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H I S T O R Y & R E C O R D S
Solomon
Hall
Combs
Melear
Ayersman
Mills
Curry
King
Ware
Moir
Thorpe
Beecher
Coles
Custis
Robinson
Noe
LOYD KING
A mixture of good ball-handling skills, leaping ability and a keen eye
for long-range jumpers helped make King one of the best guards to
play for the Hokies. He was the captain and leading scorer for Tech’s
cage teams in 1969-70 and 1970-71. He averaged 19.3 points
per game as a junior and carried a 21.3-point scoring average as a
senior. During his last two years, he reached double-figure scoring
in 45 of 47 games, including the last 23 in a row. King finished
his Tech career with 1,248 points and a 17.1 scoring average. He
went on to play in the American Basketball Association and French
Professional League. King was inducted in 1998.
TED WARE
Ted Ware, whose rebounding and defense were vital ingredients
for the Hokies during his three varsity seasons in the 1960s, had
the distinction of playing an important role on Tech’s first NIT team
in 1966 and also on the Hokies’ first NCAA Tournament squad in
1967. The 6-5 forward was Tech’s second-leading scorer as a
sophomore in 1965-66 with a 14.6 average. During the 1966-67
season, he shot 55.6 percent from the field, which was a school
record at the time. As a senior in 1967-68, Ware posted a team-high
9.2 rebounding average. Ware’s overall 52.4 field-goal percentage
was a Tech career record at the time. In 1968, he was selected to
the 10-man Academic All-America Basketball Team chosen by the
nation’s sports information directors. Ware was inducted in 1999.
BIMBO COLES
Vernell “Bimbo” Coles played a leading role at point guard for the
1988 U.S. Olympic team, which won a bronze medal in Seoul, South
Korea. He capped his collegiate career as the leading scorer in
both Virginia Tech and Metro Conference basketball history. Coles’
jersey, No. 12, was officially retired just prior to his final home game
against Memphis State on March 3, 1990. He was inducted in 2000.
WAYNE ROBINSON
Wayne Robinson was a central figure in Tech’s early success in the
Metro Conference. He was Tech’s leading rebounder in each of his
three years as a starter and is ranked fourth among Tech’s career
rebound leaders and is 10th in career scoring at Tech. Robinson
was a first round selection of the Los Angeles Lakers in the 1980
NBA Draft and played for both the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons
before playing seven seasons professionally in Europe. He was
inducted in 2003.
CHARLES MOIR
Charlie Moir is the winningest coach in Virginia Tech basketball
history. The native of Francisco, N.C., won 213 games in his 11-year
tenure with the Hokies. His teams won 19 or more games in nine of
his 11 seasons and during one stretch, he produced a school-record
five consecutive 20-win seasons. Moir guided the Hokies to eight
postseason tournament appearances – four in the NCAA and four
in the NIT – the most ever by any Tech men’s coach. His 1978-79
team won the Metro Conference tournament in its first season of
league play. Moir was inducted in 2006.
ACE CUSTIS
One of the most popular players in Virginia Tech history, Custis
completed his Virginia Tech career with 1,706 points and 1,777
rebounds, joining Chris Smith as the only two Hokies to reach or
surpass the 1,500 mark in both points and rebounds. In 1997, he
became just the third player in school history to have his number
retired. Custis has enjoyed a lengthy professional career in Japan
since graduation. Custis was inducted in 2007.
CHUCK NOE
In his seven years at the helm of the Tech men’s basketball
program, Noe guided the Hokies to seven consecutive winning
seasons, compiling 109 victories. In 1959-60, Tech posted the first
20-win season in school history with a 20-6 record that included
a 12-1 mark in Southern Conference play. The Hokies won the
league’s regular season title that season and also laid claim to the
state championship with a 7-0 mark against in-state competition.
Noe was inducted in 2009.
DUKE THORPE
Duke Thorpe didn’t waste any time in capturing the fancy of Virginia
Tech basketball fans with his tough, relentless style of play for the
Hokies. The 6-6 forward won a starting job midway through his
freshman season and went on to help Tech earn postseason berths
in both his junior and senior years. He led the team in scoring (15.6)
and rebounding (8.3) as Tech advanced to the quarterfinal round of
the NIT. Thorpe’s career field-goal percentage of .600 still ranks as
the top all-time shooting mark for a Tech player. He also holds the
top two career single-season field goal percentage marks among
Tech players and stands 10th overall in career rebounds with 756.
He finished his career with 1,294 points. He was inducted in 2010.
BOBBY BEECHER
Bobby Beecher joined Dell Curry and Keith Colbert to form one of
the top-rated recruiting classes in Tech men’s basketball history during
the fall of 1982. During his first Tech season, Beecher earned Metro
Conference Freshman of the Year honors over teammate Curry. He
played on the USA team in the World University Games the summer
before his senior season. He still ranks third all-time at Tech in blocked
shots (170) and stands in the top 10 in career rebounds, field goals
made (640) and free-throw percentage (.807). He is 16th all-time in
scoring. Beecher was selected in the fourth round of the 1986 NBA
Draft by the Sacramento Kings.
PAUL DEAR, LEO BURKE, MEL HENRY
Although they were chosen for the Hall of Fame primarily for their
excellence in other sports, they also made contributions in basketball.
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