By Chris Elsberry
Connecticut Post Staff Writer
Updated: 10/09/2009 01:00:08 AM EDT
In his very first pick-up game in the Harvey Hubbell Gym, Steve Ray got his introduction into how the next four years would be like. The incoming UB freshman was playing on a team with Norman Taylor in the post, John Mullin on one wing and Eddie DeChent on the other.
"Eddie comes up to me and says, 'Make sure I get the ball,' and like, two seconds later, Norman says, 'Make sure I get the ball,' and then Mullin tells me, 'Make sure I get the ball.' So I knew I wasn't going to get too many shots," Ray said, laughing at the memory over the phone the other night. "And then when Lambert came, it was over."
Lambert Shell, perhaps the finest all-around player in the history of the Purple Knights, played two seasons with Ray, who handled the point for coach Bruce Webster from 1986-90. And during those two years, Ray and UB achieved some of its greatest success, going 49-16 and making the NCAA Division II tournament both times.
In those two seasons, 1988-89 and '89-90, it was Ray who directed UB, handing out an amazing 785 assists, an average of 12.1 a game. It was Ray who twice set school records with 24 assists in a single game, and it was Ray who set the NCAA Division II tournament single-game record with 20 assists against Stonehill -- the record still holds -- in UB's 132-127 overtime win in 1989.
Tonight, Ray will be remembered for those moments -- and so many more -- when he is inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame at the Mohegan Sun.
"It's going to be real exciting, especially since a couple of guys that I played with and a couple of coaches are going to be there," Ray said. "It's going to be quite an honor. I just appreciate it so much."
Along with Ray, Bridgeport's Chris Smith (high school player/Kolbe Cathedral) and Norwalk's Ralph King (high school coach/McMahon) are being inducted. In addition, Fairfield men's basketball coach Ed Cooley (high school prep player/New Hampton N.H. prep in New Hampshire), Fairfield women's basketball coach Joe Frager (Division II women's basketball/Southern Connecticut) and Sacred Heart women's basketball coach Ed Swanson (Division I women's basketball) are among the locals going into the Hall.
Ray still holds the NCAA Division II single-season assist record with 400, set in '88-89. His 785 assists are eighth best among all Division II players. But that's just the half of it. Literally.
Because the NCAA refuses to recognize any of Ray's assists from his first two seasons at UB, 359 of his assists aren't counted. The NCAA didn't start "officially" keeping Division II assists until the '88-89 season. According to NCAA record-keeper Jim Wright, assists at that level weren't kept with the greatest of accuracy, so the NCAA wanted to make sure that sports information directors knew just what an assist was.
Because of that, Ray's rightful place in the NCAA record book as college basketball's all-time assist leader -- he finished with 1,144 assists at UB -- belongs to Duke's Bobby Hurley (1,076).
"Yeah, I know "¦ I'd be the all-time NCAA assist leader. That's just life," Ray said. "Even to be mentioned when you talk about statistics and Bobby Hurley and those guys "¦ not that I'm in their class, but just to be mentioned, it's an honor. It is what it is and I don't dwell on it."
Because of never-ending recruiting phone calls from assistant coach Vinny Laczkoski -- and the Purple Knights' up-tempo style -- Ray decided on UB.
"Vinny called me every day. He kept on me from when I was a sophomore. And I really liked Bruce's style, up and down, pushing the ball. That was so much fun," Ray said. "Bruce recruited players to fit his system and he was such a good guy. I'd get to practice two hours before just to shoot around, work out and then go into his office for some great life lessons. He taught me a lot."
Playing behind senior John O'Reilly as a freshman, Ray handed out 79 assists as UB went 18-10. As a sophomore, Ray passed out 280 assists as the Purple Knights went 19-9. But it was Ray's junior season when he truly exploded onto the Division II scene.
With Shell dominating down low, Ray handed out 400 assists, an average of 12.5 a game as UB went 25-7 and made the NCAA Division II tournament in 1998-99. In his senior year, Ray totaled 385 assists, 11.6 per game, leading Bridgeport to a 24-9 record and into the NCAA Division II quarterfinals.
"I played with perhaps the three best players ever to play at UB, Norman Taylor, Lambert Shell and Eddie DeChent," Ray said. "Think about it, Lambert had 3,001 points, Taylor had 2,000 (2,170), DeChent had 1,100 points (1,086) in two years. That's just one era. That's incredible.
"Those guys were all so good. Lambert was a Big East player. Eddie was a mid-major player, Steve Willis, Johnny O'Reilly "¦ he taught me so much that first year. I still miss those days so much."
