RIP Pearl.

 

One of the players I remember from when I first started watching basketball as a kid. Cause of death was brain cancer.

Wow, had not heard he was battling that.

Great college basketball player. Loved watching him play. RIP

If you're 40+ when you think of ESPN you think of the Big East. When you think of the Big East one of the first people you think of is Pearl.

If you're 40+ when you think of ESPN you think of the Big East. When you think of the Big East one of the first people you think of is Pearl.

 

Seemed like he was on every day...Pearl was as smooth as they got. RIP

Washington made his mark in a nationally televised game on Jan. 24, 1984, against Boston College.

 

When Martin Clark missed a free throw for the Eagles in a tie game with only seconds on the clock, Washington took an outlet pass, raced up court and swished the winning shot from beyond half court as time expired.

 

Exhibiting his flair for the dramatic, the 6-foot-2 Washington never stopped running after he took the shot until he made it to the locker room.

 

The Orange entered the top 20 the week after that memorable shot and remained there for the rest of Washington's college career. Later that winter, he set a Syracuse record with 18 assists against St. John's.

 

A New York City playground legend who starred at Boys and Girls High School and on playgrounds throughout the city, Washington was the most highly recruited basketball player in the country after averaging 35 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists as a senior. He committed to Syracuse in 1983 determined to make the Carrier Dome his home, left an indelible mark on Orange basketball, and ranks as one of Boeheim's most important recruits.

 

"I can't underscore how big a moment that was for our program," Boeheim wrote in his recent book "Color Him Orange: The Jim Boeheim Story." ''I believe at that point we officially went from being an Eastern program to a national program. Everybody knew who the Pearl was."

 

If you're 40+ when you think of ESPN you think of the Big East. When you think of the Big East one of the first people you think of is Pearl.

 

Yep. Pearl, Patrick, Chris Mullin and company.

 

RIP.

The old days of College Hoops on "USA Network", I remember them well.

Yep. Pearl, Patrick, Chris Mullin and company.

 

RIP.

 

Yeah....Beasts of the East days. Great college ball.

Benign tumor removed in1995. 20 years later a malignant tumor. RIP Pearl

It's nice that he was able to see Syracuse make the Final Four one more time