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

[madguy30]

The next jersey in the rafters has to be Niang.

After Niang, then you can hang Ejim. Melvin was a roll player until his POTY senior season. Niang was the key piece to 3.3/4 of the years he played.

Melvin is an elite Cyclone, don't get me wrong, but he isn't a first ballot rafters candidate like Niang.

Roll players don't win POY.

 

[CycloneErik]

Roll players don't win POY.

How is this not obvious?

 

[Frak]

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

I mean, he was a really good player. I did think that Kane was better that year. My opinion is Ejim is just short of hanging the jersey. And it's just my opinion...

 

[madguy30]

How is this not obvious?

I thought 'Living in a silo' was only metaphorical but I'm starting to think people actually live in a silo.

And in that silo, they've created their own reality.

 

[Cytasticlone]

How is this not obvious?

I remember when Ejim got a little fed up with the Glue Guy moniker when he was *averaging* a double-double. I think he even shot back at Fran F on twitter because he was still calling him a glue guy then.

 

[helechopper]

I approve of this message.

 

[ClonerJams]

Dude won POY over Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid and yet there are some that still don't think he should have his jersey retired. Ridiculous.

 

[mynameisjonas]

Dude won POY over Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid and yet there are some that still don't think he should have his jersey retired. Ridiculous.

Both of those guys were nothing special when they were freshman.

 

[AllInForISU]

Honestly, Iowa State has very low standards for hanging a jersey. I’d be fine with Melvin getting his jersey hung as he is one of 5 at Iowa State to win Big 8/12 POTY in basketball, but there should be set on court criteria to get up there, whether it’s a consensus AA multiple years or unanimous AA one year, or Big 12/National POTY, something like that.

The trivial “he was a fan favorite and played really hard” shouldn’t get you up there. And not graduating shouldn’t keep you from getting up there.

Selection parameters need to be more concrete.

 

[Die4Cy]

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).

I wouldn't mind if the ISU Player of the Year award would be named for him. He absolutely set the bar for student athletes at ISU.

 

[AllInForISU]

Both of those guys were nothing special when they were freshman.

lol

 

[AllInForISU]

Definitely. Seems like most other programs have way more people getting honored that way.

Which schools are you referring to?

 

[Cyclonepride]

Which schools are you referring to?

It's more of a general impression than anything, but I did find this list:

List of NCAA men's basketball retired numbers - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

From that, I guess we aren't too far out of line, though maybe it's the fact that we retired 4 jerseys from the 1981-95 time period, and none since that seems weird.

 

[ISUTex]

I mean, he was a really good player. I did think that Kane was better that year. My opinion is Ejim is just short of hanging the jersey. And it's just my opinion...

If Kane was better why didn't he get Big 12 Player of The Year?

Dude won POY over Andrew Wiggins and Joel Embiid and yet there are some that still don't think he should have his jersey retired. Ridiculous.

Buddy Hield and Marcus Smart as well.

 

[Frak]

If Kane was better why didn't he get Big 12 Player of The Year?


Buddy Hield and Marcus Smart as well.

Ejim averaged more points and rebounds. Again, just my opinion, but Kane was the one who made that team go. He was the one who was creating shots for himself and others. So was Niang.

 

[clonechemist]

Both of those guys were nothing special when they were freshman.

Embiid was DPOY and absolutely ate our lunch. His size and athleticism was kryptonite for Niang. If he wasn’t injured, I don’t think we beat them in the B12 tourney

Wiggins averaged 17ppg as a true freshman that year and was top pick in the NBA

 

[AuH2O]

The way some people want these awarded Hilton's ceiling will be completely covered with jerseys.

Or maybe just have more than 7, esp when some of those are one time HM AA while multiple year AA, including 1st team AA and CPoY guys are not up there.

 

[cyatheart]

Both of those guys were nothing special when they were freshman.

Embid was nothing special?

 

[HFCS]

The way some people want these awarded Hilton's ceiling will be completely covered with jerseys.

Was ‘80 to ‘99 four times better than ‘00 to ‘19?

The retired jersey’s aren’t all our best players, that’s why it’s a hot button issue.

 

[NWICY]

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.

Stevens was a better player then Ejim. Didn't look the stats up but Barry was way more electric.