Jerseys in McD's

[kchoya]

I haven't been back to McDonough in a while, but I think the Gillery jersey is a purple/black version - a color scheme (and logo) the Kings didn't adopt until 1995:

www.nba.com/history/uniforms_kings.html

I seem to remember the Gillery jersey popping up all of a sudden and being confused why this "88" jersey showed up in 1996 or 1997.

[EasyEd]

Jul 8, 2008 11:56:05 GMT -5 DFW HOYA said:

I have mixed feelings about the whole thing--yes, it's great to show to recruits, but the pre-Thompson players are conspicuously absent. (.)

Excluding the pre-Thompson years is inexcusable. In fact, I think it is unwise to accent the NBA since what matters is what they did at Georgetown. And, you don't have to have a jersey; a banner would accomplish the same thing and make it possible to have the Mahnkens and the Barrys of the Hoya world included.

[MCIGuy]

Jul 8, 2008 11:35:31 GMT -5 EasyEd said:

Who is on the wall now? Are they listed anywhere?

They are, in order or playing years at GU:
Duren
Shelton
Floyd
Ewing
Martin
M. Jackson
Wingate
R. Williams
Gillery
J. Jackson
C. Smith
Mutombo
Mourning
Churchwell (?)
Reid
Harrington
J. Williams
Iverson
J. White
Boumtje-Boumtje
Sweetney
Green

Transfers (A. Jones, Tucker, Turner) not included.

--Admin

That would make 22 total. But I'm sure I counted only 21 this past weekend. Maybe Churchwell isn't up there. Did he ever actually play a minute in the NBA?

[DudeSlade]

Did we really go from Iverson to Green with only 3 players making the NBA? That's 10 years with 3 players. Not a good time in our history. But its sure to increase quickly. Top programs should expect their players to make the NBA, and putting their jerseys on the McD wall doesn't really send that message. I doubt a UNC or UCLA would have a wall like this, but for Georgetown, i think it's a nice memento and keeps the Hoya family thing going. Though, maybe we shouldn't be so conspicuous about putting it on the McD wall, maybe it could be in a hallway.

[jgalt]

Jul 8, 2008 13:18:46 GMT -5 DudeSlade said:

Did we really go from Iverson to Green with only 3 players making the NBA? That's 10 years with 3 players. Not a good time in our history. But its sure to increase quickly. Top programs should expect their players to make the NBA, and putting their jerseys on the McD wall doesn't really send that message. I doubt a UNC or UCLA would have a wall like this, but for Georgetown, i think it's a nice memento and keeps the Hoya family thing going. Though, maybe we shouldn't be so conspicuous about putting it on the McD wall, maybe it could be in a hallway.

i dont know about UCLA or if UNC does or doesnt have a wall like this, but they do retire the Player of the Year Numbers and hang them from the rafters; this has a similar effect in my opinion.

[TrueHoyaBlue]

I personally like the jersey wall a lot -- I think it's a great touch on an otherwise drab wall in McD, and it definitely adds a nice conversation piece to the gym. (On Sunday, Mrs. THB had me explain each of the jerseys, since her Hoya fandom didn't start until JTIII's first year).

That said, I also think that it would make sense to add the jerseys (or at least a banner with names and years) of those who played in the NBA/ABA prior to Shelton and Duren, as a reminder that G'town's hoops history is more than a few decades old.

[DudeSlade]

THB, that would be an awesome idea to include the early years. Do we have records of alums that played back then? Could we get the Hoya Hoops Club to propose this to the Ath. Dept.?

[kchoya]

Jul 8, 2008 14:52:23 GMT -5 DudeSlade said:

Do we have records of alums that played back then?

I think there's someone around here who might be able to find something like that.

[theexorcist]

When I was at Georgetown, a cross was on the top of the wall, above an American flag, followed by the jerseys below.

I always wanted to take a picture and title it "God, Country, Patrick Ewing". It just seemed to encapsulate Georgetown for me.

[kghoya]

churchwell got his nba cameo apperance in

www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/churcro01.html

[SFHoya99]

I've heard the wall is a pretty good recruiting tool -- most of these kids have an eye to the NBA.

I am completely in favor of jerseys/numbers in Verizon based on some other criteria.

I also think we need to include pre-Thompson folks.

[russodj]

Man, and here I thought we were going to get a discussion on McDonald's All Americans from New Jersey.

