.
But according to a poster on this board who knew of me 52 yeares ago,I dated his wife - obviously before they were wed, and now he wishes I had married her not dated her.......this board gets more interesting every day.
But according to a poster on this board who knew of me 52 yeares ago,I dated his wife - obviously before they were wed, and now he wishes I had married her not dated her.......this board gets more interesting every day.
jerseyshorejohnny
Well-known member
Good morning Joe,
Greatly enjoyed your story about your lunch encounter with LeRoy.
Have you considered sharing it with the Alumni Office at St. John's ??
Personally, I think it should be mentioned in the next edition of The St. Johns Alumni Magazine.
Thank you for sharing it with us.
Greatly enjoyed your story about your lunch encounter with LeRoy.
Have you considered sharing it with the Alumni Office at St. John's ??
Personally, I think it should be mentioned in the next edition of The St. Johns Alumni Magazine.
Thank you for sharing it with us.
Some nice comments and anecdotes at the bottom of this Oregonian story about Ellis being the Trailblazer's first center:
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/i...s_one_of_the_original_trail_blazers_pass.html
http://www.oregonlive.com/blazers/i...s_one_of_the_original_trail_blazers_pass.html
He seriously considered us and then he chose Kentucky. They seemed to be the best shot for a national championship and Eddie Sutton was a great recruiter.
The NCAA investigated Sutton, nothing to do with Leron, but Sutton in general, and the roof caved in on Kentucky basketball.
Leron then transferred and it was between UNLV and Syracuse.
At that stage, I think Leron was looking for a national champion and UNLV and Syracuse were his two real choices
The NCAA investigated Sutton, nothing to do with Leron, but Sutton in general, and the roof caved in on Kentucky basketball.
Leron then transferred and it was between UNLV and Syracuse.
At that stage, I think Leron was looking for a national champion and UNLV and Syracuse were his two real choices
Class of 72
Active member
St. John's was not the same school back in 1987 when Ellis was graduating from Mater Dei in Southern Cal. We had no dorms and the campus was still barren. Our assistant coaches were Ron Rutledge and Brian Mahoney. National recruiters....they we not! Looie was also pushing retirement age at the time and was a lousy big man coach while our on-campus BB facility was one step above a high school gym compared to Syracuse or UK.
In short, I am sure LeRoy had his son consider SJ as a favor to Looie but we were in now way going to beat out a visit to UK back then.
When LeRon Ellis was transferring he had 4 schools on his list and I remember everyone being excited and anxious hoping we would land him. Well one day news game in with the announcement that he had eliminated St J's from his list but was still considering the other 3. To this day whenever me or my friends tell one of us something that that person already knows we respond with the phrase "Anything about LeRon Ellis".
Or maybe it had nothing to do with everything you laid out above.
AP
Published: December 22, 1990
Syracuse University officials were silent today on reports of improprieties in the school's basketball program, and a newspaper questioned the recruitment of LeRon Ellis, the team's starting center, and a former center, George Papadakos.
In an article arising from its seven-month investigation of the Syracuse program, The Syracuse Post-Standard reported today that Ellis's father, the former National Basketball Association player LeRoy Ellis, received a job from a Syracuse alumnus at about the time LeRon Ellis decided to transfer from Kentucky to Syracuse.
And Papadakos, a 7-footer from Toronto, told The Post-Standard that he had backdated his letter of intent to attend Syracuse in 1982 and concocted a story to hide the action. Players Tell of Violations
Today's article followed by a day a lengthy report in The Post-Standard in which past and current players said they had received cash from team boosters, free meals and merchandise from businessmen and cut-rate automobiles. A former player, Rodney Walker, said a grade had been changed so he could play in an important Big East Conference game in 1987.
Class of 72
Active member
Main Man, I am sure the article was correct regarding that filthy Syracuse program in 1989. I was addressing LeRon's recruitment out of Mater Dei in 86-87. He listed the Redmen as one of his possible schools. UK won out and I am sure their o$$er was more attractive than living in a walk-up on Parsons Blvd.