MBB: ISU Basketball Great Barry Stevens Dies

[Jeremy]

MBB: ISU Basketball Great Barry Stevens Dies
Media Relations

AMES, Iowa - Barry Stevens, one of the greatest players in Iowa State men's basketball history, died suddenly Wednesday in Gary, Ind. He was 43. More details were not yet available. Stevens, who played at ISU from 1982-85, led the Cyclones back to the NCAA Tournament in 1985, the first Iowa State NCAA appearance since 1944. He was a 1987 ISU graduate in Family and Consumer Sciences. Funeral arrangements were pending. A moment of silence will be observed in Stevens' honor at Wednesday night's Cyclone men's basketball game against Colorado.

"We are deeply saddened by this loss for the Iowa State University family," Iowa State athletics director Jamie Pollard said. "Barry made a special effort to maintain his ties with Iowa State two decades after he left Ames. We join thousands of Iowa State basketball fans whose thoughts and prayers are with his family."

Stevens was the key ingredient in Iowa State’s and Johnny Orr’s resurgence on the collegiate basketball scene. His fast-paced, smooth-shooting style was a perfect fit in Orr’s exciting up-tempo offense, reigniting the Cyclone basketball program and turning it into an annual NCAA Tournament contender during his career from 1982-85.

"Barry would want to be remembered first for the example he set as a Christian," said former Iowa State assistant coach Jim Hallihan. "He was always such a positive, upbeat person. You would get on the phone with him for a five-minute conversation and end up talking for 45 minutes. Yes, he was a great player. There were two young men that restarted the program, Ronnie Harris and Barry Stevens. Their efforts helped us sign the caliber of players that followed and put Iowa State on the national basketball map."

Stevens’ numbers and honors tell the story of his impact on the ISU basketball program. He earned first-team all-Big Eight honors in his final two seasons, one of 13 Cyclone hoopsters in school history to earn first-team all-league kudos twice in a career. He ended his career in 1985 as Iowa State’s all-time leading scorer, becoming the first Cyclone to reach 2,000 points (2,190) in a career. Averaging 18.7 ppg in his four years at Iowa State, Stevens currently ranks No. 2 on the ISU all-time scoring list behind Jeff Grayer, his teammate at Flint Northwestern High School. Stevens' wife Sarita also attended Iowa State. Stevens' sister Rhonda, is married to Grayer. Stevens is survived by his wife and three children, daughter Arriel and sons Darius and Garius.

The 6-5 swingman showed Cyclone fans a glimpse of his greatness as a sophomore in 1983, averaging 16.5 ppg. His 40-point performance to help ISU upset No. 10 Missouri in Ames in 1983 was considered a watershed moment in Cyclone history. Stevens nailed a jumper from the top of the key at the buzzer to secure the Cyclone victory and was later named Sports Illustrated national player of the week for his efforts.

Stevens continued to improve as a junior in 1984, averaging 22.2 ppg en route to first-team all-Big Eight honors. Stevens led ISU to a 16-13 mark, its first winning record since 1978, and to an NIT berth, ISU’s first postseason appearance in 40 years. The gradual improvement of Stevens and the Cyclones came full circle in his senior year in 1985. Stevens, who averaged 21.7 ppg in his final campaign, paced ISU to a then-school record 21 wins, earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament, ISU’s first NCAA berth since 1944. ISU also advanced to the championship game of the Big Eight Tournament, as Stevens earned all-tournament honors.

Stevens’ quickness and uncanny long-range shooting ability enabled him to break virtually every school scoring record. Besides becoming the school’s all-time leading scorer, his 739 points broke the single-season record (it now ranks third) and he established the single-game scoring mark (now the second-best) by pouring in 47 points vs. Morgan State. He is the only Cyclone in school history to record two 40-point games.

After his brilliant career ended, Stevens was named ISU Athlete of the Year and was selected in the second round of the 1985 NBA draft by the Denver Nuggets. After being one of the last players cut by the Nuggets, Stevens played in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA) for a number of years. In 1993, Stevens was signed to a 10-day contract by the Golden State Warriors, becoming one of 13 Cyclones to don an NBA uniform. He later was a head coach in the CBA.

[Brocklanders]

Barry Stevens and Ron Harris are the foundation of the ISU basketball program. Keeler actually had a good article on him today. ISU needs to do something to recognize Barry. He started it all.

[cyfanatic]

This is truly sad news! Wow...when he played in one of those "minor" leagues that had a team in Cedar Rapids (Silver Bullets I believe) I would see him around town and he was fun and easy to talk to! Man...this $ucks!

