The Mount Rushmore of ISU hoops consists of two faces - Johnny Orr and Gary Thompson. That's it. After those two, it gets too hard to decide who should/shouldn't be there. No one can argue against these two.
Melvin freaking Ejim
- Thread starter cyatheart
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The Mount Rushmore of ISU hoops consists of two faces - Johnny Orr and Gary Thompson. That's it. After those two, it gets too hard to decide who should/shouldn't be there. No one can argue against these two.
I would say anyone who has never lost to Kansas should be in there. "Just another gym"
Ok, sorry about that, I went back and put the "players only" caveat in after my original post.
I see your point there, the reasons I put him on were the quality of the team while he was here, and the fact that he had such a long and I'd say good NBA career as an ISU alum.
Still too hard to decide. What about Barry Stevens? Fizer? Aziz?
Nope. Leave it at Orr and Thompson.
No Hoiberg even? After his playing career and the way he's bringing the program back now? I don't think you'd find many on this board who wouldn't have Fred on there.
I think you almost have to be at a school for 4 years to be considered an "all-time" great player there. With the way the college game is today with so many one and dones, it's rare to have a very good player around that long before bolting to the NBA, which is why what Melvin has done for us is so special. Do you think Wiggins or Embiid will be considered all time greats when they leave KU after this year? Even if they won a national title, I would say probably not.
McDermott's best recruit was Brackins by far. Imagine if he played under Hoiberg.
As far as the Mt.Rushmore, it has to be Orr and Thompson and Hoiberg to go along with what some have said. That last spot is trickier.
Agree with you on all of that, thanks for the conversation. I'll chisel Tinsley out of my Rushmore...:notworthy:
Totally going to derail the thread...
I won't argue Fred. He is performing a Johnny Orr-like revival job for our program. He is a great coach and he was a very good player. But Fred goes on because he IS Iowa State - not necessarily because of his coaching or his play. If he wasn't from Ames, do you think he would be a gimmie? Not sure. (Don't misunderstand me, love Fred and respect everything he has done for ISU. Not knocking him)
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
Yes. Being from Ames is icing on the cake.
If no Fred, no point in having this Mt. Rushmore.
He misses some bunnies and he's not huge on a dribble-drive. But he does a lot of things to make up for it and usually beyond.
Agree, and sorry for taking the thread a little off topic, my intent was to learn a little about people's perceptions of some of ISU's greats, and to compliment Melvin on not only a great game today and what I think, if all things were equal, could be a Big XII POY kind of senior season.
CycloneErik
Well-Known Member
No problem. I think I could explain it better:
1. Fred's accomplishments make it empirically impossible to leave him out.
2. Fred's growing up in Ames makes it emotionally impossible to leave him out.
I don't know if Melvin makes the mountain or not, but his jersey needs to be hanging in the rafters immediately.
