Calipari To Be Honored With Statue At UMass

AMHERST, Mass. – Four icons synonymous with UMass basketball and the University of Massachusetts will be forever immortalized on the Amherst campus when statues of John Calipari, Marcus Camby, Julius Erving and Jack Leaman are unveiled outside the Mullins Center on Saturday, September 11. "These four pillars of our men's basketball program put Massachusetts Basketball on the map during their time in Amherst," said director of athletics Ryan Bamford. "They are responsible for some of the most memorable moments in our program's history, and we are thrilled to honor their legacies with this lasting tribute. We look forward to welcoming these Minuteman legends, their families and our fans back to campus this fall to celebrate this special ceremony together." The statues will be located along the outdoor concourse approaching the North entrance to the Mullins Center and will be visible from Commonwealth Avenue. Details for the dedication and unveiling, which will be held in conjunction with UMass' Hall of Fame Weekend in September, will be announced at a later date. The UMass Athletics George "Trigger" Burke Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will be held on Friday, September 10 at 6 p.m. on the UMass campus. The 1995-96 men's basketball team, led by John Calipari and featuring National Player of the Year Marcus Camby, will be inducted as a team. Tickets for the Hall of Fame event are available by registering online at www.umassalumni.com/HOF2021. Questions regarding the event can be addressed to Director of Special Events & Constituent Relations Jason Germain at jag@umass.edu. John Calipari (Head Coach 1988-96) – UMass Hall of Fame Class of 2004

John Calipari led the UMass men's basketball team to an overall record of 193-71 in his eight seasons as head coach from 1988-1996. His .731 career winning percentage remains the best in school history, and he ranks second all-time at UMass in victories with 193. Calipari led the Minutemen to five straight NCAA Tournament appearances from 1992-1996, after UMass had gone to the NCAAs only once in the first 81 years of the program. His Minutemen made the Atlantic 10's first and only Final Four appearance during the 1996 season, during which they went 35-2 overall and spent 10 weeks ranked No. 1 in the nation. Following the 1996 season, Calipari was named National Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches, The Sporting News and Boost / Naismith. UMass won five straight Atlantic 10 Conference regular season and tournament titles under Calipari from 1992-1996, becoming only the second team in NCAA history to win its conference championships in the regular season and postseason for five consecutive years. A three-time Atlantic 10 Coach of the Year selection in 1992, 1993 and 1996, Calipari coached a National Player of the Year (Marcus Camby, 1996), two first team all-Americans (Lou Roe, 1995; Camby, 1996), three Atlantic 10 Players of the Year (Harper Williams, 1992; Roe, 1995; Camby, 1996) and a total of 24 All-Atlantic 10 selections during his eight seasons at UMass. Now the head coach at Kentucky, where he led the Wildcats to the 2012 NCAA Championship, Calipari was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2015. Marcus Camby (1993-96) – UMass Hall of Fame Class of 2010

One of the most decorated athletes UMass has ever produced, Marcus Camby is among the top basketball players in the school's storied history. Camby was named the Naismith National Player of the Year in 1996 in leading the Minutemen to the NCAA Final Four and a 35-2 record, the most successful season in program history. He was named a consensus first-team all-American that season as he averaged 20.5 points to lead the Atlantic 10. In his three seasons at UMass, he was a two-time NABC All-District selection and All-Atlantic 10 First Team pick twice. The Minutemen won the Atlantic 10 regular-season and tournament championship in each of his three seasons. He was named the Atlantic 10 Freshman of the Year in 1994. Camby left UMass as the school's all-time leading shot blocker in a career (336) and single-season (128). Camby scored 1,387 points in his career to rank in the top 10 after his final season in Maroon & White. He was the highest NBA Draft Pick in UMass history, being taken second overall by the Toronto Raptors in 1996. In Camby's 17 seasons in the NBA, he won NBA Defensive Player of the Year (2007), was a two-time NBA All-Defensive First Team selection (2007, 2008), twice picked for the NBA All-Defensive Second Team (2005, 2006), a four-time NBA blocks leader (1998, 2006–2008) and on the NBA All-Rookie First Team (1997). His No. 21 jersey is retired and now hangs from the Mullins Center rafters in recognition of his success as a Minuteman and later in the NBA. Camby was named to the ESPN Silver Anniversary All-Time Atlantic 10 Team in 2004. Julius Erving (1969-71) – UMass Hall of Fame Class of 1980

