Durant's Number Retired

[Rosewood]

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/college/6281616.html

You have got to be kidding me. If it were not for a new rule, he wouldn't have even sniffed a college campus. He played one year and he gets his number retired?

He lead them to a 12-4 Season and a second round NCAA loss and he gets
his number retired? Yes, I see that it is "policy" to retire numbers of players of the year but it isn't like the policy was etched in stone in the U of T bylaws.

[BOBB]

I've had more lasting connections with a cheeseburger than this guy and Texas had. Pointless.

[boyshocker]

Lets see if the athletic dept. doesn't ask for a donation down the road.
Saw Durant at a Hutch juco game in December and he was a class act. Treated all the autograph seekers with much respect.

[notquiteBWing]

Freshman of the Year. Player of the Year.
Most entertaining player I've watched on the college level since i've been a fan (dating back to jan. 06 only)

His game against Texas aTm was incredible.

Might have only been at Texas one year. But he is arguably the best player to have ever played there.

I think he deserved it.

[The Mad Hatter]

Well, I don't know the standard Texas uses for retiring numbers, but what he did in his one year at Texas would qualify him to have his number retired under WSU's standards (i.e. being a 1st team All-American, not to mention player of the year).

My feeling is that schools should adopt and objective standard and stick with it. If a player meets the criteria, retire the number. If not, don't.

My question is what is the objective standard for you if a guy doesn't graduate from a school before going pro? If one year is not enough, is two enough or does it take three? The reality is that for most schools the players talented enough to meet their number retiring criteria are also talented enough that they will leave early. If you want to make graduation from the school the criteria that is fine with me, but short of that I don't see how the number of years played should fit into the criteria.

[Indy23]

Durant's name belongs in the rafters there, even if it was for one season. Most schools have a criteria, and I'm sure he achieved whatever it was. I'm sure they'll point out his jersey to every recruit who visits the arena. Good for him/them.

[rrshock]

I seem to remember that WSU has a name hanging from the rafters that didn't graduate. Cliff turned pro after his junior year.

[SubGod22]

He was a freaking All-American and one of the best college players I recall seeing play the game. I enjoyed watching him play.

If WSU had a guy like him that was only here for a year and was POY, none of us would be complaining when he was put in the rafters along with X, Cliff, Cleo, Dave and Antoine.

[DUShock]

Absurd

[BOBB]

I seem to remember that WSU has a name hanging from the rafters that didn't graduate. Cliff turned pro after his junior year.

I'm not a scientist, but 3>1. One and done doesn't equal retired jersey. I don't care if it was Hakeem Jordan Ewing-Maravich. AND, I wouldn't want a one and done POY hanging from the rafters.

[AG1219]

He got his jersey retired before he can legally buy a beer. Now that is just crazy.

[ShockCity]

Freshman of the Year. Player of the Year.
Most entertaining player I've watched on the college level since i've been a fan (dating back to jan. 06 only)

His game against Texas aTm was incredible.

Might have only been at Texas one year. But he is arguably the best player to have ever played there.

I think he deserved it.

Agree with this 100%!! The guy had one of the better college basketball seasons I've seen (and i go back alot farther than 06). He had all the qualifications for their jersey retirement and he did it in 3 fewer years than most. I have no problem with them retiring his jersey and I would hope that the Shockers would do the same if this were to happen here.

[Rosewood]

It is like my text didn't even exist.
"Yes, I see that it is "policy" to retire numbers of players of the year but it isn't like the policy was etched in stone in the U of T bylaws."

Change the policy, it is obviously bunk.

Think of great teams like the Yankees and the Pittsburgh Steelers (who no longer officially retire numbers) and the LA Lakers and look at all of their retired numbers.

You don't see anyone who contributed for just one year. Retiring a number is saying no one else that plays on this team can wear this number, because the person who wore this number left a mark on the team that will remain there forever. This is why Jackie's number is retired in all of the major league!

Durant had a year that won him all the individual awards. But how did his team benefit by his presence that year? A few more wins and a higher seed? Because they didn't win the regular season or the tourney title of the Big XII. They didn't even make the sweet 16.

He was a rented player. He is a guy that never would have gone to Texas if the NBA rule was not in place. He is a guy that the fans should say "Wow, remember that year Durant had? That was good stuff, boy howdy" but not immortalized.

Subgod, if we had Durant and didn't take the Valley title or tourney title and didn't make it to the sweet 16 and the next year he was gone, I wouldn't want his number retired no matter what outside accolades he won.

If a pitcher came in and was our Ace and went 15-1 and had 200+ Ks, 20 walks, and we still didn't win the Valley or the Valley Tourney and we didn't even make it out of the Regional and then the next year he was gone I wouldn't expect his number to be retired either.

These metrics for number retirement need to be changed. They were put in place long ago and College basketball just is not the same.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tyler_Hansbrough - I have no love for UNC, nor for Tyler Hansbrough. But that is a guy who deserves to get a number retired. That is what contributing to a team is about and to me, that is way more important than winning an award.

Durant was a one hit wonder. When his record was on top of the charts, it was catchy and great. It even won some grammys that year. But he doesn't go into the rock and roll hall of fame for that.

E: Now, if behind the scenes Texas said "Well hell, the rules say we do this so let's do it and we can say that is why we had to do it and then he will write us some fat checks down the road!" I can deal with that.