By Dawn Scotland
The Truth Reporter
The Elite 8 of 1975 reunited at the Old Bag of Nails Pub Monday, September 9 to share stories and fellowship about their renowned careers as high school, collegiate and professional athletes from Toledo, Ohio.
“We call it the Elite 8,” remarked Ken Cunningham organizer of the gathering, “[it was] probably one of the best photos that ever came into the Toledo Blade, I thought if we could just get all the guys together that’s from that photo it would probably one of the best things that happen in Toledo in a long time to see all of us that are here.”
“We’re all brothers… this is once in a lifetime,” stated Cunningham “it’s so good to see everybody and we all can sit here and laugh and talk about the things we used to do.”
The photo was a promo in the Blade in 1975 of eight premier high school basketball players: Kenny Cunningham, Terry Crosby, Kelvin Ransey, Donald Collins, Truman Claytor, John Flowers, Kim Leonard and Farley Bell (now deceased).
“It was a picture of all of us together as being the best eight that ever came out of Toledo,” he stated. “Five of us were drafted by the NBA: Don Collins, Truman Claytor, Terry Crosby, Kelvin Ransey and myself.”
“It’s [great] for the guys that are coming up today that can see something like this, and it gives them some incentive,” he continued. “It makes it real big for us.”
The seven dined at Old Bag of Nails Pub and later went to Waite High School for a photoshoot all wearing their collegiate jerseys. Collins was recently inducted into the Washington State Hall of Fame earlier this month.
“I’m hoping that after today we will constantly get together,’ reflected Elite 8 member John Flowers, “To get together and to be in the same place –it’s fantastic.”
Kenny Cunningham led the Roger’s Rams to play in the City Championship game in his three Varsity seasons and was inducted in the Rogers High School Basketball Hall of Fame in 2011. Cunningham started his College Basketball career in 1977 at Monroe Community College in Monroe, Michigan where he received many distinctions and accolades. In 1978, he was named as a member of the Junior Basketball Olympic Team, in preparation for the 1980 Olympic Basketball Team.
In the fall of 1979, Cunningham joined the Western Michigan University Basketball Team. Within one year he was voted Most Valuable Player, first team all-District and second team all-conference. In 1980, he was voted first team all-conference and the All-Mac team in 1979 and 1980. He was voted most Valuable Player and named as the Mid-American Conference Player of the Year with a scoring average of 24.6 points per game. Cunningham then was Inducted into the Western Michigan University Basketball Hall of Fame in 2016.
In 1980, he was drafted to the National Basketball Association by the Utah Jazz, then was moved to try out with the Philadelphia 76ers. He was also Inducted into The City of Toledo Athletic Hall of Fame in 2023.
Terry Crosby is a former National Basketball Association (NBA) player with the Kansas City Kings. Raised in Toledo, Crosby is hailed as one of the city s finest two-sport athletes in basketball and football, leaving an indelible mark on the local sports scene as the first DeVilbiss High School athlete to have his jerseys retired in the history of Toledo Athletics Professional Achievements
With a full basketball scholarship, Crosby pursued his higher education at the University of Tennessee Knoxville, earning a BA Degree in Sociology. His passion for basketball took him on an extraordinary17-year professional journey, competing in various countries such as Great Britain, France, Switzerland and Italy. Throughout his time on the court, Crosby achieved remarkable milestones, including a phenomenal 73-point performance that solidified his place in the esteemed World Genius Book of Records.
Currently, Crosby channels his passion for community and engagement as a Corporate Ambassador for the esteemed Taylor Automotive Family and is the recent author of a book “Do You Have the Balls?” available on Amazon.
Bishop Kelvin Ransey was a three-year starter for Macomber where he earned first Team All-City Honors his junior and senior years. He was also first Team All-State his senior year. The young Ransey received numerous offers to play college basketball. He ultimately decided to attend Ohio State University on full scholarship. While playing at Ohio State Ransey broke many records and became the second All-Time leading scorer in OSU history. Bishop Ransey rests in the OSU Hall of Fame.
After college, Bishop Ransey was the fourth person selected in the 1980 NBA draft. He played six years in the NBA: two years for the Portland Trailblazers, one year with the Dallas Mavericks, and three years with the New Jersey Nets. In 1980, he lacked one vote from being named Rookie of the year. After six years of playing in the NBA, in September of 1985 God called him to preach the gospel. Bishop Ransey heeded the call, left the NBA at the age of 27 and committed to the ministry full time.
Donald Collins is a retired professional basketball player. Collins was a two-year starter for the Toledo Scott Bulldogs in 1975 and 1976. During that time, he was All City both years and earned All State his senior year. His senior year, he was also named Co Mr. Basketball of the State of Ohio along with Macomber’s Kelvin Ransey. Collins and the Bulldogs went to the State Sectionals his junior year and led the Bulldogs to the State semifinals his senior year. He left Scott with a 23.1 scoring average and was inducted into the Scott Athletic Hall of Fame.
