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T E C H S P O R T S
H A L L O F F A M E
CHRIS SMITH
A brilliant basketball center from 1958 through 1961, Smith was
one of the nation’s leading rebounders three years in a row. He still
holds all of Tech’s major rebounding records and is regarded by
many as the greatest basketball player in school history. Smith is a
charter member who was inducted in 1982.
ALLAN BRISTOW
A scrappy forward who paced the Hokies to the National Invitation
Tournament championship in 1973, Bristow scored in double figures
during every game of his Tech career and still holds the Hokies’
single-game scoring mark of 52 points. After 10 years as a player
in the NBA, Bristow went into coaching, including a stint as the
head coach of the NBA Charlotte Hornets. He retired as the general
manager of the NewOrleans Hornets. Bristowwas inducted in 1984.
JOHN WETZEL
A swingman who was always at his best in the clutch, Wetzel led
Tech to its first-ever national postseason tournament in 1966. He
enjoyed a 10-year NBA playing career and was in the pro coaching
ranks since 1979 until retiring this summer from the Sacramento
Kings. Wetzel was inducted in 1985.
HARRY BUSHKAR
A fine scorer and playmaker, Bushkar capped his career by being
named All-Southern Conference in 1945-46. He was tabbed
Virginia’s Player of the Year that season and made the SoCon All-
Tournament Team. Bushkar was captain of the 1944, ’45 and ’46
Tech teams. He was inducted in 1986.
GEORGE PARRISH
One of Tech’s first big-name stars, Parrish earned All-South honors
in both basketball and football during a career that extended from
1916 to 1920. Parrish was regarded by many as the best center
in southern basketball in 1919 when he scored 320 of the Hokies’
766 points. He was inducted in 1986.
HOWARD PARDUE
One of the greatest shooters in school history, Pardue played on
Tech teams in the early 1960s. He finished with a career scoring
average of 20 points and was named to the All-Southern Conference
team three years in a row and twice was named to the Southern’s
all-tournament team. He was inducted in 1992.
BUCKY KELLER
A 6-3 swingman who led Tech to glory in the early 1960s, Keller
finished his Tech career with an overall scoring average of 18.2 points
per game. He averaged 15.0 ppg on a 1959-60 team that went
20-6, posted a 17.6 scoring mark in 1960-61 when the Hokies were
15-7, and averaged 21.7 ppg in 1961-62 when Tech finished 19-6.
Keller died in 1977. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1993.
BILL MATTHEWS
Matthews had a tremendous impact on Tech athletics in a 35-year
career as a basketball player, a coach of three sports and an
administrator. A bulky center, he ranks second only to Chris Smith in
all-time rebounding for the Hokies. Matthews had a career average
of 13.8 rebounds per game and in 1954-55 had a sensational
seasonal average of 18.8. He was the Virginia Player of the Year in
1955-56. Matthews was inducted in 1993.
DALE SOLOMON
A dynamic center, Solomon burst on the Virginia Tech basketball
scene in a big way during his freshman year in 1978-79. He sparked
Tech to its only Metro Conference Tournament championship and
was named the tourney’s MVP. He went on to become the first player
to make All-Metro four years in a row. In 1990, he was chosen on
the Metro’s decade team of the 1980s. Solomon tallied a career
total of 2,136 points and ranks fourth on the Hokies’all-time scoring
list. He was inducted in 1994.
EARL (BUS) HALL
The Southern Conference’s leading scorer in 1932, Hall was a
unanimous choice for the all-conference team that year. Nicknamed
“The Princeton Phantom,” he was a complete player who excelled
as a floor leader, dribbler and passer, as well as a scorer. Hall was
inducted in 1992.
GLEN COMBS
Still rated one of the best long-range shooters in school history,
Combs helped the 1967 Tech team to the finals of the NCAAMideast
Regional, where an overtime loss to Dayton cost the Hokies a spot
in the Final Four. Combs, who averaged 17.9 points over his three
varsity seasons at Tech, went on to enjoy a seven-year career in the
ABA. He was inducted in 1987.
LEE MELEAR
Although he starred in both basketball and baseball, Melear may be
best remembered for his 24-point performance against Kentucky in
1962 when the Hokies handed legendary coach Adolph Rupp the
only season-opening home loss of his career at UK. Melear, who
averaged in double-figure scoring all three of his varsity seasons,
was inducted in 1989.
BOB AYERSMAN
A hot-shooting forward from 1957-61, Ayersman made the All-
Southern Conference team two years in a row. He still ranks ninth
in career scoring at Tech and his 26.5 scoring average in 1958-59
still stands as the second-best in school history. Ayersman was
inducted in 1990.
LEWIS MILLS
A point guard deluxe, Mills was the captain of the Hokies in 1959-
60 and helped that team post the school’s first 20-win basketball
season. He entered the coaching field after graduating from Tech and
served as the head basketball coach at the University of Richmond
from 1963 until 1973. Mills, who also spent 12 years in athletic
administration at VCU, was inducted in 1991.
DELL CURRY
This silky-smooth outside shooter scored a Tech record 1,021
field goals and tallied a total of 2,389 points. He ranks second on
the Hokies’ all-time scoring list behind Bimbo Coles and holds the
school career record for steals with 295. Curry, who helped the
Hokies to four postseason tournaments, posted 115 double-figure
scoring games on the way to a career scoring average of 18.9. He
was a first-round draft pick of the NBA’s Utah Jazz in 1986 and is
now retired from playing after a long and successful NBA career.
He is currently an executive with the expansion Charlotte Bobcats
of the NBA and was inducted into the Virginia State Sports Hall of
Fame in 2004. Curry was inducted in 1996.
The Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame was organized in 1982 to honor persons who have made great contributions to athletics at the
university. Since its inception, a total of 168 people have been enshrined, including 24 individuals who were chosen primarily for their
contributions in basketball.
Smith
Bristow
Wetzel
Bushkar
Parrish
Pardue
Keller
Matthews
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