SID, serious question

[couch 'em]

I wasn't around for IT, but looking at has NBA stats - 3rd rounder, a few unremarkable years in the league. Was he really that good?

[mrydel]

No one is asking the NBA to retire his number.

[max the wonder dog]

I wasn't around for IT, but looking at has NBA stats - 3rd rounder, a few unremarkable years in the league. Was he really that good?

At SMU, he was really that good. A joy to watch.

[Pony81]

I.T. Was offered a scholarship from '72 John Wooden UCLA. He was the 70s version of Larry Johnson.
He was that good of a high school player .

He chose SMU and went on to be an outstanding player and a great pro.

Following SMU he chose to continue to rep the program and be a fixture at games.

Yes he should have his number retired.

Way over due

[SMULaxer]

Being a great pro has nothing to do with having your number retired for your college team. The man was a beast at SMU. All that matters. This needs to be dome ASAP.

[LHS81]

I can see Travis Bickle has worked his way back to PF

[Stallion]

This is ridiculous-I saw every home game he played-and this is WAY WAY overdue. He was a 3 time All SWC player and SWC player of the Year as a Senior. He was Freshman of the Year-. He didn't have a great supporting cast. Remember he was suspended during one year of his career. He belongs-he is a Legend and I doubt you find any one who saw him play that would disagree

[SMULaxer]

This is ridiculous-I saw every home game he played-and this is WAY WAY overdue. He was a 3 time All SWC player and SWC player of the Year as a Senior. He was Freshman of the Year-. He didn't have a great supporting cast. Remember he was suspended during one year of his career. He belongs-he is a Legend and I doubt you find any one who saw him play that would disagree

Very well said

[PonyKris89]

No disrespect, but just because you are a really good player at SMU should not mean that you should have your jersey number retired. That honor should be held for the elite of the elite. Happy to hear that he was one of the best to play at SMU. Highly doubt that he would have been on the same level as players at other programs of his time that also had their jersey's retired. I could be wrong. Other programs like UNC, Duke, Kansas, Indiana, UCLA definitely do not retire player jersey because they are loyal fans and ambassadors of the game. Maybe some other form of special recognition is deserved (maybe at halftime of a game), just don't see his jersey being retired. Let's have higher standards on the court for that achievement.

Dude, a player that averages a double-double for a season 3 years in a row, and was Conference player of the year would be get his # hung at any Big Time school! He was by far and away a better player than any SMU Mustang since. I have no idea about Gene Phillips and Jim Krebs, they were before my time, but theirs and Ira's resumes are very similar and all are worthy of Rafters.

Ira was the real deal. Period!!

and his pro career was not bad, I believe he was a 6-8 point per game scorer for mostly the Phoenix Suns for about a 5 year career.

[PonyKris89]

Feel the love. Did I read correctly that IT was graduated in Class of '76. Are you trying to tell me that SMU would take 37 years to try and decide if someone should get their jersey retired. Really? You bring up the subject now because we are relevant in Basketball again, understood. Look at other basketball programs. Do other basketball programs retire jerseys 37 years later? Really? I didn't think so. If you do not believe me, ok then, ask Coach Brown if that is common practice.

LA Mustang, as much as I want to respect you and your opinion, your "better than you" attitude has grown tiresome. You criticize my posts and then make a similar post on the same topic the following week. Let's talk more about our Home Winning Streak that I mentioned 2 weeks ago, wasn't a big deal to you then. Next thing you know, we win another game and you are talking about our Home Winning Streak in a new post. Grow up. Put your big boy pants on. You know a lot, but you don't know everything and it is ok if you are a little late to the party every now and then. I won't hold it against you.

Guys that say "Really?" all the time, need their man card revoked!

37 years is overdue, hence the thread.

.. Just think a little before you post.

[Stallion]

Gene Phillips was every bit our Pistol Pete Marovich. His numbers are never going to be touched and he didn't play in the 3 point era. He would have had a career average over 30 if they had had a 3 point line

[SMU Section F]

Feel the love. Did I read correctly that IT was graduated in Class of '76. Are you trying to tell me that SMU would take 37 years to try and decide if someone should get their jersey retired. Really? You bring up the subject now because we are relevant in Basketball again, understood. Look at other basketball programs. Do other basketball programs retire jerseys 37 years later? Really? I didn't think so. If you do not believe me, ok then, ask Coach Brown if that is common practice.

It's a serious oversight that he hasn't already had his jersey retired; every day that goes by makes that oversight worse, not better.

[StandUp]

37 years is a pretty big oversight. No need to man up and show me how much of a man you are PonyKris. No man card lost here. I was just asking basketball questions. I don't know too many "basketball" programs that wait to retire deserving players jerseys after 37 years. Doesn't Kim Kardashian's Mom spell her name "Kris", as in Kris Jenner? Not sure? You are "all man". Get over yourself. I was just trying to understand how other basketball programs go about retiring basketball jerseys. Again no disrespect to Ira Terrell. He sounds like he was a tremendous basketball player, a quality, quality man and a true ambassador for SMU. Thank you Ira Terrell for representing SMU with talent, class and dignity.

[subflea]

I was just trying to understand how other basketball programs go about retiring basketball jerseys.

Just to answer this question from the perspective of a Cincinnati fan, our school requires a player to be selected National Player of the Year. We have had some great players, including 29 All-Americans, but only have 3 jerseys retired. Oscar Robertson, Jack Twyman, and Kenyon Martin. Two of those guys are in the Basketball HoF.
Steve Logan was a 2 time CUSA PoY, was a consensus All-American, and a finalist for every National PoY award, but does not have his jersey on the wall because he was runner-up to Jason Williams for all the National PoY awards.

[SMU 86]

I was just trying to understand how other basketball programs go about retiring basketball jerseys.

Just to answer this question from the perspective of a Cincinnati fan, our school requires a player to be selected National Player of the Year. We have had some great players, including 29 All-Americans, but only have 3 jerseys retired. Oscar Robertson, Jack Twyman, and Kenyon Martin. Two of those guys are in the Basketball HoF.
Steve Logan was a 2 time CUSA PoY, was a consensus All-American, and a finalist for every National PoY award, but does not have his jersey on the wall because he was runner-up to Jason Williams for all the National PoY awards.

Ours does not require you to be National Player of the Year.