Walter did not spend ton of time in library. It was a miracle his San Jacinto grades flew.Imagine how good the 83-84 team would have been if the NCAA did not rule Berry ineligible coming out of Benjamin Franklin. We lost so many games by one possession or OT that year. Could have won 25 games instead of 18.
This is true, but one can only imagine.Walter did not spend ton of time in library. It was a miracle his San Jacinto grades flew.
Walter went to summer school at SJU in 1982Walter’s school record was not very good. To get eligible at SJU he must have broken
a worlds record by accumulating some 60 credits at San Jacinto,
I taught in the College Acceptance Program at St. John’s for over 30 years. It was a legitimate program, an academic boot camp for kids who were victims of badly failing NYC public schools. The program was instituted as an answer to other colleges beginning open enrollment in an attempt to maintain academic standards at St. John’s.Walter spent one year at SJU with SJU thinking he would be eligible the following year 83 to 84. The NCAA ruled him ineligible again in 83 and SJU attempted to get him eligible by admitting him as student from a disadvantaged neighborhood.
SJU had started this program a few years earlier which admitted students from bad areas giving them all student. rights. A female student was admitted this way and did participate in a sport, It was a great try but didn’t work.
When other schools found out about this they complained to the NCAA who took SJU to court in Sept 83 and forced SJU to declare Walter ineligible. I can write this because I was in the courtroom in Brooklyn federal court. The judge ruled this program would give SJU an unfair advantage.
Instead of staying at SJU, not being able to play Walter enrolled at San Jacinto jr college in Sept 83. He played a year there and when Looie thought his commitment might be wavering he agreed to go Texas and spoke at some affair and Walter enrolled at SJU in 84..It was a long winding road and when Walter took a recruiting trip to the Univ of Georgia while at San Jacinto SJ U was concerned enough to get Looie to go toTexas to speak but Walter only took the trip to visit his sister but Walter’s recruiting lasted about five years and got Looie who very seldom left the five boroughs to travel to Texas.
Walter received 30 credits at St Johns and then when the NCAA declared him ineligible, he got 30 more at San Jacinto.Walter’s school record was not very good. To get eligible at SJU he must have broken
a worlds record by accumulating some 60 credits at San Jacinto,
Thanks for clarifying the situation regarding NYC Public Schools. To be eligible to play sports in the Public School system all that you needed was three 65's and pass gym. Eric King needed a year of Prep School before coming to St Johns because he did not do well at Lincoln. By coincidence, one of his professors had been my faculty advisor when I was at St Johns. She told me that Eric was very intelligent but had never been challenged academically in high school. While at St Johns, he did very well in school.I taught in the College Acceptance Program at St. John’s for over 30 years. It was a legitimate program, an academic boot camp for kids who were victims of badly failing NYC public schools. The program was instituted as an answer to other colleges beginning open enrollment in an attempt to maintain academic standards at St. John’s.
St. John’s did not initiate the program for Walter Berry, but I did teach him when he went through it (along with Ronnie Plair, Johnny Franco, Jason Williams and a few thousand other students).
Walter’s high school transcript was a mess, largely because he attended five different public high schools, where he was exploited for his basketball ability. He once told me that he told a coach, I’ve got to leave to get to a class and was told to get his ass back into the gym where it belonged.
Walter was a willing and capable student in CAP who did everything he had to to legitimately qualify for entrance to St. John’s. After an NBA career that was curtailed because of his unwillingness to adjust to rookie hazing, he went on to a long and very successful career playing professionally in Europe. He remains one of the best to ever play for St. John’s and a National Player of the Year.
My father had Joe Depre in his class for many years before he arrived in Queens. Hence he's always been my 3rd favorite Johnny after the coach that never should have faced criticism from our ungrateful fanbase and the Truth.St. John’s did not initiate the program for Walter Berry, but I did teach him when he went through it
I was one of the fans (10 or 11 at time) at Alumni Hall chanting "one more year" at Walter after the last game and not really understanding why he would want to leave. I recall he may have given us the thumbs up as he went to locker room and the crowd interpreted this as he was staying and we all went nuts. Narrator: he didn't stay.When Berry finished his jr year at SJU he was the top college player but pro scouts told him he would be a middle first round pick because his whole game was around the basket and he didn’t have the skills or body to play there in the NBA.
Looie told him he could develop an outside game at SJU if he came back for his senior year. I believe it was touch and go for awhile but Walter committed to the draft on the last day and he never had the success in the pros he might have had had he more of an outside game.
It´s a pity that Zawoluk had a turbulent life (drugs, jail). He is not a member of the SJU Athletics Hall of Fame or the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame.Almost all of SJU‘s best big men are actually forwards. The two best centers would be Zawoluk and Ellis. Le Roy started his career as an awkward 6 ft 11 inch beanpole but Lapchick developed him to a dominant center. His senior year averages of 23, 5 points a game and 16,5 rebounds are by far the best in SJU history
Zawoluk on the other hand was a star the moment he stepped on the court for SJU. His teams only lost 15 games during his career, the final loss to Kansas in the 52 NCAA final. He averaged about twenty points a game for his three years at SJU and were he allowed to play four years back then his scoring totals would be unreachable. He is also the only SJU center to make first team All American.
Gonzalo, thanks for making me aware of the trials Zawoluk faced after an injury shortened his playing career. I believe that he deserves to be in the St Johns and NYC basketball Halls of Fame. Alcoholism and addiction are now considered diseases. He also had mental health issues. The two years he served in jail were for shoplifting with a knife in his pocket, they upgraded the charge to armed robbery because of the knife.It´s a pity that Zawoluk had a turbulent life (drugs, jail). He is not a member of the SJU Athletics Hall of Fame or the New York City Basketball Hall of Fame.
Berry was a helluva player but “easily” top 3? The Johnnie’s have had many great players, and IMO, the only one “easily” is Mullin.Aside from Mullin, Walter Berry was the best (and most fun to watch) Johnnie I have seen. Just unstoppable down low and with that funky shot release that was hard to defend. I would not rank him with our Big Men since he was basically a forward (despite having played center for us), but he was easily among the top 3 players to put on the uniform for us.
Respect your opinion, but among other things, Walter was the only other National Player of the Year we've had.Berry was a helluva player but “easily” top 3? The Johnnie’s have had many great players, and IMO, the only one “easily” is Mullin.
Great post. We live in a culture that remembers people at their worst, not their best.Gonzalo, thanks for making me aware of the trials Zawoluk faced after an injury shortened his playing career. I believe that he deserves to be in the St Johns and NYC basketball Halls of Fame. Alcoholism and addiction are now considered diseases. He also had mental health issues. The two years he served in jail were for shoplifting with a knife in his pocket, they upgraded the charge to armed robbery because of the knife.
WE can and should be able to acknowledge his accomplishments, while accepting the fact that he was a human being with flaws.