The Morning Dish – Tuesday, October 21st
Deacon Surgery: Wake Forest sophomore center Chris Ellis broke a bone in his foot Saturday, and will be out of action for the start of the season. Ellis, who broke the fifth metatarsal of his right foot in the first practice of the season during a rebounding drill, underwent surgery yesterday, and will miss at the minimum six weeks of action. Ellis averaged almost 3 points and 2.5 boards per game last season, in which he played every contest.
Meyer Honored: DePaul University will be renaming its basketball court to honor legendary DePaul head coach Ray Meyer, who coached the Blue Demons to the 1979 NCAA Final Four. The Ray and Marge Meyer Court will be dedicated in a ceremony at the December 14th game against Notre Dame, Meyer’s first coaching job and alma mater. The ceremony will take place just days before Meyer’s 90th birthday, and will honor Meyer’s 42-year coaching career at DePaul. Meyer retired in 1984 with a 724-354 overall record, winning an NIT title in 1945, and featuring two NCAA Final Four appearances – 1943 and 1979. Meyer led the Blue Demons to 37 winning seasons and 12 20-win seasons, and coached NBA Hall of Famer George Mikan and NBA players Mark Aguirre and Terry Cummings.
New Aztec: San Diego State head coach Steve Fisher has announced the new assistant coach on the Aztecs staff – former NBA player Gary Grant. Grant, who played under Fisher at Michigan in the late 80s when Fisher was an assistant to Bill Freider, replaces Marvin Menzies, who left for an assistant coaching position at USC in August. Grant, who was a first round pick of the Seattle Supersonics (15th overall) in the 1988 draft, was traded after the draft to the Clippers, where he started his 13-year NBA career. Grant also played for the Miami Heat, New York Knicks, and Portland Trailblazers. Grant’s brother Michael is the head coach of Southern University of the Southwestern Athletic Conference.
Mustang Extended: Cal Poly head coach Kevin Bromley will be staying in SLO a little longer. Bromley, who led the Mustangs to their first back-to-back winning seasons at the D-1 level, has signed a five-year contract extension that will keep him on the Cal Poly sidelines through the 2007-08 season. The deal includes a base salary of $110,000, and includes a bump from his previous contract of $10,000 more per season. Bromley has an overall record of 35-37 in three seasons as a head coach, all with Cal Poly.
