Why the holdup on Barry Stevens

**Costanza** · 01-17-2008, 02:53 PM

As I was sitting at halftime last night waiting for Barry Stevens number to drop from the ceiling, I start to look around at the numbers that were already retired. So my question is, why did Hoiberg and Grayer's numbers get retired before Barry Stevens. Maybe I am missing the boat here, but to me are all-time leading scorer should be a no-brainer. Any thoughts?

**isucyfan** · 01-17-2008, 02:55 PM

I wondered the same thing. Barry is the 2nd leading scorer, but he didn't have the benefit of the three point line. I don't know if he was passed over this long because our teams weren't good enough to make the NCAAs back then or what, but at least they corrected the mistake.

**rte4st8** · 01-17-2008, 03:02 PM

Barry Stevens was the first player that is modern day cyclone basketball. It started when Orr came on board and Barry was the first player he went after. If you watch the Missouri game when he scored 40 plus it was a no brainer to me. I to am disappointed it didn't happen when Barry was alive.

**keepngoal** · 01-17-2008, 03:03 PM

I'll start it as it is going to happen.

it is BVD's fault.

-keep.

**isuno1fan** · 01-17-2008, 03:03 PM

What about Jeff Hornacek?

**AlanAldaClone** · 01-17-2008, 03:07 PM

Originally Posted by rte4st8

Barry Stevens was the first player that is modern day cyclone basketball. It started when Orr came on board and Barry was the first player he went after. If you watch the Missouri game when he scored 40 plus it was a no brainer to me. I to am disappointed it didn't happen when Barry was alive.

Actually, wasn't Ronnie Harris Orr's first recruit?

**cy1225** · 01-17-2008, 03:13 PM

Originally Posted by Costanza

As I was sitting at halftime last night waiting for Barry Stevens number to drop from the ceiling, I start to look around at the numbers that were already retired. So my question is, why did Hoiberg and Grayer's numbers get retired before Barry Stevens. Maybe I am missing the boat here, but to me are all-time leading scorer should be a no-brainer. Any thoughts?

Actually none of the numbers hung from the rafters untill BVD took them out of a dusty closet and hung them from the rafters. It was his idea but like a lot of things he receives no credit. For the record he also came up with the idea of assigning more seats to the students in the lower bowl and created Cyclone Alley.

**SuperCy** · 01-17-2008, 03:18 PM

Yeah, up until a few years ago numbers were retired, but they were never displayed in Hilton. That always bugged me. I'm glad to see that this has been corrected.

**CyRide3** · 01-17-2008, 03:20 PM

Originally Posted by AlanAldaClone

Actually, wasn't Ronnie Harris Orr's first recruit?

Yes, it was Ronnie.

**BvK1126** · 01-17-2008, 03:23 PM

Originally Posted by Costanza

As I was sitting at halftime last night waiting for Barry Stevens number to drop from the ceiling, I start to look around at the numbers that were already retired. So my question is, why did Hoiberg and Grayer's numbers get retired before Barry Stevens. Maybe I am missing the boat here, but to me are all-time leading scorer should be a no-brainer. Any thoughts?

Barry Stevens isn't Iowa State's all-time leading scorer. Jeff Grayer is. I agree that Stevens' number should have been retired a long time ago, but I don't have a problem with Grayer's number being retired first. Stevens was an all-time Cyclone great, but Grayer was the best basketball player ever to don an Iowa State jersey.

As for why Hoiberg's number was retired before Stevens', I won't defend that decision. I suspect Hoiberg's "home town boy makes good" story had something to do with it. He's definitely deserving of having his number retired.

Personally, I don't know if it makes that much of a difference who is accorded the honor first. The only real tragedy is that Iowa State didn't get around to giving Stevens this well-deserved recognition until after he had passed away.

**theshadow** · 01-17-2008, 03:40 PM

Originally Posted by Costanza

As I was sitting at halftime last night waiting for Barry Stevens number to drop from the ceiling, I start to look around at the numbers that were already retired. So my question is, why did Hoiberg and Grayer's numbers get retired before Barry Stevens. Maybe I am missing the boat here, but to me are all-time leading scorer should be a no-brainer. Any thoughts?

The other six up there...

Waldo Wegner - first ISU All-American (1935); two-time first-team all-Big Six (1934-35)

Gary Thompson - All-American and Big Seven Player of the Year (1957)

Zaid Abdul-Aziz - All-American (1968); three-time first-team all-conference (1966-68)

Jeff Hornacek - Big Eight assist leader; first-team all-conference (1986); 14-year NBA career

Jeff Grayer - All-American (1988); three-time first-team all-conference; Olympian; Big Eight all-decade team

Fred Hoiberg - All-American (1995); first-team all-conference; academic All-American

**BryceC** · 01-17-2008, 03:46 PM

I was going to say the same thing Shadow - The others were all All-Americans or NBA All-Stars. That's not to say Barry didn't deserve it, because he does.

**mwitt** · 01-17-2008, 03:47 PM

Originally Posted by BvK1126

Barry Stevens isn't Iowa State's all-time leading scorer.

But he was.

**BvK1126** · 01-18-2008, 12:48 AM

Originally Posted by mwitt

But he was.

Yes, Stevens was ISU's career scoring leader for about three years before his one-time teammate Jeff Grayer eclipsed him. There would be a lot more jerseys hanging from the Hilton rafters if the Cyclones retired the number of every former player who at one time was the school's career scoring leader.

As I said before, I think Stevens' number should have been retired earlier. However, I don't think the "once held the school's career scoring record" achievement should be an automatic ticket to having your number retired.