Last Updated:8:36 PM EST 4/24/08 Section: Sports

Paul Hewitt is one of the most recognized faces to come through the St. John Fisher College men's basketball program.

And he doesn't even hold a single Fisher record.

"Let's just put it this way, when I was at Fisher, I couldn't score 20 points if I was in the gym by myself," Hewitt said. "I was what they called a 'team' player."

Obviously being a good player has nothing to do with being a great coach.

In only four seasons as a Division I men's basketball head coach at Georgia Tech, Hewitt led the Yellowjackets to the 2004 NCAA Championship game, losing to UConn, 83-72.

Alhough he doesn't give himself much credit, he was a four-time letterwinner at Fisher, from 1981 to 1985, and served as the Cardinals' captain as a senior.

"Paul doesn't give himself enough credit," said Bobby Wanzer, who served as Cardinals' head coach from 1963 to 1987. "He was a smart kid that was always in the right spot at the right time on the court."

While he never reached the peak of his prowess on the court, he got quite a few lessons for his career on the sidelines.

Wanzer, who played for the 1951 NBA Champion Rochester Royals and was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1987, left Hewitt with philosophies that have stuck with him throughout his career.

"I thought that Coach Wanzer had a great way with dealing with players," Hewitt said. "He was demanding but at the same time he didn't degrade you or try to steal your confidence from you."

After coaching junior varsity at his alma mater, Westbury High School from 1985 to 1988, Hewitt decided that he wanted to get a Master's degree at C.W. Post to become a high school guidance counselor. He was the assistant coach to help pay for the degree.

In the spring of 1989, after helping out with basketball camps at places such as Syracuse and Providence, Hewitt attended a conference in Dallas, Texas, where he got the job offer to become a graduate assistant at the University of Southern California under George Raveling.

"I decided to try the job at USC just to see what Division I basketball was like, always thinking I'd get back on track and become a high school guidance counselor," Hewitt said. "I've been off track ever since. I tell everyone that one day I'm going to finish up that degree and become a counselor."

After spending a year at USC, Hewitt made his way back to the east coast to become an assistant coach at Fordham University from 1990 to 1992. Right after that, Hewitt went to Philadelphia to assist head coach Steve Lappas for five seasons at Villanova.

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