Virginia Men's Basketball: All-Americans, Retired Jerseys & Numbers
Story Links
Cavalier Legends
Retired Numbers
3 -Jeff Lamp, guard
14 -Buzzy Wilkinson, guard
20 -Bryant Stith, forward/guard
40 –Barry Parkhill, guard
41 -Wally Walker, forward
44 -Sean Singletary, guard
50 -Ralph Sampson, center
Retired Jerseys
5 -Curtis Staples, guard
44 -Sean Singletary, guard
Cavaliers of Prominence
William Strickling 1914-16
William Strickling starred at center on three of the greatest Virginia teams of the head coach “Pop” Lannigan era (1905-29). Lettering from 1914-16, Strickling helped lead UVa to the best three-year winning percentage in school history (.920, 40-3-1).
In 1915, Strickling became the first Virginia basketball player to earn first-team All-America distinction after leading the team to a perfect 17-0 record. He averaged 17.8 points per game that season as a member of Virginia’s “Famous Five” starting lineup and scored the winning foul shot in a 30-29 overtime victory over North Carolina in Raleigh, N.C.
Strickling captained the 1916 squad, which posted an 11-2 record. Virginia’s 21-11 loss to Catholic in the fourth game of the season snapped a 22-game winning streak.
During Strickling’s first season at Virginia in 1914, UVa compiled a 12-1-1 record and captured the South Atlantic Championship. Executing Lannigan’s sophisticated pattern offense to precision, Virginia averaged 50.9 points a game that season and tallied 60 or more points on five occasions. No Virginia team would surpass the 1914 squad’s offensive production until the 1946 Cavaliers averaged 54 points per game.
14 – Buzzy Wilkinson 1953-55
One of the most prolific scorers in UVa history, Buzzy Wilkinson lettered for the Cavaliers from 1953 to 1955.
Among his many outstanding on-the-court accomplishments, the 1955 team captain became one of the first three collegians to average 30 points or better per game over the course of a season. He finished with a career scoring average of 28.6 points-still a UVa and ACC record. Wilkinson also holds the conference and school record for season scoring average (32.1 ppg) in 1954-55.
Wilkinson’s UVa career scoring record of 2,233 points stood for nearly 26 years before it was broken in 1981 by Jeff Lamp. Nonetheless, he still holds the season scoring record with 898 points, as well as season records for most free throws made (282) and most field goals made (308) in 1954-55.
An outstanding pure shooter, the 6-2 guard was drafted by the Boston Celtics, but his career was shortened by an automobile accident.
Wilkinson’s Career Statistics
FG FT
Year G M-A FG% M-A FT% Reb-Avg Pts-Avg
1952-53 23 188-NA NA 145-197 .736 NA 521-22.7
1953-54 27 288-767 .375 238-306 .777 174-6.4 814-30.1
1954-55 28 308-741 .416 282-366 .770 178-6.4 898-32.1
Career 78 784-1508* .395* 665-869 .765 352-6.4* 2233-28.6
*Career totals based on available records
40 – Barry Parkhill 1971-73
One of the greatest all-purpose guards in Atlantic Coast Conference history, Barry Parkhill was chosen Virginia’s first ACC Basketball Player of the Year after the 1971-72 season. He was also named ACC Athlete of the Year that year.
The 6-4 Parkhill led the conference in scoring in 1971-72 (21.6 ppg) as he guided the Cavaliers to a 21-7 record and a first-ever Top-10 ranking in both wire service polls following an 11-0 start. He still holds the UVa (tied for sixth in ACC) single-game scoring record (51 points vs. Baldwin-Wallace) and ranks ninth in career assists (369 in three seasons).
The two-time All-American (1972 and ’73) was drafted by both the Virginia Squires (ABA) and Portland Trail Blazers (NBA) and went on to play three seasons in the ABA. Parkhill then moved to William & Mary, where he served as an assistant and head coach. He was an assistant basketball coach at the U.S. Naval Academy for two seasons after spending a year as head basketball coach at St. Michael’s College in Winooski, Vt.
