Panthers applaud legends

Cleveland Cavaliers forward Ben Wallace and former NBA standout Charles Oakley are among six former Virginia Union greats who will be honored tonight at halftime of the Virginia UnionLincoln game at Barco-Stevens Hall.

In addition, the school's first NCAA Division II championship team along with former head coach Dave Robbins will be recognized during a reunion ceremony. The 1980 team included current head coach Willard Coker, who replaced Robbins this season.

"This proves to everyone that hard work and determination pay off," Wallace said prior to Union's game against Saint Paul's on Thursday night. "It made a big difference in my life being here at Union.

"It's great to see that people appreciate what we did here. This really means a lot to me and everyone who's been apart our tradition."

Wallace, who has helped the Cavaliers to one of the best records in the NBA, will attend tonight's ceremonies along with two other honorees, A.J. English and Terry Davis. Others to be honored are Jackie "Jumpin'" Jackson and Michael Davis.

Robbins, who spent 30 years on the Panthers' sideline, spearheaded an effort that will honor all of the school's most-celebrated players each year.

While the players' numbers will not be retired, their numbers and jerseys will be displayed in the rafters of the storied Barco-Stevens Hall. The university considered retiring numbers, but several of its all-time great players wore the same number including the No. 32 worn by Wallace and Terry Davis.

"There was no way for us to retire any numbers because so many great players wore the same jersey," said Robbins, who won 713 games and three national titles. "We wanted to honor all those players who made significant contributions to the program.

"It's important to me that those players who played for me are honored. But we chose a player from every decade, except the 1970s, starting back in the 1950s."

Jackson represents two decades, having played from 1959 to 1961. English (1986-89) and Terry Davis (1985-89) are the only two to have played together.

Robbins said it was a difficult process selecting honorees, mostly because several other Virginia Union greats were excluded. Among them are the 1994 Division II national Player of the Year, Derrick Johnson; and Keith Valentine, who led the Panthers' 1980 squad to the national championship.

"We probably went with the most well-known professional players for our first year," Robbins said. "Eventually, we'll recognize all the great players."

Panthers pride