I think Hoiberg's academics and character played into him getting up there and his hometown hero status. Ejim has better honors than Fred and Fred's jersey was retired only a couple years after he graduated.
Also better honors than Barry Stevens.
Melvin Ejim is part of the 2024 ISU Hall of Fame class!
- Thread starter Cyclonepride
- Start date
Also better honors than Barry Stevens.
I love Niang but Morris produced the most statistically of any Cyclone ever. Arguably the most of any Big 12 player ever, or at least close.
Because of Niang’s lovable personality so many act like he’s levels above anyone but Ejim and Morris are right there with him.
It’s three guys who were all perfect student athletes, perfect cyclones, in same era. Then it’s two guys who were the greatest on the court but didn’t graduate (Fizer/Tinsley).
Those guys never graduated from Iowa State. That's the first criteria.
The second being members of the ISU Athletics Hall of Fame (which carries the 10-year waiting period).
Yeah I know that. I am saying it shouldn't be.
Love Ejim. absolutely no to rafters though.
Monte and Niang were much better. So was Tinsley and Fizer.
Monte and Niang were much better. So was Tinsley and Fizer.
UNC has two standards.
"Retired" jerseys must...
AP NPOTY, Naismith NPOTY, Wooden Award, Sporting News NPOTY, Oscar Robertson Trophy
You essentially need to win national player of the year from a reputable source. Iowa State doesn't have anybody like that. But they do have a standard for "honored" jerseys...
Member of gold medal Olympic team
MVP (as voted by his teammates) of a national title team
First/second-team all-American
ACC POTY
NCAA tournament MVP
By that standard the list of guys in the rafters should be...
Waldo Wegner (second-team AA)
Gary Thompson (second-team AA, Big Eight POTY)
Zaid Abdul-Aziz (Big Eight POTY)
Jeff Grayer (second-team AA)
Marcus Fizer (first-team AA, Big 12 POTY)
Jamaal Tinsley (second-team AA, Big 12 POTY)
Melvin Ejim (second-team AA, B12 POTY)
Georges Niang (second-team AA)
Current jerseys in the rafter who would not qualify...
Jeff Hornacek (HM AA)
Fred Hoiberg (HM AA)
Barry Stevens (HM AA)
Neither would Monté Morris (third-team AA)
Couple other HM guys not otherwise mentioned...
Jack Flemming (third-team AA)
Dean Uthoff (HM AA)
Andrew Parker (HM AA)
Dedric Willoughby (HM AA)
Curtis Stinson (HM AA)
Craig Brackins (HM AA)
Royce White (HM AA)
DeAndre Kane (third-team AA)
"Retired" jerseys must...
AP NPOTY, Naismith NPOTY, Wooden Award, Sporting News NPOTY, Oscar Robertson Trophy
You essentially need to win national player of the year from a reputable source. Iowa State doesn't have anybody like that. But they do have a standard for "honored" jerseys...
Member of gold medal Olympic team
MVP (as voted by his teammates) of a national title team
First/second-team all-American
ACC POTY
NCAA tournament MVP
By that standard the list of guys in the rafters should be...
Waldo Wegner (second-team AA)
Gary Thompson (second-team AA, Big Eight POTY)
Zaid Abdul-Aziz (Big Eight POTY)
Jeff Grayer (second-team AA)
Marcus Fizer (first-team AA, Big 12 POTY)
Jamaal Tinsley (second-team AA, Big 12 POTY)
Melvin Ejim (second-team AA, B12 POTY)
Georges Niang (second-team AA)
Current jerseys in the rafter who would not qualify...
Jeff Hornacek (HM AA)
Fred Hoiberg (HM AA)
Barry Stevens (HM AA)
Neither would Monté Morris (third-team AA)
Couple other HM guys not otherwise mentioned...
Jack Flemming (third-team AA)
Dean Uthoff (HM AA)
Andrew Parker (HM AA)
Dedric Willoughby (HM AA)
Curtis Stinson (HM AA)
Craig Brackins (HM AA)
Royce White (HM AA)
DeAndre Kane (third-team AA)
In the modern era this UNC criteria is generally incompatible with graduating.
Even Morris, Ejim and Niang it was like we had the perfect combo of luck to keep them 12 years. Ejim developed too gradually to get drafted early, Morris started out so small, and Niang got his body in shape only toward the very end.
Imho Fizer coming back for his junior year when he was projected mid to late first round as a sophomore is as much a player has given to isu. They should change the rule to graduating just being a key criteria but not required.
The three guys of the Hoiberg era are equally worthy but none of them passed up getting drafted first round for one more ISU season like Fizer did…then he’s also simply the most highly awarded on the court.
In the era of NIL, it feels really awkward to exclude arguably the greatest player in program history because he was good enough to go pro early.
I'm not a fan of the "must graduate" criteria for the modern era.
We're very rarely going to see guys that good stay four years. Like you said, it will basically come down to seniors who developed late but explosively (e.g., Ejim and Niang) as the sole qualifiers.
Most are going to transfer or head to the NBA long before that.
Great ISU career, great ambassador of the cardinal-and-old (perhaps exclusing an eye-poking and finger incident in Provo) and a good professional career.
Congrats, Edge!
Congrats, Edge!
Ok, it's me And I'm including class attendance figures, backspin on jump shots, FT percentage, words to the fight song, ability to do all the actions on the Juicy Wiggle dance and at least 4 years pounding the hardwood of the Hilton.
Not a Cyclone but Garza and even Edey are examples where they don’t pick to stay in college rather the nba doesn’t want that kind of player like it would have 20 years ago. If either were quick footed they’re one and done.
Fizer was athletic enough he’d have been the same nba prospect today and he’d have probably developed his 3pt shot at a younger age. He passed up getting drafted as a sophomore for ISU, just a total no brainer to hang it up now that every player is getting paid like @Cyclonepride brought up.
It’s insane to me that there are people vehemently against Melvin going up in the rafters. He won conference player of the year and was on several All American teams. Set the Big 12 record for points in a game. Won a Big 12 tournament. Academic All-American. Stayed all 4 years. He sets the standard for what you want to see in a Cyclone basketball player.
We have five worthy guys. If Tinsley and Fizer don’t qualify academically, Ejim has to be the dream candidate as it seems he was the best student basketball player ever.
The only year that Ejim was the best player on his own team was his senior year. And even that was debatable even though he won big 12 player of the year, a lot of people thought Kane was better that year. It was close.
It’s not an insult to say that yes he’s one of the all-time greats at Iowa State, but no, he’s most definitely not worthy of rafters.
To my knowledge, all of the jerseys in the rafters now are retired numbers.
If/when Ejim, Niang, Monte get the call, would those numbers be retired? Or just "honored"?
#3 and #11 obviously have been back in circulation. No one has had #31 since Georges.
If/when Ejim, Niang, Monte get the call, would those numbers be retired? Or just "honored"?
#3 and #11 obviously have been back in circulation. No one has had #31 since Georges.