Parkhill is in his 13th year as associate athletics director for development at the University of Virginia. He previously served three years as director of alumni development for the UVa Alumni Association and director of capital projects for athletics. Before that, he spent three years as associate director of regional development at UVa. Parkhill was inducted into the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame (Portsmouth, Va.) in April of 2001.
Parkhill joined Jeff Lamp and Ralph Sampson as one of three former Cavaliers who were chosen to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Men’s Basketball Team before the start of the 2002-03 season.
Parkhill’s Career Statistics
FG FT
Year G M-A FG% M-A FT% Reb-Avg Ast Pts-Avg
1969-70† 14 147-264 .557 78-97 .804 129-9.2 69 364-26.0
1970-71 26 146-347 .421 121-150 .807 105-4.0 124 413-15.9
1971-72 28 239-529 .452 127-166 .765 125-4.5 121 605-21.6
1972-73 25 164-408 .402 91-110 .827 93-3.7 124 419-16.8
Career 79 549-1284 .428 339-426 .796 323-4.1 369 1437-18.2
†Freshman year statistics are not included in overall career statistics.
41 – Wally Walker 1973-76
A prolific frontcourt scorer, “Wonderful” Wally Walker led Virginia to its only Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship and its first NCAA Tournament berth in 1976. He is the only Cavalier to receive the Everett Case Award as the ACC Tournament’s Most Valuable Player following Virginia’s upset of three nationally-ranked teams en route to the ACC title. Enjoying one of the finest individual seasons ever by a Cavalier cager during the 1975-76 season, Walker scored 21 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the 1976 tournament championship game against North Carolina.
Walker’s scoring average of 22.1 points during the 1975-76 season ranks as the sixth best in UVa history and his 1,849 career points rank seventh on the all-time Cavalier list.
Walker was the fifth player chosen in the 1976 NBA draft, taken by the Portland Trail Blazers. He was a reserve forward for the 1977 Portland World Championship team and, the following year, was traded to the Seattle Supersonics, who won the 1978 NBA title. Walker was then traded to Houston where he teamed with another former Cavalier, Ralph Sampson.
Following his pro basketball career, Walker attended graduate business school at Stanford and started his own financial investment company. He returned to the NBA in 1994, becoming president and general manager of the Supersonics. He is currently the founder and principal of Hana Road Capital in Seattle, Wash. In March of 2001, Walker was one of five former collegiate players named to the 2001 Hillyard Silver Anniversary All-America basketball team, as selected by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Walker was joined on the team by Quinn Buckner (Indiana), John Lucas (Maryland), Ron Lee (Oregon) and Phil Sellers (Rutgers).
Walker’s Career Statistics
FG FT
Year G M-A FG% M-A FT% Reb-Avg Pts-Avg
1972-73 23 139-247 .563 38-48 .792 156-6.8 316-13.7
1973-74 26 199-404 .493 58-70 .829 170-6.5 456-17.5
1974-75 25 179-374 .479 55-66 .833 136-5.4 413-16.5
1975-76 30 262-478 .548 140-186 .753 203-6.8 664-22.1
Career 104 779-1503 .518 291-370 .786 665-6.4 1849-17.8
3 – Jeff Lamp 1978-81
Jeff Lamp set a standard of class in the Atlantic Coast Conference which few have matched. Best when the pressure was on, he was an outstanding clutch performer who tied or won no fewer than 14 games for UVa in the final minute of play.
Lamp was an All-ACC selection in each of his four seasons at UVa (1978-81). He finished with 2,317 career points which was a school record until broken by Bryant Stith (2,516) in 1992.
A two-time All-American, the talented 6-6 guard helped lead the Cavaliers to the NIT championship in 1980 and a berth in the 1981 NCAA Final Four. Virginia opened the ’81 campaign with 23 consecutive wins before finishing with a 29-4 mark. Lamp earned Most Valuable Player honors in the NCAA East Regional that year and was an All-Tournament selection at the finals in Philadelphia, Pa.
