21, 1984 against Boston College when the crafty guard hit an epic half court buzzer beater. With the game tied at 73 and B.C. The highlight for Washington came on Jan. Washington played 145 fewer games than the guy two spots (18 assists) behind him. He ranks fourth on the school's all-time assists list despite playing 26 fewer games than the player only six assists behind him. He was the right man for the spotlight, earning All-American honors in 1984, 19. Washington arrived in central New York just a few years after the Carrier Dome opened and just as ESPN started to broadcast Big East games. 1 ranked high school player in the country for Boys and Girls High School in 1983. Why he's here: Washington was the perfect recruit at the perfect time for the Orangemen. A playground legend in New York City, the electric point guard with a now-famous crossover was the No. I told them, ‘I don’t need your systems.’ I’m going to Syracuse.” I’m not a Georgetown, Carolina or Indiana type guy. “I told John Thompson, Dean Smith and Bob Knight, don’t waste your time recruiting me. I thought it would be a one-year ban, but, even if I knew it would going to be two or thee years, I would’ve come. "There was nothing that was going to deter me from Syracuse. “I knew the investigation was hanging over us, but, really, I didn’t care," Wallace said. When the infractions were found and penalties were handed out, the men's basketball program was disqualified from the 1992 NCAA Tournament. It was very important that John decided to stick with us."Īt the time, when Wallace came to Syracuse in 1992, the Syracuse athletic department was being investigated for possible violations across several sports. In a 2014 interview with Jack McCallum of Sports Illustrated, Boeheim called Wallace the most "important" recruit in Syracuse history. Over the course of his career, Wallace played 127 games for SU and ranks third in scoring (2,119 points) and third in rebounds (1,065) in program history. Why he's here: A four-year player for Boeheim, Wallace helped lead the Orangemen to the 1996 Final Four. (Photo courtesy of Syracuse University Athletic Communications) However, he never played in the NBA, opting instead to play in Italy where he averaged 16.3 points and 10.5 rebounds per game over 12 seasons. The next day, Boeheim went to Kendall to secure Bouie's commitment, while Pitino went to Cincinnati to try to secure top guard recruit Louis Orr.īouie, a 6-11 center, combined with Orr to became the "Louie and Bouie Show." In 118 career games, Bouie scored 1,560 points, grabbed 631 rebounds and blocked 327 shots (second most all-time in school history).īouie was drafted in the second round of the 1980 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. But there was one caveat: Pitino had to delay his honeymoon, which was scheduled for the next day, so he could hit the recruiting trail immediately.
But it's worth retelling: On the day of assistant Rick Pitino's wedding, Boeheim drove from Syracuse to New York City to try to convince the future star coach to accept an assistant coaching position for the Orangemen.īoeheim kept Pitino out of his hotel room for four hours until Pitino agreed. Why here's here: The story of Jim Boeheim recruiting Bouie to come to Syracuse from Kendall, N.Y., is the most oft-repeated anecdote in program history.
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