Winston-Salem State to Honor Basketball Legends on Legacy Weekend Ram, Lady Rams hardwood legends to be honored for historical efforts Trevin Q. Goodwin WINSTON-SALEM, NC –Winston-Salem State University will honor its basketball legends at Legacy Weekend on February 21-22nd. In celebration of the rich and storied history of WSSU basketball, seven of the top players in school history will be honored for successes both on and off the court. Of the seven honorees, five of the top men’s basketball players in school history will be honored as WSSU greats Earl “The Pearl” Monroe, Cleo Hill, Theodore “Ted” Blount, the late Jack DeFares, and George Foree will be celebrated for their stellar careers. The weekend will also honor a pair of Lady Ram legends and Chellia Nelson and Carolyn Huntley will be honored as well. Among the other activities for the weekend will be an Alumni Game on Friday evening that will feature former Rams and Lady Rams players. Highlighting the weekend will be a jersey hanging when the legends of Winston-Salem State University basketball will be honored with their jerseys being hung in the C.E. Gaines Center on the campus of Winston-Salem State University. For more information on WSSU basketball, contact the WSSU Office of Athletic Media Relations at (336) 750-2143 or log on to www.WSSURams.com. ABOUT THE 2011 WSSU LEGACY WEEKEND HONOREES MEN Theodore “Ted” Blunt G 1962-65 Was a member of the 1963 Rams CIAA Championship team. During his career, Blunt earned many honors, including earning a spot on the All-CIAA team in 1964. He also earned NAIA Third-Team All-America honors in 1964. His accomplishments continued well after his playing days at Winston-Salem State as he was elected to the CIAA Hall of Fame in 1990. He is a 1965 graduate of Winston-Salem State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Elementary Education. Eventually, he was elected to the Wilmington, Delaware City Council where he would eventually become president. Jack DeFares F 1954-57 Known as the “Kangaroo Kid”, Jack DeFares remains one of the top basketball players in the history of Winston-Salem State basketball. A legend in the world of basketball world, DeFares lived up to his billing with a stellar career with the Rams. During his career, he led the team to a 1957 CIAA Championship and was named to the All-CIAA team three times (1955, 1956, and in 1957). He was also named to the CIAA Hall of Fame in 1997. George Foree F 1959-62 George Foree was another great in the history of Winston-Salem State basketball where he, along with fellow Ram great Cleo Hill, led the Rams to a pair of CIAA Championships (1960, 1961). The effort marked the first time in school history that the team won consecutive championships. For his efforts on the court, Foree was named an NAIA Third Team All-American. Cleo Hill G 1958-61 Total Points: 2,488 Cleo is widely regarded as one of the greatest basketball players in school history. He led the Rams to back-to-back CIAA Championships in 1960 and 1961, a feat that the team would not repeat until 2000. Hill is widely considered as one of the greats to play collegiate basketball. For his efforts, Hill earned All-CIAA honors twice (1960, 1961). He also earned NAIA First Team All-American honors in 1961. He went on to become inducted into the CIAA Hall of Fame (1994). Hill was drafted in the first round of the National Basketball Association (NBA) by the St. Louis Hawks in 1961. He was profiled in a segment of the ESPN Documentary Black Magic, which told the story of African Americans and basketball. #10 Earl Monroe G 1964-67 Total Points at WSSU: 2,935 The legend of Earl “The Pearl” Monroe spread from the Whitaker Gymnasium at Winston-Salem State across the entire basketball world. During his time at Winston-Salem State University, Monroe led the Rams to a CIAA Championship in 1966 as well as an NCAA Division II National Championship in 1967. He earned All-CIAA honors in 1965 and in 1967. During his career, he averaged a whopping 41.5 points per game. He was also named to the CIAA Hall of Fame in 1977. He was the second pick of the 1967 NBA draft by Baltimore Bullets and making an immediate impact en route to earning the NBA Rookie of the Year title in 1968. During his career, he earned numerous honors, including being named to the All-NBA team in 1969 and was named an All-Star four times. He also he helped the New Knicks take home the 1973 NBA Championship. For his career, Monroe scored 17,454 points with 473 steals and averaged 18.8 points per game. He was also named one the greatest players in NBA history. WOMEN Chellia Nelson G 1994-97 Total Points: 1,434 Total Rebounds: 637 She earned All-CIAA honors three times during her career at Winston-Salem State (1995, 1996, and 1997). She led the team in scoring from 1994-97. Her best season came during the 1994-95 season when she averaged 20.8 points per game. She earned All-CIAA honors in 1996 and in 1997. She is the third leading scorer in team history with 1,434 career points. She was named to the CIAA Hall of Fame in 1999. Carolyn Huntley G 1984-87 Total Points: 1,617 Carolyn remains one of the top players in the history of Winston-Salem State women’s basketball. She is currently the school’s career scoring leader with 1,617 total points for the Lady Rams. She scored in a number of ways for the Lady Rams as she is also the team’s career leader in field goals made with 656. She earned All-CIAA honors four times during her career (1984, 1985, 1986, 1987).