Men's Basketball 11/19/2019 2:30:00 PM

Canisius Announces Men’s Basketball All-Sesquicentennial Team

In honor of Canisius College's 150th anniversary, the Canisius men's basketball team announced its All-Sesquicentennial Team on Tuesday. The team, which is made up of 16 former Golden Griffin greats, was voted on by fans through the school's official athletic department website, GoGriffs.com.

The All-Sesquicentennial Team will be formally honored at halftime of the Canisius – St. Bonaventure game, set for Saturday, Nov. 23, at KeyBank Center. For tickets, call the KeyBank Box Office at (716) 855-4100, or purchase online CLICKING HERE.

Andy Anderson '67 – A native of Cheektowaga, N.Y., Anderson played 68 career games in Blue and Gold from 1964-67… Ended his career with 1,156 points, which currently ranks 25th in school history, highlighted by his 21.6 points per game scoring average in 1966-67… Is one of two former Griffs to score 40-or-more points in multiple games in the same season… Scored a career-high 46 points in a road win at La Salle Feb. 22, 2967... That 46-point effort still stands as the most points scored by a Griff in a road game… Enshrined into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame in 1983.

Billy Baron '14 – A two-year letterwinner with the program … The 2013-14 Pepsi MAAC Player of the Year, he was honored as an Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention selection, just the fourth in Canisius history … Ranked fourth in the nation in scoring average with his 24.1 points per game in 2013-14, and ended that season as the only player in the nation to average better than 20.0 points, 5.0 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game … His 821 points scored in 2013-14 rank as the most for a senior in school history, and he ended his playing career on Main Street as just the fourth player in school history to score more than 1,400 career points to go along with 350-plus career assists … Has been playing professionally in Europe since ending his playing career on Main Street.

Darrell Barley '96 – A four-time letterwinner, Barley was a three-time All-MAAC honoree, highlighted by first-team honors in 1996 … Scored 1,587 career points, which ties him for sixth all-time in school history … Started all 95 games during his playing career with Canisius, which spanned from 1992-96 … In his time with the program, Canisius made three-straight postseason appearances, including two NIT berths and the 1996 NCAA Tournament … Enshrined into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.

Kevin Downey '05 – A four-time letterwinner, Downey started all 116 career games with the program … Is one of seven players in school history to score more than 1,000 points to go with 400-plus career rebounds and 250 assists … A three-time All-MAAC selection and a two-time team captain… Is one of seven players in school history to earn All-MAAC honors in multiple seasons and was a MAAC All-Academic honoree three times … Enshrined into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

Brian Dux '03 – A native of Orchard Park, N.Y., Dux played in 119 career games as a Griff, where he made 110 starts ... A two-time All-MAAC honoree, he scored 1,239 career points, which ranks 19th in school history ... One of eight players in school history to score more than 1,000 points to go with more than 300 assists, he ranks second in program history in career free-throw percentage, as hit hit on 82.9 percent (382-for-461) of his charity tosses over four seasons ... Still holds the school's single-season free-throw percentage record, as he shot 92.0 percent (115-for-125) from the line in 2002-03 ... He is one of three players in school history to dish out 500-or-more assists in his career, and he's one of four players to distribute 100-plus assists in four-straight seasons ... After graduating from Canisius with his undergraduate degree in physical education, Dux went overseas to play professionally for four seasons ... His pro career was cut short after a serious car accident in England in 2007 ... He earned his master's degree in sport administration from Canisius in 2013 and currently serves the head JV boy's basketball coach at Orchard Park High School.

Darren Fenn '01 – One of three players in school history to score more than 1,400 career points to go along with 800-plus career rebounds … A four-year letterwinner with the program, he earned All-MAAC First Team honors after he averaged 17.6 points and 10.5 rebounds per game during the 1999-00 season … His 1,414 career points ranks 11th in school history, and his 852 career boards ranks second-best in program history … Enshrined into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame in 2012.

'Sugar' Ray Hall '85 – The school's career leader in scoring with 2,226 points, Hall was a four-year letterwinner for the Griffs from 1981-85 … In 115 career games played, he scored in double-figures 108 times, and he was good for 20-or-more points in a game 60 occasions … At the time of his graduation, he was just the 342nd player in NCAA history to score more than 2,000-career points … Drafted by the Utah Jazz in 1985 … A member of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame, he was enshrined into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame in 1997.