[lichoya68]

DFW I KNOW YOU SAID IN THE PAST PETE MICHELE WAS NOT ON AN ABA ROSTER BUT I THINK HE TOLD ME HE PLAYED WITH LIKE LARRY BROWN FOR SOMEBODY EITHER NEW ORLEANS OR A FLORIDA TEAM SOO MAYBE I HEARD WRONG LIKE USUAL GO HOYAS

[DFW HOYA]

Jul 8, 2008 13:54:48 GMT -5 jgalt said:

i dont know about UCLA or if UNC does or doesnt have a wall like this, but they do retire the Player of the Year Numbers and hang them from the rafters; this has a similar effect in my opinion.

UNC's display is by the far the best in the nation.

The top row of jerseys at the Dean Dome is reserved for national players of the year, of which there are seven (eight after Hansborough graduates). These are the only numbers "retired".

The succeeding three rows are "honored" jerseys, reserved for ACC Player of the Year, MVP of a National Championship team, or a consensus first- or second-team All-America, or be a member of a gold medal-winning Olympic team. There are, if you can believe it, 37 of them.

If Georgetown was held to such a standard, there would be only seven such jerseys: Ewing, followed by Floyd, Williams, Smith, Mourning, Iverson, and Hibbert.

(Duke, on the other hand, seems to retire everyone lately. Among the retired jerseys are Shelden Williams and JJ Redick.)

[SirSaxa]

I agree we should add Pre-Thompson NBA players.

But I think it is a great tradition that was kind of unbelievable when it started -- what? GU has guys being drafted into the NBA?

But we are missing Merlin Wilson '76 too. He was drafted by the W Bullets.
Don't think he made the team.

[Fan Of The Game]

Jul 8, 2008 21:19:42 GMT -5 DFW HOYA said:

Jul 8, 2008 13:54:48 GMT -5 jgalt said:

(Duke, on the other hand, seems to retire everyone lately. Among the retired jerseys are Shelden Williams and JJ Redick.)

I always laugh at Maryland "honoring" Stevie Franchise's jersey. A one and done guy who was not part of the championship team the year after he left.

[jerseyhoya34]

If Wallace makes an NBA team, and I don't care if it is only a ten day contract, I think any potential "rule" about being drafted should be waived so you can have 4 of our 5 "seniors" on the jersey wall (Green, Hibbert, Ewing, and Wallace). If there was ever a player who encapsulated what our program is and should be about, his name is Wallace.

This group, including Crawford, has to be in the top 3 of all time GU classes, and may be the most important when you consider what their stellar accomplishments can allow us to do - compete for conference/national titles and championships regularly - after an extended period of underperformance. These guys were leaders and deserve this kind of recognition.

[DudeSlade]

Jul 8, 2008 21:19:42 GMT -5 DFW HOYA said:

Jul 8, 2008 13:54:48 GMT -5 jgalt said:

i dont know about UCLA or if UNC does or doesnt have a wall like this, but they do retire the Player of the Year Numbers and hang them from the rafters; this has a similar effect in my opinion.

UNC's display is by the far the best in the nation.

The top row of jerseys at the Dean Dome is reserved for national players of the year, of which there are seven (eight after Hansborough graduates). These are the only numbers "retired".

The succeeding three rows are "honored" jerseys, reserved for ACC Player of the Year, MVP of a National Championship team, or a consensus first- or second-team All-America, or be a member of a gold medal-winning Olympic team. There are, if you can believe it, 37 of them.

If Georgetown was held to such a standard, there would be only seven such jerseys: Ewing, followed by Floyd, Williams, Smith, Mourning, Iverson, and Hibbert.

(Duke, on the other hand, seems to retire everyone lately. Among the retired jerseys are Shelden Williams and JJ Redick.)

I think there'd be 8 of our players on a wall like this, since Jeff won BE Player of the Year.

That wall at UNC was exactly what I would expect from a program with that history. It's not every player that made the NBA--it's only the best. I think it's great that we recognize all the guys that have made the NBA, but someday I hope we are in the position as a program that we can have a wall like UNC's, with only our very best up there--and to have so many of them. 8 & 37 are unreal numbers.

[SFHoya99]

Eight and 37 are unreal numbers, but let's be honest, a lot of those are media-hype based. Either that, or Dean Smith and his predecessors were AWFUL coaches. Carolina has what, five national titles? Great history, but when there's a great player in a Carolina uniform and a great player in another school's uniform, guess who gets the awards?

[hoyalawyer]

Jul 9, 2008 8:15:46 GMT -5 SFHoya99 said:

but when there's a great player in a Carolina uniform and a great player in another school's uniform, guess who gets the awards?

the other school