It’s all about basketball for Elijah Lewis.
For the new Marist guard, his basketball journey has been unorthodox, but since arriving in Poughkeepsie he is ready to be a part of a special season with high expectations.
Lewis comes to Marist via Adelphi University in Garden City, NY, where across two seasons for the Panthers he averaged 15.7 points per game, shooting 52.1% from the field and 41.6 from beyond the arc. Lewis received just two offers coming out of high school in Watchung, NJ where he set the record for points scored in a game with 39.
The 6’5″ junior had two breakout seasons at the NCAA Division II level, but for Lewis getting to that next level was always in the back of his mind.
“It’s always been a goal to play at the highest level I can. After my first year, I wasn’t going to do it, because I wanted to get another year of experience,” said Lewis.
Lewis spoke with his family after season two at Adelphi and the stars aligned once head coach John Dunne reached out. There were a few other schools that contacted Lewis, but Marist showed immense interest in the sharpshooter. Part of the decision to call Poughkeepsie his home were a few pre-existing relationships.
“It also help[ed] that I knew people here, I knew Jadin [Collins-Roberts], I played him in high school, and my older brother played with Jackson [Price] in Georgia,” said Lewis.
The relationships built by the staff and by his new teammates have helped Lewis acclimate to practice as well. Lewis sees himself as a supplemental piece to the 2024-25 squad with the potential to contribute big on the offensive end.
“I don’t try to be selfish, I try to get my teammates open, but if I’m open you know I’m going to take the shot, if I can go make a play, I’m going to make a play,” said Lewis.
Lewis beams with a positive attitude and genuine nature, with Marist finding him at the right time. For the Red Foxes, they needed a hot scorer, and many in the program are impressed by the way Lewis has handled himself.
Lewis sticks to his routines, whether in his free time or on the court, getting the same sandwich three or four times a week: a sausage, egg, and cheese on a croissant, with a hashbrown packed inside.
“If I am not in the gym, I’m in my room, it’s just those two,” said Lewis.
Lewis works on his craft almost for half the day while also making sure to focus on his school work. Above all, he is a regular guy who loves basketball and food at heart, something he embraces in the face of high expectations this season.
This is the highest Marist ranking on the MAAC preseason poll since 2008, placed second out of 13 teams. Lewis says that Dunne wants to win a championship and has gotten the team on board from the start.
“He [Dunne] believes in us and I know he knows that we can do it, we just all have to put the work in. We all have to hold ourselves to that standard and hold each other accountable,” said Lewis.
Lewis has a signature look that he is bringing to McCann Area: goggles. Something he says will a semi-permanent, as contacts never felt right to him.
“People look at you differently when you wear goggles,” said Lewis.
For this season, that is exactly what Marist is looking for: something different and something new. Ultimately, the team hopes Lewis can become that X-Factor to get Marist over the hump and earn John Dunne’s first MAAC championship in Poughkeepsie.
Edited by Luke Sassa and Marley Pope
Graphic by Quinn DiFiore; Photos from Marist Athletics
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