Anthony Masiello '69 – A three-year letterwinner from 1966-69, Masiello ended his playing career on Main Street with 1,069 career points, which currently ranks 30th in the school's all-time record book … Grabbed a total of 634 career rebounds in 71 games, and he led the team in rebounding average in both 1967-68 and 1968-69, making him just the third player in school history to lead the Griffs in rebounding in back-to-back seasons … A two-time team captain, he would later go on to serve as the mayor of Buffalo from 1994-05 … Enshrined into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame in 1982.

John McCarthy '56 – A three-year letterwinner from 1953-56, McCarthy graduated from Canisius as the school's all-time leader in career points with 1,160 points … His 19.0 points per game scoring average over 61 career contests ranks sixth best in program history today … In the 1955 NCAA Tournament, he led the Blue and Gold with his 21.3 points per game scoring average through three games … After playing professionally for four NBA teams from 1956-64, highlighted by winning a World Championship with the Boston Celtics, he served as the head coach of the Golden Griffins from 1974-77… Enshrined into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame in 1967.

Micheal Meeks '96 – A three-time All-MAAC First Team honoree, Meeks graduated from Canisius as the NCAA's all-time leading scorer among Canadian-born players with his 1,827 career points, a record he held for nine years … He ranks second in career scoring, career field goal makes (657), third in career rebounds (838) and second in career blocked shots (183) … Played for Canada in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia … Enshrined into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame in 2006.

John Morrison '67 – Played 67 career games as a Griff from 1964-67… Scored 1,213 career points, which ranks 21st in school history … Averaged 24.9 points per game in 1965-66, which is tied for second-best for a single-season in program history … After being drafted by both Denver (ABA) and St. Louis (NBA) in 1967, he returned to the College as served as the team's head coach from 1972-74 … Enshrined into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame in 1983.

Henry Nowak '57 – A native of Buffalo, N.Y., Nowak played 78 games for the Griffs from 1954-57 … Scored 1,449 career points, which ranks ninth in school history … His 20.1 points per game scoring average in 1956-57 makes him one of eight players in school history to average 20-or-more points per game for a single season… Was a part of three-straight trips to the NCAA Tournament … Is the program's leader in career scoring average for NCAA Tournament games at 19.4 points per contest … Scored 29 points against Dartmouth in the 1956 NCAA Tournament … Was drafted by the St. Louis Hawks of the NBA in 1957 … Later went on to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1975-93… Enshrined into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame in 1968.

Bill O'Connor '63 – A three-year letterwinner who played 70 career games as a Griff, O'Connor graduated from the College in 1963 as the program's all-time leading scorer with 1,630 points (currently ranks fifth) … One of five players in school history to lead the team in scoring average in three-straight seasons, he is the only Griff to average 20-or-more points per game in three consecutive seasons … His career-high 41 points vs. South Carolina Dec. 27, 1962 is tied for the sixth-best single-game scoring effort in program history … Was the third-round pick of the New York Knicks in the 1963 NBA Draft … Enshrined into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame in 1977.

Mike Smrek '85 – Played 108 career games for the Griffs in his career which spanned from 1981-85 … His best season was his senior season (1984-85) where he averaged 15.8 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, as the Griffs went on to a 20-10 overall record and a 13-3 mark in North Atlantic Conference play … Ended his career at Canisius as the school record holder with 172 blocks (currently ranks third), and his 57.8 percent success rate from the field still ranks first on the program's career field goal percentage list … Was drafted by the Portland Trailblazers in 1985, and went on to play 194 career games in the NBA with Chicago, Los Angeles Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers … With the Lakers, he won two World Championships in 1986-87 and 1987-88 playing with the likes of Magic Johnson and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar … By earning those two championship rings, he became the first Canadian-born player to win multiple NBA crowns ... Enshrined into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame in 1998.

Frank Turner '10 – A four-year letterwinner who played in 125 career games, Turner ranks fourth in career scoring with 1,769 points while also standing as the school's all-time assist leader with 616 … Led Canisius in scoring average in three-straight seasons (2007-08 through 2009-10), he is one of two players in school history to lead the team in assists per game average in four-straight years … Was honored as the 2006-07 MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year … Ranks second in school history in career games played (125) and career starts (117) … Served as a team captain in three-straight seasons, one of three three-time team captains in program history … Has been playing overseas in Europe since his graduation.

Craig Wise '96 – A four-year letterwinner, he is the only player in school history to score more than 1,500 career points to go along with 700-plus rebounds and more than 350-career assists … Was honored as the 1990-91 MAAC Co-Rookie of the Year and was honored as the MAAC Player of the Year in 1994-95, making him the first player in program history to win each of those awards … Scored a career-high 32 points in the 1995 NIT semifinal game against Virginia Tech … Enshrined into the Canisius Sports Hall of Fame in 2005.

Print Friendly Version