smaller Upstate NY cities and towns/African American communities

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

I will attempt this and keep in mind that this is unofficial. It is also not in a particular order.

#1. Attended Buffalo's Bennett High/St. Bonaventure: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Lanier (arguably the best player in relation to this thread and maybe even from Upstate NY in general as a Basketball Hall of Famer)

#2. Attended Buffalo's Riverside High/UConn: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cliffo...all,_born_1966) (Late bloomer that was arguably UConn's first real star player in the Big East and had longest NBA career on the list)

#3. Attended Greece's Athena High/Syracuse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Wallace_(basketball) (Was the NY State Player of the Year in 1992)

#4. Attended Albany's Phillip Schuyler High/Utah: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_Burden (originally from Haines City FL, his nephew lives in the Syracuse area and is a P.A. at a local hospital(also starred at Albany Academy and was a walk on at Canisius)

#5. Attended Rochester's East High/Niagara: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Butler
https://www.nasljerseys.com/EBA/Players/B/Butler.Al.htm (originally from Birmingham AL, was in the first Parade High School All-American class in 1957 on the first team and worked at a guidance counselor at Monroe Community College)

#6. Attended Rochester's East High(and Seton Hall Prep in NJ)/Seton Hall: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Dukes (Drafted in 1953 by the NY Knicks and is first Black NBA player from Upstate NY)

#7. Attended Syracuse's Vocational and later Corcoran High/New Mexico State: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Collins_(basketball)
https://www.syracuse.com/highschools...sketball-days/ (Was 11th pick in the NBA Draft in 1970 and is arguably the best Basketball player to come from the Syracuse area)

#8. Attended Syracuse's Henninger High/prep school at South Kent School in CT: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andray_Blatche (was on team in 2002 that won the NYSPHSAA state championship in Class AA and that lost a close game to nationally ranked Harlem's Rice in the Federation final by 8 points)

#9. Attended Troy High/Xavier: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luther_Rackley
https://goxavier.com/honors/hall-of-...her-rackley/75 (originally from Bainbridge GA, an area of that state where many black Upstate NYers have roots. Also played in a couple of movies)

#10. Attended Silver Creek High(Chautauqua County)/St. Bonaventure: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Carter_(basketball)
https://www.buffalosportshallfame.co...george-carter/ (was drafted by teams in 4 professional leagues in 1967)

#11. Attended Liberty High(Sullivan County)/St. Joseph's: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maurice_Martin
https://theathletic.com/2024561/2020...eps-the-faith/ (last college game was played at the then Carrier Dome, in a lost to Cleveland state in the 1986 NCAA Tournament)

#12. Attended Shaker High(North Colonie SD in Latham and Brooklyn's Tilden High before that)/North Carolina: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sam_Perkins (a McDonald's All American, he played with Michael Jordan at UNC(on the 1982 National Championship team) and played in the NBA from 1984-2001)

#13. Attended Niagara Falls High/Syracuse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonny_Flynn (was the state's Mr. Basketball in 2007)

#14. Attended Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons in Schenectady and Albany High/Xavier: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lionel_Chalmers (cousin of Mario Chalmers(NBA Champ with Miami Heat)

#15. Attended Bishop Timon in Buffalo/New Mexico and Long Beach State: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rickey_Williams
https://www.buffalosportshallfame.co...iams-brothers/ (his brother was the starting point guard on the 1975 Final Four team at Syracuse(attended Buffalo's East High)

#16. Attended Kendall High(Orleans County)/Syracuse: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roosevelt_Bouie
Roosevelt Bouie (was a 2nd round pick of the Dallas Mavericks in the 1980 NBA draft, but ended up playing 14 seasons of pro ball in Italy)

#17. Attended Schenectady High and Hargrave Military Academy/Texas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Thomas_(basketball) (won a NYSPHSAA state title in 1998 and started on the Texas team that lost to the Carmelo Anthony led Syracuse team in the 2003 Final Four)

#18. Attended Rochester's East High/Cincinnati: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Art_Long
https://basketball.realgm.com/player...g/Summary/1210 (tough big man known for his shot blocking ability, played for Bob Huggins at Cincinnati)

