Elisha Justice
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | December 17, 1990 |
| Nationality | American |
| Listed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) |
| Listed weight | 170 lb (77 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Shelby Valley High School (Pike County, Kentucky) |
| College | Louisville (2010–2012) Pikeville (2012–2014) |
| Position | Guard[1] |
| Career highlights | |
| |
Elisha Justice (born December 17, 1990)[2] is an American basketball coach and a former high school and college basketball player.
In 2010, his team won the Kentucky state championship and Justice was named tournament MVP[3] as well as the 2010 Kentucky Mr. Basketball.[4][5] He played for two years at the University of Louisville. In his second year, the team won the Big East tournament and made it to the Final Four.
Justice has been a high school basketball coach since 2014. In 2022, he was inducted into the Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame.[6][7]
Early life and education
Justice was born in Dorton, Kentucky[2] on December 17, 1990, the second of 3 children to Joey and Robin Justice.
Justice attended Shelby Valley High School where he played for the Wildcats.[8] In 2010, the Wildcats won the Kentucky state championship.[9][10][11] It was Justice's third trip to the Sweet Sixteen[12] where he was named tournament MVP.[8][13] The same year, Justice was named the 2010 Kentucky Mr. Basketball.[4][13] He also finished 7th in the voting for the 2010 Kentucky Sportsman of the Year[13] and finished his high school career with the state record for steals.[12]
Justice played for the University of Louisville[4] for two years.[8][9][5] In his sophomore year, the team won the Big East tournament and made it to the Final Four.[8] Justice transferred to the University of Pikeville[9] to be closer to home and family.[14] There, he finished his college career and his final two years of eligibility.[8][5]
Coaching career
Justice became the head boys basketball coach of June Buchanan School in Pippa Passes, Kentucky in 2014.[5][8][15] This was followed by the head coaching job at Pikeville High School in 2016.[3][9][11]
In 2021–2022, Pikeville Panthers won their 15th regional title under Justice as well as the All “A” state championship.[15] In 2024, Justice coached his 200th high school basketball game.[15]
Honors
- Kentucky Mr. Basketball (2010)[4]
- Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame (2022)[6]
References
- ^ "Elisha Justice - Louisville Cardinals Guard".
- ^ a b Proballers. "Elisha Justice, Basketball Player, Stats, Height, Age". Proballers. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ^ a b "In Return to Sweet Sixteen, Elisha Justice Foiled by Two Ex-Players". Lexington Herald-Leader. March 16, 2017. pp. 4D. Retrieved November 3, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c d "Elisha Justice profile". University of Louisville Athletics. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Former Card Elisha Justice lands coaching gig". USA TODAY High School Sports. October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ^ a b "Elisha Justice". Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame. March 21, 2025. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ^ Brewer, Courtney Layne (August 14, 2022). "Two mountain natives named to Kentucky High School Basketball Hall of Fame". www.wymt.com. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e f "June Buchanan Names Justice New Boys' Basketball Coach - Alice Lloyd College". Alice Lloyd College. Pippa Passes, Kentucky. October 15, 2014. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ^ a b c d "Elisha Justice named new head coach at Pikeville High School". Card Chronicle. April 26, 2016. Retrieved September 6, 2025.
- ^ Polson, Jarrod; Coker, Wes (March 23, 2015). Living Beyond the Dream: A Journey of Faith into the Talented World of Kentucky Basketball. WestBow Press. ISBN 978-1-4908-7113-4.
- ^ a b Winstead, Kenzie (March 13, 2017). "Elisha Justice Returns to Sweet 16 as Head Coach". The Courier-Journal. pp. 6C. Retrieved November 3, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ a b "Shelby Valley's Justice to win Mr. Basketball". Lexington Herald-Leader. March 26, 2010. pp. B6. Retrieved November 3, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
Justice, a 5-foot-10 senior guard, finished his career with 2,086 points, 633 assists, 540 steals (a state record) and 470 rebounds. He led the Wildcats to back-to-back All "A" small school titles and three trips to the Sweet Sixteen, capped by this year's championship.
- ^ a b c "2010 Kentucky Sportsman of the Year: Final Voting". Lexington Herald-Leader. January 23, 2011. pp. C9. Retrieved November 3, 2025 – via newspapers.com.
- ^ Story, Mark. "Elisha Justice has a compelling reason for giving up shot at NCAA title with U of L". Lexington Herald-Leader. Retrieved November 3, 2025.
- ^ a b c White, Randy (February 9, 2024). "Justice reaches 200 career wins". Appalachian News-Express. Retrieved September 6, 2025.