If it was up to fans, we’d need a larger building.

I agree on the criteria for jersey retirement being lofty. This is why I've said in this forum for years that I think a nice alternative would be to have larger banners adding the name & year of guys and gals who were MAC POY, MAC Frosh of the year, and All-MAC first team players. I'm of the opinion that the more success shown in the building, the better. If not in banners, these folks achievements should be prominently on display on walls in The Convo somewhere.

Example:
https://www.newenglandflagandbanner.com/gallery/ah_uva.jpg

Opinion:
https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/12/sports/ncaabasketball/...

If we're going to base jersey retirements on subjective and emotional concepts, it really waters everything down. That's not a dis on him so much as protecting something that should be a monumental mark of greatness.

Right now, BVP has cemented himself in an impressive group of players we'll remember without a jersey ceremony.

His career numbers are 12.6 ppg, 6.2 rpg and 2.7 apg. Longevity has helped him move up the scoring list. He's made All-MAC (third team) once and was freshman of the year. Just looking back 20 years or so, here are some other forwards who played at least four years in Athens and put up comparable or better numbers:

- Leon Williams: 13.5, 8.6, 0.8 - freshman of the year
- Brandon Hunter: 16.9, 9.3, 2.1 - three times on the first-team All MAC, led the NCAA in rebounding one year
- Antonio Campbell: 11, 7, 0.6 - one first-team All MAC

And that's just forwards in recent history. If we're putting jerseys in the rafters for those kind of numbers we won't be able to see the roof.

He'd presumably have to have two monster postseasons and one more great regular season for all that to happen. I think that would put him closer to D.J. Cooper territory, but not quite there. Cooper was first-team All-MAC three times, led the league in steals and assists multiple times, was MAC POY once, and played on teams that won three NCAA tournament games. Cooper would most likely be in the rafters if he had a degree and I think he should be. It is a tall order for BVP to catch up to that resume even in your hypothetical year+.

DJ will get his number retired when he gets off maternity leave

That little piece from the Times (while dated) essentially talks about the impression made by hanging banners to show off successful teams and players. To me, this is a recruiting tool - yes a small one, but it still is. It is also a tool for new fans. Fans generally follow teams that win, and have a winning tradition. In general, we have that at Ohio. Why not show off more of the winning tradition by recognizing the players that have had success, and the teams that have gotten to NCAA/NIT games? I even think noting how many times a team has been runner-up in the MAC Championship game is worth noting, because there are several teams in this league that haven't been there in a long time.

AS OF 2/22/22 - BVP needs 7 more points to pass Jordan Dartis.

INDIVIDUAL CAREER RECORDS POINTS
1. Dave Jamerson (1986-90) ................................................................. 2,336
2. Paul Graham (1986-89)......................................................................2,170
3. Gary Trent (1993-95)........................................................................... 2,108
4. D.J. Cooper (2010-13) ......................................................................... 2,075
5. Brandon Hunter (2000-03) ............................................................... 2,012
6. Geno Ford (1994-97) .......................................................................... 1,752
7. Steve Skaggs (1976-79) ..................................................................... 1,741
8. Leon Williams (2005-08).................................................................... 1,716
9. Jerome Tillman (2006-09) ................................................................. 1,635
10. Walter Luckett (1973-75)................................................................... 1,625
11. John Devereaux (1981-84) ............................................................... 1,502
12. Tim Joyce (1977-79)............................................................................ 1,468
13. Jordan Dartis (2015-20) ........................................................ ..........1,461
14. Ben Vander Plas (2019-Present)....................................................................1,455
15. Nick Kellogg (2011-14)...................................................... .....1,449
16. Steve Esterkamp (2000-03) .............................................................. 1,405

You would definitely think that they would. Or even that individual schools would.

Rules continually change at the NCAA level to allow records to fall. Before 1972, freshmen couldn't play basketball. Those after that had four years to accrue stats. Currently, it sounds like there is a change in the works about allowing players to have appearances in 6-8 games to redshirt. The number of games played has increased over years as well. If we make the tournament this year, we will play 35 games before the start of the tournament. The 2004-05 team that made the tournament played 31 games before losing to Florida. If every year, there are four additional games, plus you are now allowed to play 6-8 games in your freshman year and not have it count, you theoretically could get an extra 20-24 games not counting postseason opportunities than someone from 2004-05. Compared to students in the 60's and 70's, we are talking teams that were playing only about 2/3 of what we are playing nowadays.

Not saying there shouldn't be asterisks, but it just is tough to determine what does get asterisks compared to those that don't.

Theoretical BVP vs. next year's freshman class number of games (not counting NCAA tournament):

2018-2019--31 games
2019-2020--32 games
2020-2021--23 games
2021-2022--33-35 games
2022-2023--let's guess 34 games

Total (with a COVID year): approximately 154 games

A.J. Brown:
2022-2023--8 games; redshirt
2023-2024--34 games
2024-2025--34 games
2025-2026--34 games
2026-2027--34 games

Total (with a redshirt year, assuming no increase in games during regular season): approximately 144 games

Is it worth adding an asterisk for a possible 10 more opportunities? Maybe, not sure.

No.

He's one of the best players in the state of Florida.

I have no idea about average in MAC games but the record book shows this as the scoring average leaders:

1. Gary Trent (1993-95)...............................................................................22.7
2. Tim Joyce (1977-79)................................................................................21.0
3. Walter Luckett (1973-75)......................................................................20.7
4. Dave Jamerson (1986-90).....................................................................20.3
5. Paul Graham (1986-89)..........................................................................19.7
6. Lewis Geter (1991-92)............................................................................19.5
7. Gerald McKee (1967-69)........................................................................18.7
8. Armon Bassett (2009-10)......................................................................17.1
Steve Skaggs (1976-79).........................................................................17.1
10. Brandon Hunter (2000-03)...................................................................16.9

Does anyone have access to a list of the top 20? And, is this an all-time list, or just after a certain date? I did a quick calculation, for instance, on Bill Whaley, who had 925 points in a three-year varsity career. With an average of about 20 games a year, his overall average would be just short of 16 points a game, and probably just a little higher in league play, as we played a fairly tough non-conference schedule in some of those years. I kind of thought Whaley might be in that top ten, but perhaps he's actually like number 11. Just curious. Not trying to make any particular point.