#19. Attended Buffalo's Bennett High/(a couple of community colleges)Hawaii: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trevor_Ruffin
https://www.ebay.com/itm/1994-95-NBA...0136834?_ul=AR (a current coach at Health Sciences Charter in Buffalo, played with Charles Barkley in Phoenix and I believe his last college game was against Syracuse in the 1994 NCAA Tournament)

#20. Attended Buffalo's Traditional High(and Notre Dame Prep in MA)/Marquette: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lazar_Hayward (ended college career at Marquette as the school's 2nd all time scorer and 5th all time in rebounds)

I'll stop here, but there are actually some others that have been drafted or even played a handful of games in the NBA. Let alone those that are in the NBA now, played overseas and that are in college right now, with a good chance to make an NBA roster in the upcoming years.

I may try to do a list with some ladies as well.

Some more sports references from...

ELMIRA BOYS BASKETBALL FALLS JUST SHORT VS NEWBURGH IN REGIONAL SEMIFINALS: https://www.weny.com/clip/15379126/e...nal-semifinals

Monroe-Woodbury/Binghamton: https://www.wicz.com/story/48508931/...regional-round

Azera Gates is the engine that makes the Albany girls' basketball team go: https://www.timesunion.com/hssports/...orts-spotlight

Carthage: https://www.syracuse.com/highschools...r-2022-23.html

Fredonia(vs. Lewiston-Porter): https://twitter.com/WNYAthletics/sta...7Ctwgr%5Etweet
https://buffalonews.com/sports/high-...b5d510edb.html
https://www.observertoday.com/sports...ot-done-yet-2/

Amherst Central(vs. Buffalo McKinley): https://twitter.com/WNYAthletics/sta...99045274775552
https://buffalonews.com/sports/high-...11a65975c.html

Beekmantown: https://www.mynbc5.com/article/saran...nals/43241194#
https://www.wwnytv.com/2023/03/08/hi...tests-potsdam/


Also, an article related to a cafe on Buffalo's East Side: https://www.uticaod.com/in-depth/new...TICA-NLETTER01

[ckhthankgod]

Tubman Day in Auburn to feature author of new 'Twenty Dollars' book: https://auburnpub.com/entertainment/...9530b4d89c1102
Discussion takes place today, with more information that can be found here at the Equal Rights Heritage Center website: https://equalrightsheritage.com/events/

New women's conference in Auburn to feature Black experts in health, more(starts tomorrow): https://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/new...9530b4d89c1102
Can find information here at the Auburn/Cayuga County NAACP website: https://auburncayuganaacp.org/

Also, Historic Local Educator Added to Syracuse University’s Notable Veteran Alumni List: https://news.syr.edu/blog/2023/02/15...n-alumni-list/

Binghamton, Apprenticeship program aims at getting people of color into the trades: https://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/ce...ople-of-color-

[ckhthankgod]

Sports reference from Wheatland-Chili(SW of Rochester in Scottsville): https://www.thedailynewsonline.com/s...ntent=headline

Gissendanner leads Irondequoit boys basketball to state regionals: https://www.rochesterfirst.com/sport...ate-regionals/

Albany, Green Tech making another big run at Class AA boys' hoops title with large front line: https://www.timesunion.com/hssports/...orts-spotlight

Damari Holder, Schenectady: Rensselaer Honda High School Basketball All-Star #8: https://wnyt.com/big-board-sports/bo...ll-all-star-8/

AVOCA-PRATTSBUGH DOMINATES MOUNT MORRIS IN SECTION V REGIONAL QUALIFIER, HORSEHEADS' SEASON COMES TO AN END: https://www.weny.com/clip/15379372/a...omes-to-an-end

Also, from the Albany based Elaine Houston podcast: https://wnyt.com/the-elaine-houston-podcast/

[ckhthankgod]

From tonight’s Sectional playoff championship matchup between Lyons(Wayne Co.)/Pembroke(Corfu, Genesee Co.)(Men from Avon):
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=YAkaLukdnx8