[kuney1]

I loved watching #35, he was one of those guys who could fill it up anywhere. RIP, Barry.

[Cyclone62]

I don't know about anyone else that went to the game last night, but the moment of silence we had for Barry before the game and his highlights sent a chill down my spine. Even though I wasn't alive when he played for ISU, seeing his highlights at halftime made my hair stand on end. Especially the ISU/Mizzou buzzer-beater to cap it off.
God Bless, Barry.

[tec71]

Several years ago I was waiting for a flight in Cedar Rapids. It was rather full at all the gates so there were lots of people around. Barry was sitting across from me by himself. Most likely all those EIU grads didn't recognize him. I offered him my USA Today, introduced myself and thanked him for what he'd done for ISU. I explained that in our house we always said that Johnny brought excitement to ISU Bball but Barry brought hope. For the first time with Barry, and to a lesser extent Ronnie Harris, the fans had hope. Not hope in the sense that we "hoped" we would win, but "hope" in the sense that every night we had a chance to win, especially at home. It was the truth and a conversation my family has often had mostly becuase there's a lot of fans who came on board during the Grayer-Hornacek NCAA years, who we always thought didn't probably truly understand what it was like pre-Barry. I hadn't expected the reaction I got. He was gracious and humble, not the fake humble you see so many athletes today express in the media today but truly humble. He told me that he thanked God without sounding either arrogant or fake. He thanked Johnny for "giving him the chance." He thanked the fans for being supportive and "buying" in to what they were doing. He told me how no matter where he went he met people from backgrounds so different from his; farmers, foreign students, etc., people who he never would have struck up friendships or coversations with, and who would never have done the same with "black kid from Michigan," except that they had a common bond that is Iowa State. And on that note, we talked like we'd been friends for life, or more appropriately he talked for an hour mostly about Johnny and Basketball, intermixed with a few other interesting things, and I listened stunned. Here was an Iowa State icon talking with an enthusiasm for life that I didn't know someone could have, telling me hilarious stories about what when on behind the scenes. It wasn't the first time I heard funny stories about those days. Anyone that had a backstage pass to the Orr years has more than a few to tell but he told them with such vigor. The hour flew by, when finally they called for his plane. At the end of it all he got up thanked me, me of all people, for listening to a "has been" relive the "glory days." I assured him the pleasure was mine and away he went. He could have been a bitter person. So many athletes who don't end up making a bundle of money are these days, but he wasn't. It is sad that in the end it's a premature death like this that will cause everyone to appreciate him so much. Better late than never.

[CyBobby]

I'm very sorry to see Barry Stevens go...I was there in Hilton for the first game that Barry ever played for ISU.

I took a picture of him at a spring football game and gave it to my brother in law, who had it pasted to his refrigerator for years!!

Old number 35 was one of the greatest shooters that ever played b-ball for the Cardinal and Gold!!

[scubapohl1]

Its sad that ISU never got around to putting his name in the rafters with the rest of the Cyclone basketball greats. Hopefully, they'll correct that soon.

[Rolling Clones]

Originally Posted by Cyclone62

I don't know about anyone else that went to the game last night, but the moment of silence we had for Barry before the game and his highlights sent a chill down my spine. Even though I wasn't alive when he played for ISU, seeing his highlights at halftime made my hair stand on end. Especially the ISU/Mizzou buzzer-beater to cap it off.
God Bless, Barry.

I was at that game against Missouri in 83. Quite simply put.....it was magical.

[Bobber]

Tech71,

Great story! I never got to see Barry play as I started school the year after he played and we never got ISU basketball on t.v. growing up in Eastern Iowa.

I think Waymond Tisdale was Big 8 player of the year and beat Barry out for the spot light most of the time in those years, but Barry was a star no less.

You got to respect the humility the guy seemed to have. Barry taught us all what a great basketball player could be like for ISU, but more importantly he taught us what a great man can be.

[Cyclonepride]

Barry Stevens was the first basketball player that ever left me in awe. As a kid, that I was always trying to nail that signature shot from the corner out in my yard. He should have a prominent place of honor at Iowa State, not because he has died, but because of how he lived.

[JJ4ISU]

Why this guy doesn't have his jersey/number retired at ISU is beyond me. Any time a guy leaves the school as its all-time leading scorer in bball, helps turn the program around, obtains a degree, and leads his life in an upstanding manner, he deserves that. It's too bad the ISU athletic dept. did not step up while they had the chance...

[Knownothing]

Why is his name not in the rafters. That makes no sense. Get it done now.

[shakes20]

Thanks for that story, tec71. I grew up watching Barry play, it's scary to think that he was only five years older than me when he passed...