Upon leaving high school, Collins was then recruited and attended Washington State University . He was selected as the Pac-10 Player of the Year, after averaging 23 points per game for Washington State University, in 1980 and leading the Cougars to their first NCAA Tournament berth since 1941. All-Pac 10 honors in three of his years there along with Pac 10 Player of the year in 1980. After his senior year, he only trailed Kareem Abdul Jabbar as the PAC 10 leader in points scored. This month, he was inducted into the Washington State University Hall of Fame.
In 1980, Donald was drafted #18 by the Atlanta Hawks. He played 6 seasons with stints with the Golden State Warriors, Washington Bullets, and the Milwaukee Bucks as well. Collins played in 333 National Basketball Association (NBA) games, for four teams, over six seasons, averaging just under 10 points per game for his career.
Collins starred in basketball minor leagues after averaging more than 30 points per game, in the United States Basketball League (USBL). A member of the Continental Basketball Association (CBA’s) 50th best players Anniversary Team, Collins is regarded as one of the most prolific scorers in the history of minor league basketball.
Truman Claytor is a 1975 graduate of Jesup W. Scott High School, He received his Bachelor’s Degree (1979) majoring in Elementary Education from the University of Kentucky. At Scott High School, he was a member of the 1974 &1975 Toledo City League basketball championship teams. Also, in 1974 his Scott team made it to the AAA Division state basketball tournament “Final 4” losing in the semi-final game. In 1975, Truman was named to the 1st Team All-City Basketball Team by the Toledo Blade and Times, and also, named the City League Player of the Year. That same season, he was named to be the 1st Team All District Basketball Team, All District Go-Player of the Year and to the AAA Division 1st Team All-Ohio Basketball Team.
His college basketball career continued at the University of Kentucky where his teams won the 1976 “NIT” Championship, and the NCAA Division 1 Championship in 1978. In 1979 he was drafted in the 6th round of the NBA draft by the Detroit Pistons. In 1980, he signed as a free agent with the Philadelphia 76ers. Truman was inducted into the Toledo City League Hall of Fame in 1991 and the African American Sports Legends Hall of Fame in 2018.
Claytor has officiated high school basketball for 31 years working all the conferences and leagues in Northwest Ohio. He’s officiated numerous boy’s and girl’s sectional, district and regional assignments over the last 20 plus seasons.
As a basketball official on the court, Claytor gives a 100 percent effort and exhibits a positive and professional attitude toward the players, coaches, administrators and fans every game he works. Off the court, he continues to inspire many people, if not everyone who comes in contact with him, because of his work with young people in the Toledo community as a youth drug and alcohol counselor.
John F. Flowers Jr. as a freshman at Macomber High School he led the team in scoring and rebounding and to a City League Championship. As a sophomore, he averaged 11 points and 12 rebounds a game en route to another championship and the regional semifinals he was named honorable mention all-city. His junior year with the Sylvania Wildcats he achieved a Grent Lakes League Championship and was he was named first team GLL, second team Northwest District and honorable mention all-district.
Flowers played basketball for Southview for just one season. The six-foot, five-inch center scored 398 points and pulled down 915 rebounds and led the Cougars to be Northern Lakes League Championship in 1977. He set seven school records graduating in 1977.
For his efforts, Flowers was named first team NLL, first team district and Northwest
District first team and player of the year. The all Ohio cager was a second team pick by the Associated Press and & third team selection by the United Press International.
In the Ohio-Michigan high school senior all-star team he played on with Earvin “Magic” Johnson and Jay Vincent that beat a touring Russian junior squad in 1977: Flowers was the top rebounder and second highest scorer in the game.
Flowers accepted a scholarship to Bowling Green State University. He was sidelined his freshman year with a wrist injury. And a horrible accident that nearly ended his collegiate career before it began. In 1978, he was driving a forklift and his right leg was crushed. Four months in a body cast and surgeries on both knees followed. Flowers’ determination, hard work and positive outlook made the devastating injury memory. He lettered in basketball from 1980 to 1982.
Kim Leonard is a 1976 graduate of Robert S. Rogers High School and is considered one of the Greatest City League Basketball Players of All Time. Kim was named twice to the First Team All-City and All District teams in 1975, his junior season, 1976, his senior season. He was also a part of the Blade’s Magnificent 8 that included his Rams teammates Ken Cunningham, Truman Claytor, Kelvin Ransey, Donald Collins, Terry Crosby, Farley Bell and John Flowers. This 1975-76 class is still considered the Greatest Basketball Class of All Time in Toledo City League History and featured 5 players that were Drafted to the NBA and two players to the NFL. Kim was also an All-Ohio selection his senior year averaging 18 points per game. After graduation, Leonard would play college basketball for Ohio University and later worked for TPS Schools.