Eli Pasquale
Personal information
Born(1960-08-24)August 24, 1960
Sudbury, Ontario, Canada
DiedNovember 4, 2019(2019-11-04) (aged 59)
NationalityCanadian
Listed height6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Listed weight190 lb (86 kg)
Career information
High schoolLockerby Composite School
(Sudbury, Ontario)
CollegeUniversity of Victoria (1980–1984)
NBA draft1984: 5th round, 106th overall pick
Selected by the Seattle SuperSonics
PositionPoint guard
Number13, 6
Career highlights and awards
  • CIAU Player of the Year (1984)
  • 3× CIAU First Team All-Canadian (1981-1984)
  • 2× CIAU National Tournament MVP (1981, 1983)
  • 3× CIAU National Tournament All-Star (1981, 1983, 1984)
  • 5x CIAU National Champion (1980-1984)
  • 5× CWUAA First Team All-Star (1981–1984)
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com
Medals
Representing  Canada
Universiade
Gold medal – first place 1983 Edmonton National team
Bronze medal – third place 1985 Kobe National team

Ilario Enrico "Eli" Pasquale (August 24, 1960 – November 4, 2019) was a Canadian basketball player and two-time Olympian.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7] Considered one of the best basketball players in Canada's history,[1][5][8] Pasquale was the starting point guard and co-captain of the Canada men's national basketball team during, arguably, Canada's greatest era of basketball.[2][6][7] During this time, Pasquale competed in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics, two World Student Games, four FIBA World Championships and two Pan American games.[2][3][7]

In 1984, Pasquale was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics as the 106th overall pick.[1][2][3][4][9][10] Pasquale later played professionally in Argentina, West Germany and Switzerland.[5][6][7][10]

During university, Pasquale led the University of Victoria to 5 straight national championships.[1][2][3][9] Pasquale was the university's all-time leading scorer when he graduated.[1][4][5][7][10] In 1984, he was awarded the Mike Moser Trophy as the male Canadian university player of the year.[2][7][9][11] Pasquale was a three-time First-Team All-Canadian (1981-1984)[2][4][7][9][10][12] two-time CIAU national tournament MVP (1981, 1983),[2][7][9][13] three-time CIAU tournament all-star (1981, 1983, 1984)[14] and five-time first team Canada West all-star.[7]

International Career

Pasquale was a member of the Canadian men's national basketball team for over 15 years.[1][3][4][5][9][10] Pasquale was the starting point guard and co-captain of this Canadian team in what was arguably Canada's greatest era of basketball.[2][6][7]

Pasquale represented Canada in the 1984 and 1988 Olympics.[1][2][3] The 1984 Olympics were notable because Canada finished 4th overall, narrowly missing a medal.[1][2][3][8] In 1988, Canada finished respectably in 6th.[2][3][4][5][7]

This 1984 bronze-medal game constituted the only time in 80+ years where Canada had a legitimate chance of winning an Olympic medal in basketball.[8] In this bronze medal game was highly competitive, being tied 18 times with 12 lead changes, with Canada being within one point with less than a minute of play remaining.[8] Pasquale played well in this crucial game in Canadian basketball history, leading Canada in points (16) and assists (5), while also obtaining 6 rebounds.[8]

Pasquale represented Canada in the 1983 and 1985 World Student Games.[2][3][7][9] In the 1983 World Student Games hosted in Edmonton, Alberta, the Canadian team won the gold medal.[2][3][6][7][9][10] This constituted one of the finest moments in Canadian basketball history, being the only time in which Canada has won the gold medal in an international basketball tournament.[15] In the semifinals of this tournament, Canada defeated a talented US team led by future NBA legends Charles Barkley and Karl Malone.[2][3][6][7][9][10] In the 1985 World Student Games, Canada won the bronze medal.[3][7]

Pasquale competed for Canada in four FIBA World Championships,[3][5] where in 1982, Canada placed 4th.[1][10] Pasquale also competed for Canada in two Pan American games where in 1983, Canada finished fourth and in 1987, Canada finished 5th.[2][4][5][6][7]

After a 5-year absence, in 1997 Pasquale represented Canada in the Tournament of the Americas that qualified Canada for the 1998 FIBA World Championship.[1][5][6][7][9][10]

Professional Career

In 1984, Pasquale was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in the 5th round as the 106th overall pick.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][9][10] He played three exhibition games with the team before being released.[4][7][10] The following year, Pasquale nearly made the Chicago Bulls, who were looking for someone to play in the backcourt beside Michael Jordan.[7] Pasquale had impressed the Bulls, but ultimately, they chose with American John Paxson.[7] Pasquale was their final cut.[7]