Unquestionably the greatest known athlete in UMass history, Julius Erving, known simply to the world as "Dr. J," played basketball for two seasons under legendary head coach and fellow UMass Athletics Hall of Fame inductee Jack Leaman from 1969-71. Erving turned pro following his junior year, but not before leading UMass to back-to-back Yankee Conference titles and its first two appearances in the National Invitation Tournament (NIT). Along with George "Trigger" Burke, Marcus Camby, all-time scoring leader Lou Roe and former head coach John Calipari, Erving remains one of only five Minutemen to have a jersey retired in his honor. Erving set UMass records in scoring (1,370 points) and rebounding (1,049) in just two seasons, and averaged an astounding 26.3 points and 20.2 rebounds per contest. Following his collegiate playing days, Erving went on to be one of the greatest players in ABA and NBA history, leading the then-New York Nets to ABA titles in 1974 and 1976, and the Philadelphia 76ers to the 1983 NBA championship. Dr. J played 16 totals season between the ABA (1971-76) and NBA (1977-87) with career totals including 1,243 games played, a .506 field goal percentage, and per-game averages of 24.2 points, 8.5 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.0 steals per game and 1.7 blocks. Universally lauded, Erving's personal trophy case includes two ABA Playoffs MVPs (1974, 1976), the 1981 NBA Most Valuable Player Award, three ABA Most Valuable Player awards (1974–1976), 11 NBA All-Star (1977–1987) appearances and being a five-time ABA All-Star (1972–1976). Additionally, he was twice the NBA All-Star Game MVP (1977, 1983), a five-time All-NBA First Team selection (1978, 1980–1983) and two-time All-NBA Second Team pick (1977, 1984), and All-ABA First Team on four occasions (1973–1976). He also won the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award in 1983. Erving's jersey was retired by the Brooklyn Nets (No. 32) and the Philadelphia 76ers (No. 6). He was selected for the ABA's all-time team and the NBA's 35-year and 50-year anniversary teams. Erving was inducted into the UMass Athletics Hall of Fame in 1980, the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1993 and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006. Jack Leaman (Head Coach 1966-79; 1986-87) – UMass Hall of Fame Class of 1998

Compiling a career record of 217-126 in 13 seasons, Jack Leaman served as head men's basketball coach at UMass from 1966-79. The all-time winnings coach in school history, Leaman guided UMass to eight Yankee Conference titles in nine season (1968-71, 73-76) and six NIT appearances (1970-71, 1973-75, 1977). A two-time New England Coach of the Year, Leaman coached numerous basketball standouts and future coaches, including NBA Hall of Famer Julius Erving, Iona head coach Rick Pitino, Boston College head coach Al Skinner and UMass Athletic Hall of Famers Bill Tindall and Joe DiSarcina. In total, Leaman coached 22 all-Yankee Conference selections during his tenure at UMass. Leaman also served as the head women's basketball coach in 1986-87, leading the team to a 14-12 record, the only winning mark from 1980-95. After finishing his head coaching career, Leaman served as the Athletic Director of the Stockbridge School of Agriculture, as well as the Stockbridge men's basketball and golf coach. Prior to becoming a head coach, Leaman served as an assistant basketball coach under Matt Zunic and Johnny Orr from 1961-66. The 1962 squad advanced to the NCAA Tournament, the school's first. Leaman also served as freshman basketball and soccer coach during his time as a basketball assistant. He complied a 43-14 record as freshman basketball coach. Leaman was inducted into the UMass Athletics Hall of Fame in 1998 and passed away in 2004.