Ron Slay
Encyclopedia
Ronald Sylvester Slay is an American
basketball
player. He currently plays for Pallacanestro Varese
in Italy's
Lega Basket Serie A and was Southeastern Conference
player of the year as a senior at Tennessee
.
. As a freshman in 1999–2000, Slay averaged 9.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game as the Volunteers went 26–7 and won the SEC. In the 2000 NCAA Tournament
, Slay and the Vols made their first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 1981. The next season, Slay upped his averages to 12.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He was named third team all-conference and team MVP.
Slay was poised to have another strong year as a junior, as he became a regular starter for the Volunteers and again showed improvement in his production, raising his averages to 14.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. However, Slay tore his anterior cruciate ligament
and was limited to 14 games. After rehabbing during the offseason, Slay had a breakout year as a senior. He averaged 21.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game and was named the Associated Press
SEC Player of the Year and a third team All-American.
. He took part in the Orlando Summer League as a member of the Miami Heat's
entry, however he did not make the team. He instead signed with Galatasaray Café Crown
of the Turkish Basketball League
. This began an international basketball career that would take Slay to Israel
, Venezuela
, Italy
, Spain
, and Puerto Rico
. Slay also played a season for the Asheville Altitude of the NBDL, where he was named second team all-league.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player. He currently plays for Pallacanestro Varese
Pallacanestro Varese
-Notable players:-Notable coaches: Aleksandar Nikolić Nico Messina Sandro Gamba Edoardo Rusconi Joe Isaac Carlo Recalcati Valerio Bianchini Ruben Magnano-Sponsorship names:Through the years, due to sponsorship deals, it has been also known as:...
in Italy's
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
Lega Basket Serie A and was Southeastern Conference
Southeastern Conference
The Southeastern Conference is an American college athletic conference that operates in the southeastern part of the United States. It is headquartered in Birmingham, Alabama...
player of the year as a senior at Tennessee
Tennessee Volunteers basketball
The Tennessee Volunteers basketball team represents the University of Tennessee in Knoxville, Tennessee in NCAA men's basketball competition. The Volunteers currently compete in the Southeastern Conference...
.
College career
Ron Slay played for prep powerhouse Oak Hill Academy before heading to the University of TennesseeUniversity of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
. As a freshman in 1999–2000, Slay averaged 9.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game as the Volunteers went 26–7 and won the SEC. In the 2000 NCAA Tournament
2000 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The 2000 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 64 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 16, 2000, and ended with the championship game on April 3 in Indianapolis, Indiana...
, Slay and the Vols made their first Sweet Sixteen appearance since 1981. The next season, Slay upped his averages to 12.9 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. He was named third team all-conference and team MVP.
Slay was poised to have another strong year as a junior, as he became a regular starter for the Volunteers and again showed improvement in his production, raising his averages to 14.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. However, Slay tore his anterior cruciate ligament
Anterior cruciate ligament
The anterior cruciate ligament is a cruciate ligament which is one of the four major ligaments of the human knee. In the quadruped stifle , based on its anatomical position, it is referred to as the cranial cruciate ligament.The ACL originates from deep within the notch of the distal femur...
and was limited to 14 games. After rehabbing during the offseason, Slay had a breakout year as a senior. He averaged 21.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game and was named the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
SEC Player of the Year and a third team All-American.
Professional career
Following the conclusion of his college career, Slay went undrafted in the 2003 NBA Draft2003 NBA Draft
The 2003 NBA Draft was held on June 26, 2003 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting basketball players and other first-time eligible players, such as players from high schools and...
. He took part in the Orlando Summer League as a member of the Miami Heat's
Miami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
entry, however he did not make the team. He instead signed with Galatasaray Café Crown
Galatasaray Café Crown
Galatasaray Medical Park is a professional basketball team based in the city of Istanbul in Turkey. It is a part of the Galatasaray Sports Club.Galatasaray play matches in Abdi İpekçi Arena which has a seating capacity for 12,500 spectators...
of the Turkish Basketball League
Turkish Basketball League
The Turkish Basketball League is the top men’s professional basketball league in Turkey, which is also called Turkish Premier Basketball League . There is also a Turkish Second Basketball League consisting of 2 divisions .-History:The first basketball game played in Turkey was at the Robert...
. This began an international basketball career that would take Slay to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, Venezuela
Venezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, and Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico
Puerto Rico , officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico , is an unincorporated territory of the United States, located in the northeastern Caribbean, east of the Dominican Republic and west of both the United States Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands.Puerto Rico comprises an...
. Slay also played a season for the Asheville Altitude of the NBDL, where he was named second team all-league.