Solly Walker, the first African-American basketball player in St. John’s program history, died last Friday at his home in Brooklyn. He was 85.
A native of Brooklyn and an alumnus of Boys High School, Walker scored 573 points and grabbed 496 rebounds during his career at St. John’s. During his freshman year in the 1950-1951 campaign, Walker led the freshman team to a 17-2 record, averaging just over 15 points per game.
The following year, his first on the varsity team, Walker was a catalyst in leading St. John’s to their first of two Final Four appearances in program history.