Syracuse Basketball: John Wallace finally will be immortalized

Former Syracuse basketball legend John Wallace will finally be immortalized. Here are all the details and what it all means.

Syracuse basketball legend John Wallace will become the 15th player in program history to see his jersey hanging from the rafters the school announced on Monday afternoon:

• Carmelo Anthony
• Dave Bing
• Roosevelt Bouie
• Derrick Coleman
• Sherman Douglas
• Dennis DuVal
• Billy Gabor
• Vic Hanson
• Lawrence Moten
• Louis Orr
• Billy Owens
• Rony Seikaly
• Wilmeth Sidat-Singh
• Dwayne “Pearl” Washingon

No. 44 is a famed number in Syracuse lore for its rich history in the Orange football program. From Floyd Little to Ernie Davis to the great Jim Brown have donned the historic jersey, but it’s what John Wallace did on the hardwood with the number that truly separated him from the pack.

"“John Wallace is one of the great all-around players in Syracuse history,” said Syracuse Director of Athletics John Wildhack per the press release. “He is our third all-time scorer and rebounder and ranks ninth all-time in blocked shots.  All Syracuse fans will remember John hitting the 3-pointer to beat Georgia in the Sweet 16 and leading the Orange to the Championship game in 1996.  John deserves to be recognized among the greatest players in our storied history. “"

Syracuse has been a bit frugal over the years with honoring legends of the past, but it’s great to see them finally step up to the plate to immortalize one of the true Orange legends.

Head coach Jim Boeheim called Wallace one of “his most important recruits” he ever signed as head coach on the hill.

Not only did he dominate for the Orange, but he was a local product as well.

The former prep star Greece Athena (near Rochester) helped lead his squad to championship glory in 1992 with a state title.

On top of the team’s success, he also earned nearly every individual accolade on the planet from Gatorade Player of the Year to Mr. Basketball, to even the MVP in that 1992 state tournament run.

After a wildly successful high school career, he jumped into the Syracuse starting lineup and earned All-American honors as a freshman and the Orange went 20-9.

As he gained more experience and savy his game continued to take off. Wallace helped the Orange reach the “Sweet 16” and helped Syracuse finish with a 23-7 record.

Then as a junior, he led the team in boards (8.2 per contest) and also delivered the scoring (16.8 per game) while picking up first-team All-Big East Conference honors, per the press release. Syracuse finished 20-10 and reached the NCAA tourney.

Fittingly he saved the best for last in his senior season in 1995-96.

Syracuse, of course, reached the National Championship game while averaging 22.2 points per game and 8.7 rebounds. Once again John Wallace was a first-team member of the All-Big East and also was a second-team All-American.

He ended up finishing his career with a season record for points (845) and was third all-time on the scoring list (2,119 points) and in rebounding (1,065), per the press release.

After his college career, he was a first-round draft pick in the 1996 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks, staying very close to home. Wallace ended up playing seven seasons in the pros for five different teams in the NBA.

The best year of his professional career came with the Toronto Raptors in 1997-98 where he averaged over 14 points per game and just under five boards.

The official ceremony will take place on Saturday, February 29, 2020, inside the loud house. Syracuse will host ACC rival North Carolina for the special event, per the official press release.