Melvin Ejim is part of the 2024 ISU Hall of Fame class!

[Halincandenza]

I agree with this. Ejim was a good player, but I don't know about "hang the jersey" good. To me, Niang and Morris are no-brainers. They need to revise the rules, as times have changed and 4 year players are few and far between. I don't think that players good enough to go league in 2 years should be excluded because they didn't take some online courses. It should be Fizer, Tinsley, Niang and Morris.

yeah I mean what did Ejim accomplish anyway?
Big 12 player of the year,
Academic All American,
Two time Big 12 Male Scholar Athlete of the Year,
Basketball Times All-America First Team (14)
USBWA All-America Second Team (14)
Associated Press All-America Second Team (14)
USA Today All-America Third Team (14)
NBCSports.com All-America Third Team (14)
NABC All-District 8 First Team (14)
NABC All-District 8 Second Team (13)
First team all conference as a Senior, third as a junior and HM as a sophomore.
Team Captain for two years.
fourth player in league history to record 1,500 points and 1,000 rebounds in a career
finished his career 12th in scoring (1,643), second in rebounding (1,051), tied for 10th in steals (146) and 15th in blocks (59)...also broke school record for games played (135) and games started (126)...recorded 32 career double-doubles
only player in school history with 1,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 100 steals

 

[CycloneVet]

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!

Kane poked the guys eye out

 

[I-stateTheTruth]

Kane poked the guys eye out

Yeah, my foggy memory.

 

[CycloneVet]

I agree with this. Ejim was a good player, but I don't know about "hang the jersey" good. To me, Niang and Morris are no-brainers. They need to revise the rules, as times have changed and 4 year players are few and far between. I don't think that players good enough to go league in 2 years should be excluded because they didn't take some online courses. It should be Fizer, Tinsley, Niang and Morris.

If that’s the case take Fred down

 

[CycloneVet]

Yeah, my foggy memory.

At least you have memories, I’m not sure that guy does after being lobotomized

 

[I-stateTheTruth]

At least you have memories, I’m not sure that guy does after being lobotomized

He totally provoked that lobotomy.

 

[inCyteful]

Only thing keeping last night from being PERFECT would have been having this up on the big screen as time ran out.

 

[CycloneErik]

The only way I agree with you would be if academics are weighed into this. Melvin was B2B Big 12 scholar of the year.

I'm just not convinced that the current rafter players were put up there for academics versus being absolute studs on the court.

Big 12 Player of the Year.......
Melvin piled up academic and athletic accolades. You need to go refresh yourself on Ejim history.

 

[Jer]

Ejim is one of the Cyclones we should all be most proud to have ever had. Epitomized student athlete, genuinely great person, and always represented ISU in the best pay possible (yes, even against BYU).

 

[GMackey32]

The only way I agree with you would be if academics are weighed into this. Melvin was B2B Big 12 scholar of the year.

I'm just not convinced that the current rafter players were put up there for academics versus being absolute studs on the court.

His ISU historical stats as of today:

#1 in games started, #2 in rebounds, #5 in double-doubles, #11 in steals, #14 in points (was top 10 when he graduated). Big 12 record for points in a game (48).

Not to mention he graduated with nearly straight A's (had 1 A-) in History.

If Ejim doesn't belong up there, then nobody does.

 

[CycloneErik]

I know.......i know this happens for all of us in our various stages of life.....but does seem like yesterday watching his last regular season game hoping his PPG would get him the Player of the Year award.

My kiddo is 10.5. She just mentioned an hour ago that it's going fast. Sigh.

 

[CycloneVet]

Only thing keeping last night from being PERFECT would have been having this up on the big screen as time ran out.

Just a quick flash of it, so people would be wondering if they actually saw it at all, but know they did

 

[Jer]

His ISU historical stats as of today:

#1 in games started, #2 in rebounds, #5 in double-doubles, #11 in steals, #14 in points (was top 10 when he graduated). Big 12 record for points in a game (48).

Not to mention he graduated with nearly straight A's (had 1 A-) in History.

If Ejim doesn't belong up there, then nobody does.

Not only that, but I think people vastly underestimate how many games he had to carry us and how consistent the dude was.

When you look strictly at stats across the board and create a level set of averages across each of those stats compared to other players in some sort of composite, and not looking at academics, he's a Top 5 player all time statistically. You add in what he did from a student athlete perspective (which should have marginal but some bearing), he's vastly underrated as an all time great.

 

[Sigmapolis]

They need to make some statues outside of Hilton of the guys from the 2013-14 team...

DeAndre Kane throwing a basketball off Woodbury's back

Dustin Hogue with the toothpick and/or with the flying karate kick

Naz Mitrou-Long with the "ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED!?!?" pose

Melvin Ejim flipping the bird at the Mormon faithful

And of course (trigger warning)...

Spoiler

Georges Niang in a boot and on crutches after his foot injury

 

[RollClones14]

The way that Jamie Pollard talked about jersey retirements on KXNO makes me think Ejim's will go up there. He had that conversation about being in the H.O.F. and even mentioned Kansas using CPOY as a criteria with the knowlege of Ejim's induction.

Plus add in the academic and general great nature of Ejim's personality, he's Pollard's prime example for a perfect student athlete.

 

[GMackey32]

Not only that, but I think people vastly underestimate how many games he had to carry us and how consistent the dude was.

When you look strictly at stats across the board and create a level set of averages across each of those stats compared to other players in some sort of composite, and not looking at academics, he's a Top 5 player all time statistically. You add in what he did from a student athlete perspective (which should have marginal but some bearing), he's vastly underrated as an all time great.

AND he was the culture changer we needed at that time. He held his teammates accountable. It's not a coincidence we flamed out in the first round the year after he graduated.

 

[Jer]

While the rafters should be exclusive, we've had some monster players that absolutely deserve to be up there as much or more than others that already are. You either start adding a few of them to the current roster, or you add a section of non-retired, all time greats - or a section of current NBA players. We have so much history and the past 25 years have been especially great. Showing some of that legacy in the rafters one way or another needs to be done.

While football doesn't have as deep of a roster of all time greats, there needs to be more done there to honor the greats. The fact that Troy Davis doesn't have a statue, plaque, or something is a prime example of disregarding even nationally relevant/dominant players. Purdy would need to be up there some day - is he going to be the only one?

One of the endearing aspects of ISU athletics is that we aren't perennially dominant, but have absolutely rabid fans that live the history we do have. There are some very clear highs - both in regards to players and seasons - and we celebrate them across the board less than almost anybody else I can think of.

 

[burn587]

Ejim might be the most improved cyclone I’ve ever seen. He was not good as a freshman, and had hands of stone. Coming out of that year everyone was excited about the future of Calvin Godfrey (ha) not Ejim. 3 years later he’s a mean SOB and a conference player of the year.

If we’re being honest one of the reasons he was so great that last season is because the rest of the team really elevated him, especially Kane and Niang, but his accomplishments speak for themselves and he deserves to be honored with the jersey retirement.

 

[CycloneErik]

If that’s the case take Fred down

Take the rafters down so we're never tempted again.

 

[burn587]

Take the rafters down so we're never tempted again.

Open air Hilton would be a hell of a home court advantage in January.