Pasquale played in the Amateur Athletic Union for Seattle and the Los Angeles summer pro league.[7][10] He played professionally in Argentina (in 1986), in West Germany (in 1989) and in Switzerland (in 1990).[5][6][7][10]

University

Legendary coach Ken Shields described Pasquale as "the face of UVic basketball".[3] Pasquale played for UVic for 5 years, leading the team to 5-straight national championships.[1][2][3][4][7][9] Pasquale is believed to be the first athlete in all of Canadian university sports history to win five consequtive national championships.[2][7] He is only one of five athletes to win five national titles in Canadian university sports.[5][7][9] Pasquale and his UVic team were five-time Canada West champions as well, going 75-5 against Canada West teams in regular season play during his time at UVic.[3]

Pasquale was the all-time leading scorer at UVic when he graduated.[1][4][5][7][10] In 1984, he was awarded the Mike Moser Memorial Trophy as CIAU's outstanding men's basketball player.[2][7][9][11] Pasquale was a three-time First-team All Canadian (1981-1984),[2][4][7][9][10][12] two-time CIAU national tournament MVP (1981, 1983)[2][7][9][13] three-time CIAU national tournament all-star (1981, 1983, 1984)[14] and five-time Canada West first team all-star.[7]

In 1982, he was named the BC University Athlete of the Year.[7][9] Twice, he was named UVic's top male athlete.[7]

Post Career

Pasquale was inducted into the Canada Basketball Hall of Fame in 2003.[1] In 2021, he was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame.[2] He was inducted into the Canada West Hall of Fame in its 2020-21 induction class.[3] In 2005, he was inducted into the University of Victoria Athletic Hall of Fame.[9] Similarly, in 2006 his jersey number, 13, was retired by the university, being only one of three athletes thus honored by the university.[2][4][7][9] In 2014 he was inducted into the Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame and in 2008 he was inducted into the Sudbury Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.[10]

Additionally, the 1979-86 UVic Men's Basketball teams were inducted into the Canada West Hall of Fame (2019-2020 induction class); the 1979-80 UVic team was inducted into the BC Sports Hall of Fame (2020); and the 1982-1983 UVic team was inducted into the University of Victoria Sports Hall of Fame (2023), with Pasquale being recognized as a team member of each of these team inductions.[16][17][18]

In retirement, Eli focused his time on his young family and his immensely popular basketball camps.[7] Beginning in 1985 and right up to his passing in 2019, he ran youth development camps all over BC, particularly in Victoria.[2][6][7][10] Thousands of BC kids got their start in basketball through Eli’s camps.[2][6][7][10]

Personal life

Pasquale was born on August 24, 1960 in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada.[1][2][5][7][10] He grew up in Gatchell, Ontario, a predominantly Italian neighbourhood of Sudbury.[10] He played his first organized basketball in Grade 8 on his school team, St. Francis School.[10] By grade 10, Pasquale's height was a mere 5 feet, 3 inches.[10]

On November 4, 2019, Pasquale passed away from esophageal cancer.[3][5][6][7]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Eli Pasquale — Athlete Induction Class of 2003" (PDF). Canada Basketball Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 "Eli Pasquale". BC Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "Eli Pasquale (MBB | Student-athlete)". Canada West Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 "Hall of Fame Inductees". Basketball BC Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 "Canadian Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee Eli Pasquale Passes Away at 59". Canada Basketball. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 Chidley-Hill, John (6 November 2019). "Eli Pasquale, Olympian and Canadian Basketball Hall of Famer, dies at 59". CBC Sports. The Canadian Press. Retrieved 6 November 2019.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 Beck, Jason. "Eli Pasquale: An Unbreakable Will – 2021 Inductee Spotlight". BC Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 "Reflecting on when Karl Tilleman, Eli Pasquale, and Their Fellow Canadian University Teammates Took a Shot at Ruling the Basketball World". Somers Point News. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 "Eli Pasquale". UVic Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 "All Inductees". Greater Victoria Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  11. 1 2 "Mike Moser Memorial Trophy (Player of the Year)" (PDF). U Sports. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  12. 1 2 "Men's Basketball All-Canadian Teams" (PDF). U Sports. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  13. 1 2 "Jack Donohue Trophy (Championship MVP)" (PDF). U Sports. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  14. 1 2 "Men's Basketball Championship All-Stars" (PDF). U Sports. Retrieved 6 December 2023.
  15. ↑ "Canada wins gold medal in basketball". 12 June 1983. Retrieved 28 October 2023.
  16. ↑ "Victoria Vikes 1979-86 (MBB – Team)". Canada West Hall of Fame. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  17. ↑ "Team 1982-83 Men's Basketball". UVic Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  18. ↑ "1979-80 UVic Vikings Men's Basketball". BC Sports Hall of Fame. Retrieved 3 November 2023.

Sources

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.