Joe Ellis, a three-time West Coast Athletic Conference first team honoree and 1964-65 NCAA Tournament all-West Region honoree, will have his No. 31 jersey retired by the University of San Francisco on Saturday, Feb. 22, when the Dons play Pepperdine at War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.
Ellis becomes the seventh USF men's basketball player to have his number retired, joining legendary players such as Bill Russell (6), K.C. Jones (4), Mike Farmer (17), Phil Smith (20), Bill Cartwright (24), and Ollie Johnson (32).
Women's basketball players who have their numbers retired include Mary Hile-Nepfel (15) and Brittany Lindhe (40). Former baseball and women's volleyball standouts Taggert Bozied (19) and Brittanie Budinger (7), as well as legendary baseball head coach Dante Benedetti (42) round out the list of former USF greats who have have achieved this honor.
"It's overwhelming, there are a lot of iconic numbers hanging up in War Memorial Gym and it's a tremendous honor to be included on that list of legendary players," said Ellis. "I was speechless when I got the call informing me they were going to retire my number. Being a part of the USF family has meant everything to me. I don't know how common it is that teams still interact as much as we do. Huey (Thomas), Ed (Thomas), Jim (Brovelli), Dan (Belluomini) and all of my other teammates are very special to me. To have competed with them and to be a part of those teams means everything to me."
"Retiring a number is not something that happens often, and for good reason. There is no higher honor an organization can bestow on one of its former players," said USF Director of Athletics
Joan McDermott. "Joe is a legendary figure on The Hilltop, whose contributions to our culture go beyond his accolades in the gym. He was an iconic player and a cornerstone member on some of our truly special teams. It gives us great pleasure to cement Joe's legacy."
The Oakland, Calif. native was a prep at McClymonds High School and he first suited up for the Dons in 1963-64, joining a team that boasted future USF Hall of Famers Jim Brovelli, Ollie Johnson, Ed Thomas and Huey Thomas. He was joined by fellow sophomores Russ Gumina and Erwin Mueller
, who would one day join Ellis in the Hall of Fame.
In three seasons, Ellis helped guide the Dons to an astounding 69-16 (.818) mark – the third-best winning percentage over a three-year span in USF history, bested only by teams boasting players such as Russell, Jones and Cartwright. During that stretch, the Dons won two straight WCAC championships and advanced to the tournament twice. He appeared in four NCAA tournament games where he scored 54 points and grabbed 40 rebounds. He averaged 13.5 points per game and 10.0 rebounds per contest in the NCAA Tournament, culminating with a NCAA Tournament all-West Region honor in that 1965 NCAA Tournament run.
"Joe Ellis was no question one of the greatest players in the history of USF basketball," said teammate and fellow USF Hall of Famer Jim Brovelli. "His talent and character helped bring the Dons to National prominence in the mid-60s. The addition of Joe Ellis to that special group of retired jerseys is well deserved. Joe was a great teammate and is still a close friend. Congratulations Joe!"
A versatile player who could play in the front or back court, Ellis preferred the forward spot where he amassed 1,120 points and 737 rebounds. He is one of 13 players in USF history to score 1,000 or more points and grab 700 or more rebounds. His 1,120 points ranks 24th all-time in a career. His 737 rebounds are 12th all-time.
Ellis'
s final season wearing the green and gold was spectacular. He finished the year with 507 points and 334 rebounds in 28 games, boasting career best averages of 18.1 points per game and 11.9 rebounds per contest. He is one of 16 players to finish a season averaging 10 or more in both points and rebounds and one of only eight players to do it multiple times – joining hallowed names like Russell, Johnson, Cartwright, Pete Cross, Art Day, Kevin Restani and Wallace Bryant.
Ellis was drafted by the Warriors in the second round of the 1966 NBA Draft. He made his NBA debut on Oct. 20, 1966. His career spanned eight years and 524 games where he averaged 8.8 points and 5.1 rebounds.
After his NBA career ended, Ellis spent one season playing in Belgium, his only departure from the Bay Area, before returning to his home state to work the next 17 1/2 years for IBM.
"Then I took early retirement in 1993 and I've been working at the San Francisco Recreation Department ever since," Ellis said. "I coach youth teams in basketball and table tennis."
The Dons will stay at home, hosting Pacific next Thursday at 8:00 p.m. It will be part of a Thursday evening double header with the women hosting Pepperdine at 5:00 p.m. Tickets for next Thursday's game at available at
USFDons.com/mbbtix
Please mark your calendars for the Hall of Fame Dinner on February 21st at 6:30 PM in the McClaren Conference Center on USF's campus. We will honor our Dons of the Year, Kevin and Susan Hanley, as well as our inductees that include Dior Lowhorn (men's basketball, 2010), Joy Boyenga (women's basketball, 1992), and Kyle Zimmer (baseball, 2012). Tickets are available now at
usfdons.com/halloffame.
