21 Months removed - Should #3 still be retired?

[DeereClone]

Ejim and Niang need to be up there. 4 year guys who were great leaders for us during our program revival/best run ever depending on how you measure it.

Ejim was just such a perfect example of what a college student athlete is supposed to be i think it would be a shame to leave him off.

Going forward it is going to be harder and harder to retire jerseys as the best players will leave early and not have a 4 year impact on ISU like Ejim and Georges.

 

[FocusTown]

Tinsley, Fizer, Ejim, and Niang

 

[SoapyCy]

With Georges and Monte now gone and being a few years removed...

Does Ejim's jersey belong up there?

 

[NWICY]

Personally I could see Georges and Monte ahead of Ejim.

 

[Cyclonepride]

With Georges and Monte now gone and being a few years removed...

Does Ejim's jersey belong up there?

I'm still a yes. That club is way too exclusive if a conference player of the year, all American and all around fantastic student, person and ambassador for the university doesn't belong there.

 

[AuH2O]

I will go back to my statement in 2015 in the thread. If you are a no to Ejim, best be pulling Fred's down from the rafters. Can't keep a conference POY out while Fred didn't accomplish it in year where there were co-POYs that were Ryan Minor and Big Country. And yes Fred's should be in the rafters, as should Ejim, Tinsley, and Fizers.

 

[allday4cy]

Still a no

 

[CloneGuy8]

I wouldn't have a problem if it happened, however I ask myself 'was he the best player on any team here?' Now you could say obviously since he was the Big 12 player of the year his senior year, however I think you could also make a strong argument that Kane or Georges was the best player on that team too. For that reason I lean no, as I think retiring jerseys should only happen for elite players. But as I said, I wouldn't have a problem if it happened because he was damn good.

 

[NATEizKING]

Still a yes.

 

[CyArob]

Yes. No doubt.

 

[BryceC]

I'm still saying no but incredibly grateful for him.

 

[bsaltyman]

Ok, I dug around the ISU career stats a little bit for a comparison to other players. I took into account if a player is in the top-15 all time at ISU for any of the main stats (points, rebounds, steals, assists, blocks). This is just a raw look at numbers and not attempting to get into other honors like all-conference, academic all-american, etc.

Here is Ejim's notable career stats:

• 2nd in rebounds (1051)
• 11th in steals (146)
• 14th in points (1643)

Now for the other recent ISU studs, Niang & Morris:

Niang

• 2nd points (2228)
• 10th assists (421)
• 11th rebounds (714)
• 14th blocks (67)

Morris

• 1st assists (768)
• 1st steals (225)
• 11th points (1708)

Clearly Morris and Niang are no-brainers to have their jersey's retired. Morris is ISU's all time leader in two major statistical categories (not even getting into things like assist-turnover ratio, which he is way out in front), and Niang is 2nd points along with being top-15 in three other statistical categories.

Earlier in this thread, a poster compared Ejim to Hoiberg. Well:

Hoiberg

• 4th points (1993)
• 4th steals (207)
• 8th rebounds (748)
• 12th assists (350)

No offense to Ejim, but if you just look at the stats, Hoiberg's career was clearly better.

So I guess my question is, how good does a player's career stats have to be to be considered good enough? Ejim's career rebounds were excellent, and he was at least top-15 in points and steals. Is that good enough?

If you think that Ejim's numbers are good enough, what about Julius Michalik?:

Michalik

• 7th points (1825)
• 10th blocks (82)
• 13th assists (308)
• 14th steals (134)

Looking at that, I would retire his jersey before Ejim's.

How about Victor Alexander? He was 5th in points (1892) and 6th in rebounds (810). If career rebounds are the main reason we want to retire a jersey, what about Dean Uthoff (1st in rebounds with 1233)?

My main point is that when it comes to deciding whose jersey should be retired, Niang and Morris are clear, and the case for Ejim is a little more difficult to make. At least if you are only looking at the raw stats. Maybe his other contributions like being a great student-athlete should be enough to retire his jersey. My opinion is that if I have to think about it that hard, I would rather not retire his jersey and instead save the rafters for the very elite players.

 

[AuH2O]

Ok, I dug around the ISU career stats a little bit for a comparison to other players. I took into account if a player is in the top-15 all time at ISU for any of the main stats (points, rebounds, steals, assists, blocks). This is just a raw look at numbers and not attempting to get into other honors like all-conference, academic all-american, etc.

Here is Ejim's notable career stats:

• 2nd in rebounds (1051)
• 11th in steals (146)
• 14th in points (1643)

Now for the other recent ISU studs, Niang & Morris:

Niang

• 2nd points (2228)
• 10th assists (421)
• 11th rebounds (714)
• 14th blocks (67)

Morris

• 1st assists (768)
• 1st steals (225)
• 11th points (1708)

Clearly Morris and Niang are no-brainers to have their jersey's retired. Morris is ISU's all time leader in two major statistical categories (not even getting into things like assist-turnover ratio, which he is way out in front), and Niang is 2nd points along with being top-15 in three other statistical categories.

Earlier in this thread, a poster compared Ejim to Hoiberg. Well:

Hoiberg

• 4th points (1993)
• 4th steals (207)
• 8th rebounds (748)
• 12th assists (350)

No offense to Ejim, but if you just look at the stats, Hoiberg's career was clearly better.

So I guess my question is, how good does a player's career stats have to be to be considered good enough? Ejim's career rebounds were excellent, and he was at least top-15 in points and steals. Is that good enough?

If you think that Ejim's numbers are good enough, what about Julius Michalik?:

Michalik

• 7th points (1825)
• 10th blocks (82)
• 13th assists (308)
• 14th steals (134)

Looking at that, I would retire his jersey before Ejim's.

How about Victor Alexander? He was 5th in points (1892) and 6th in rebounds (810). If career rebounds are the main reason we want to retire a jersey, what about Dean Uthoff (1st in rebounds with 1233)?

My main point is that when it comes to deciding whose jersey should be retired, Niang and Morris are clear, and the case for Ejim is a little more difficult to make. At least if you are only looking at the raw stats. Maybe his other contributions like being a great student-athlete should be enough to retire his jersey. My opinion is that if I have to think about it that hard, I would rather not retire his jersey and instead save the rafters for the very elite players.

Yet Ejim has more accolades than all of them. I guess I heavily factor in team success and the players impact on those teams. Fred played on mediocre teams. One season over .500 in conference.

 

[AgronAlum]

To all y'all that say no.

 

[jkclone]

People who say no are being to restrictive. The impact he had was so big. He was fundamental in rebuilding Iowa State, was a great student athlete, and a great player.

 

[ISUCubswin]

Melvin Ejim is the only guy Hoiberg ever got in here that knew how to rebound and lasted more than a year. (WTF Calvin Godfrey)

Numbers say yes but I'm not sure we can retire a 3, 31, and 11 so quickly.

 

[Sigmapolis]

#3
#11
#31

Represent the era.

 

[Doc]

I used to be a no, let's see how it ages, but I'm pretty much in the yes camp now. Melvin meant so much to ISU and his numbers and accolades are good enough.

 

[CycloneErik]

I'm still a yes. That club is way too exclusive if a conference player of the year, all American and all around fantastic student, person and ambassador for the university doesn't belong there.

There's no logical way to say no.
Let's get this done.

 

[HFCS]

I've said this many many times but...

If Fizer/Tinsley # isn't retired it means Ejim's must be immediately.

The only knocks against Fizer and Tinsley are that they weren't like Melvin Ejim in the class room. The guy was Big 12 player of the year, a model student, and the key player involved in a massive program turnaround.