MBB HOKIES 17-18 | MEDIA GUIDE

Solomon Hall Combs Melear Ayersman Mills Curry King Ware Moir Thorpe Beecher Coles Custis Robinson Noe H I S T O R Y & R E C O R D S LOYD KING A mixture of good ball-handling skills and 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 teams in 1969-70 and 1970-71. He averaged 19.3 points per game as a junior and 21.3 points per game as a senior. During his last two years, he reached double-figures in scoring in 45 of 47 games, including the final 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, North Carolina 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 teamwon 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 1,177 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 enjoyed a lengthy professional career in Japan after graduation and is now in the coaching profession. He 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. 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 Curry. He played on the USA team at 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. #getB3 TTER #ThisIsHome 151