Syracuse basketball rightfully retires two more player's numbers among a very impressive list

Last February at halftime of SU's eventual triple overtime win over Boston College, the university brought many players on the '74-'75 squad and head coach Roy Danforth back to campus to be honored on a weekend in which the program celebrated the 50th anniversary of an unlikely run to the FInal Four.

That team, with Jim Boeheim as Danforth's lead assistant, set the tone for what was to follow in the bulk of Boeheim's tenure, by shocking the nation and joining UCLA, Kentucky, and Louisville at the national semifinals in San Diego.

SU first fell to the Wildcats, followed by a tough overtime loss to the Cardinals in the defunct third-place game, as the Bruins won the title in John Wooden's final game coaching on the sidelines.

It is the "how-they-got-there" part of the story that is best exemplified by the news Monday that the university has announced the jerseys of team (and career) standouts Rudy Hackett (#45) and Jim Lee (#10) will join the most significant numbers in Syracuse hoop history when they are retired in a ceremony scheduled for February 21, when the Orange host North Carolina in a Dome matinee.

Both Hackett and Lee had amazing clutch plays in the 1975 Final Four run

As a senior in high school, and proudly owning an acceptance letter to the Newhouse School to enter the university in September 1975, we watched with keen interest as Syracuse made its march in March, its NCAA East Regional games televised back then on both the old syndicated TVS network of independent stations, and NBC.

The Orange almost did not get out of the first game of the tournament, edging La Salle 87-83 in OT, sweating out the Explorers missing a chance to win in regulation. Hackett (30) and Lee (20) combined for 50 of the 87 points, and Hackett had 12 boards and hit clutch free throws late in regulation.

Both players were directly involved statistically in the next game, a program-defining win over ACC power North Carolina, the East region's top seed. Lee's 18-foot jumper swished with five seconds left, off a pass from Hackett down low, to give SU a thrilling 78-76 victory. Lee finished with 24 points.

One game later, in another memorable NCAA moment, trailing Kansas State by two with five seconds left, speedy guard Jimmy "Don't Call me Bug" Williams raced downcourt in a flash, found Hackett in the key, he bobbled the pass, turned and shot a short shot that fell in at the buzzer to force OT, a session the Orangemen dominated.

Again Lee and Hackett led the way combining for 53 points in the 95-87 win to reach the improbable Final Four, and Lee was named the regional MVP. Lee was also named to the Final Four All-Tournament team, a rare honor for the fourth-place team, after scoring 23 points in the 95-79 national semi-final loss to Kentucky, and 27 points playing all 45 minutes in a 96-88 OT loss to Louisville.

There will now be 19 Syracuse players who have had their jerseys retired

In addition to being named to the 25-player Syracuse University All-Century Team that was announced in the 1999-2000 season, Hackett and Lee join a select group of 'Cuse players to have their numbers retired, signifying the greatest players to play for the fifth-winningest Div. I program of all-time.

Here is the list:

Carmelo Anthony - 15

Dave Bing - 22

Roosevelt Bouie - 50

Derrick Coleman - 44

Sherman Douglas - 20

Dennis Du Val - 22

Billy Gabor - 17

Vic Hanson - 8

Gerry McNamara - 3

Lawrence Moten - 21

Louis Orr - 55

Billy Owens - 30

Rony Seikaly - 4

Wilmeth Sidat-Singh - 19

John Wallace - 44

Hakim Warrick - 1

Dwayne "Pearl" Washington - 31

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