To play varsity basketball, Joe Malis knew he needed a new address.

"I was on the team at Butler, but I never got to play," he said. "I have to admit, I transferred schools to play sports."

That transfer paid off.

The then-Prospect resident attended Slippery Rock High in 1977-78, set the school's single-season scoring record his only year there, went on to a record-setting basketball career at Clarion University before his successful pro career in Europe.

Malis will be one of seven inductees into the Butler Area Sports Hall of Fame during the organization's annual banquet at 6:30 p.m. Saturday at the Butler Days Inn.

"I don't know what my life would have been like had I not gone to Slippery Rock," Malis said. "I doubt I would have even gone to college."

Malis averaged 20 points per game for the Rockets and scored 540 points his senior year. He was voted Section 15 MVP and helped the team win a record 25 consecutive games.

Slippery Rock reached the district finals that season and played in Pittsburgh's Civic Arena.

"We beat Midland in the district playoffs that year and nobody ever did that in those days," Malis said. "The game was played in the New Castle gym and it was a sellout.

"You couldn't even hear the ball bounce off the floor, it was so loud."

Moving on to Clarion, Malis wound up scoring 1,411 points - fifth on the Golden Eagles' all-time list - and helped Clarion post a 68-26 record with two PSAC West titles in three years.

He owns Clarion's single-season scoring record of 622 points and sits atop the school's all-time list in free throws made in a career (385) and single season (182).

Malis also stands 10th on Clarion's career rebounding list with 487.

"I took the most pride in getting to the foul line often," Malis said. "That meant I was getting the opposing team in foul trouble, and that's an important part of the game."

Malis credits much of his development in basketball to former Butler County Community College coach and current Butler High varsity assistant Dick Hartung.

"He set me up in summer leagues that had top-flight competition," Malis said. "I was 6-foot-6 and played against guys 6-11 or 7 feet tall in those leagues.

"One team I played on, a member of the St. John's national championship team came off our bench. That's how deep in talent those leagues were."

From 1982-87, Malis played professional basketball in Germany's top-rated league and led the circuit in scoring three times in five years.

He averaged more than 30 points per game his first year over there.

"A young guy going that far from home, it was all about the basketball," Malis said. "I wanted to keep playing so badly.

"They were allowed one American per team and if the team lost, it was always the American's fault. I found that out in a hurry."

Malis wonders what his life would be like had basketball not played a part in it.

"I had no desire to go to college," he said. "Basketball motivated me to do a lot of things. I've got my degree and my family owns a couple of small businesses.

"I wish more people could get out of sports what I got out of sports."

Now living in Elizabethtown, Malis was inducted into the Clarion University Hall of Fame in 2002.

"Things have happened to me in my life … Step on to a basketball court and 15,000 people are cheering because it's you," he said.

"I still remember Senior Night at Slippery Rock, getting a standing ovation for 10 or 12 minutes when my name was announced … I can't begin to explain that feeling. It will never leave me."