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

An NCAA Tournament throwback from 1977 between Syracuse(with Kendall's Roosevelt Bouie(#50), Utica Notre Dame alum Dale Shackleford(#33) and Buffalo East alum Jimmy Williams(#22), as well as Pittsford Sutherland grad Marty Byrnes(#44) versus Tennessee, which featured Bernard King(Brooklyn's Fort Hamilton HS/Knicks great, #53) and Ernie Grunfeld(Forest Hills HS in Queens/also played for the Knicks, #22), as well as Chuck Threeths from Lackawanna(#33):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KecM44Vfrxs

Syracuse Orangemen Basketball 1976-1977

Speaking of Lyons and in honor of Jim Boeheim, who is a native of that town, the video above is of his first NCAA Tournament game as Syracuse University’s head coach. As you can see above, 4 players in this game between both teams are relevant to the thread.

For those that don’t know, Lyons is in between Rochester and Syracuse, about 45-55 minutes from both of those cities and in the Rochester metro area. Geneva is about 20 minutes to the south. It is about 10% black out of about 5600 people in the town and is known for its very good small school HS Basketball program. A current D1 Basketball player that is the school’s all time leading scorer: https://www.etsubucs.com/mbasketball...justice-smith/

A couple of other former D1 players with ties to Lyons are Collier Drayton, who played at Northwestern and Calvin Betts, who attended Rush-Henrietta, but whose family is from the town and he is the current head coach of the young ladies Basketball program at Lyons HS. Betts played at University at Buffalo.

I dare say that on the current team, J.C. Walker has a chance to play at the D1 level.

Also, former MLB outfielder Mel Hall(Cleveland, Yankees, etc.) was born there.

Mount Zion Missionary Baptist Church is a historically black church in the former village portion of the town. The Kemp family was know for having a gospel group as well.

While the town has long had black residents, much of the population is tied to migrant workers that came from Florida and other parts of the South to work at local farms. Some stayed to work in other industries in the area as well.

[ckhthankgod]

More sports references...Walker carries Lyons boys basketball to Far West Regionals(put up 34 points and a double double for the 6"5' forward): https://www.rochesterfirst.com/sport...est-regionals/

Schenectady, Mia'Rose Wylie looks to lead Bishop Gibbons to the Class D girls' basketball final four: https://www.timesunion.com/hssports/...orts-spotlight

Saige Randolph, Albany Academy: Rensselaer Honda High School Basketball All-Star #9: https://wnyt.com/big-board-sports/gi...ll-all-star-9/

Sei’Mir Roberson, Catholic Central(Troy): Rensselaer Honda High School Basketball All-Star #9: https://wnyt.com/big-board-sports/bo...ll-all-star-9/

Troy/New Hartford: https://www.wktv.com/sports/scores-3...9a2d441c9.html

[ckhthankgod]

Rochester(sports talk from 8-9 am):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClvpGSPV1H0
https://twitter.com/georgeradman?lang=en
Radio station: https://www.thebeat1055.com/

Buffalo(current events/cultural topics, legal/education/health/general topics, education/public school district topics, Senior related topics and more from 7:30 am-Noon): https://power965radio.com/

[ckhthankgod]

^Vision of Hope broadcast from 9-10 am, legal edition: https://www.facebook.com/story.php?s...00025966782861

We The Parents from 10-11 am: https://www.facebook.com/video.php/?...48562265392820

[ckhthankgod]

^A Senior Moment from 11-11:30 am, about Mental Health: https://www.facebook.com/100025966782861/

[ckhthankgod]

The Catholic school state championships…

Bishop Timon(Buffalo)/Monsignor Farrell(Staten Island)(Men, 1 pm): https://events.locallive.tv/events/105792

Mt. St. Mary Academy(Buffalo/Kenmore)/Preston Catholic(Bronx)(Women, 3 pm): https://events.locallive.tv/events/105793

Cardinal O’Hara(Tonawanda)/St. Joseph By The Sea(Staten Island)(Women, 5 pm): https://events.locallive.tv/events/105794

Nichols School(Buffalo)/St. Mary’s(Manhasset)(Women, 7 pm): https://events.locallive.tv/events/105795

On a side note, Moore Catholic(Staten Island) beat St. Mary’s(Lancaster) in the Men’s Class B championship game 68-56.

Can find more here: https://kdjblog.com/2023/03/06/watch...-on-locallive/