Lewis is much more than just a walk-on to Bonnies

Jan. 4, 2005

ST. BONAVENTURE, N.Y. - Midway through the second half of a game at Niagara last season, with his team trailing by double digits, coach Anthony Solomon turned, scanned his eyes scanned down the bench and pointed to Greg Lewis. "Let's go Greg," he said.

Lewis figured he would play his usual two or three minutes and then return to his seat. Not the case. Solomon's bench was short and his team needed a spark. Suddenly, Lewis was living the "walk-on" player's dream: playing time in a meaningful situation. He wound up playing 20 minutes and collected six points, two steals and a block that forced overtime.

Although the Bonnies did not win that night, his performance sealed Lewis' status as a player. Lewis wound up playing in 21 games over the course of last season and scored 26 points, superb numbers for a walk-on.

"Greg was a pleasant surprise for us last year as he provided us some valuable minutes," Solomon said. "His attitude is exemplary."

Like many of his teammates, Lewis' path to St. Bonaventure was not always clear. Born in Brooklyn, he moved to Houston, Texas, with his mother, Roxanne Cort, at the age of 10. Cort was changing careers and decided to attend law school at Texas Southern. Her only son reluctantly went with his mother.

Lewis attended Houston Christian High School and enjoyed a strong career there. He earned All-State honors as a senior, but colleges were less than enamored with the prospects of a 5-foot-10 shooting guard.

Lewis' boss at his summer job, businessman Jim Robillard, happened to be a Buffalo native and told Lewis about Alfred State. There, Lewis again impressed on the court, averaging 18.6 points per game his sophomore season of 2002-03.

Still, his size kept Division I coaches from recruiting Lewis, and so he figured he was destined for a Division II school. That changed the day Lewis saw a sign for St. Bonaventure and decided to call new Bonnies assistant coach Jayson Gee, who arranged a July visit for Lewis to campus.

"I just fell in love with the place, and I said `I just have to go to school here,'" Lewis recalled of his visit. "The coaches didn't promise me anything. They just said if I was the person that they thought I was and played like they thought I was capable of, then it shouldn't be a problem for me to make the team."

Lewis came to St. Bonaventure without an athletics scholarship, and did make the team. He quickly worked his way into the lineup through his work ethic, positive attitude and ability.

"Greg just comes ready to work every day," Solomon said. "He could be a real leader for us."

"I had to prove myself every day to the coaches. I think they thought anything they got out of me was a plus," he said. "This year, I just want to be ready when I am called upon to do my job. There is a little more expected of me this year."

A psychology major, Lewis will remain at St. Bonaventure next year to complete his course work. That degree should be useful to a prospective coach.

"I can't see my life without basketball," Lewis said. "I'd like to get into coaching someday. Right now, I find myself running plays, getting guys into the right position, making sure the screens are set properly. It's probably me getting older."

Before embarking on a coaching career, Lewis has plenty left to accomplish as an athlete. His goals for the Bona program are clear.

"I'd like to see us advance in the A-10 Tournament," Lewis said. "I want the future of the program to be positive for everyone to see. It already is positive in our eyes, but I want the whole A-10 and the whole country to recognize that St. Bonaventure basketball will be back to its winning tradition."

- By Steve Mest
Assistant Athletics Director, Communication

This story was originally published on Dec. 4, 2004, in the Bonnies' Gameday program.