Lamp was chosen in the first round of the 1981 NBA draft (15th pick overall) by the Portland Trail Blazers. He also played with a number of other NBA teams, including the San Antonio Spurs, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Indiana Pacers and the Los Angeles Lakers.
Lamp joined Barry Parkhill and Ralph Sampson as one of three former Cavaliers who were chosen to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Men’s Basketball Team before the start of the 2002-03 season.
Lamp’s Career Statistics
FG FT
Year G M-A FG% M-A FT% Reb-Avg Ast Pts-Avg
1977-78 28 156-382 .408 173-205 .844 124-4.4 56 485-17.3
1978-79 28 230-477 .482 181-214 .846 121-4.3 55 641-22.9
1979-80 34 232-445 .521 127-151 .841 133-3.9 72 591-17.4
1980-81 33 223-406 .549 154-178 .865 137-4.2 67 600-18.2
Career 123 841-1710 .492 635-748 .849 515-4.2 250 2317-18.8
50 – Ralph Sampson 1980-83
One of the most heralded cagers of all time, Ralph Sampson dominated the collegiate game during his brilliant four-year (1980-83) career.
Leading Virginia to a new level of national prominence and success, the 7-4 center helped guide the Cavaliers to an NIT championship as a freshman in 1980 and to three NCAA postseason tournaments, including the Final Four in 1981. In addition, the Sampson-led Cavaliers won 112 of 135 games and were ranked in the Top 10 by The Associated Press for 49 consecutive weeks.
The three-time National and ACC Player of the Year also left his mark in the UVa record books. Known almost as much for his unselfish team play as he was for his outstanding athletic ability, Sampson nonetheless finished as Virginia’s third all-time leading scorer (currently fourth with 2,228 points) and holds UVa career records for rebounding (1,511), most field goals made (899), most blocked shots (462) and most dunks (253).
Among his numerous accolades, Sampson was a four-time All-American and won two straight Eastman Awards, two John R. Wooden Awards and three consecutive Rupp trophies.
Following his four-year collegiate stint, Sampson was picked by the Houston Rockets as the NBA’s number-one draft choice and went on to earn NBA Rookie of the Year honors. During his nine-year NBA career, he helped lead Houston to the 1986 NBA finals and later played for the Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings and Washington Bullets.
Sampson joined Jeff Lamp and Barry Parkhill as one of three former Cavaliers who were chosen to the ACC’s 50th Anniversary Men’s Basketball Team before the start of the 2002-03 season.
Sampson’s Career Statistics
FG FT
Year G M-A FG% M-A FT% Reb-Avg Blk Pts-Avg
1979-80 34 221-404 .547 66-94 .702 381-11.2 157 508-14.9
1980-81 33 230-413 .557 125-198 .631 378-11.5 103 585-17.7
1981-82 32 198-353 .561 110-179 .615 366-11.4 99 506-15.8
1982-83 33 250-414 .604 126-179 .704 386-11.7 103 629-19.1
Career 132 899-1584 .568 427-650 .657 1511-11.4 462 2228-16.9
20 – Bryant Stith 1989-92
Bryant Stith starred on Virginia teams from 1989-92. During that time, the versatile 6-5 swing-man helped propel the Cavaliers to four 20-win seasons, three NCAA appearances and the 1992 National Invitation Tournament championship.
Stith finished his career in 1992 as UVa’s all-time leading scorer (2,516 points) and second-leading rebounder (currently fourth with 859 rebounds). He posted the fourth-highest career point total in Atlantic Coast Conference history and established himself as the all-time Division I scoring leader in the state of Virginia when his collegiate career ended.
A three-time honorable mention All-American and first-team All-ACC performer, Stith averaged 20.7 points per game as a senior. The four-year letter winner scored in double figures in all 33 games of his senior season and in the final 51 games of his career.
He was named the Most Valuable Player of the 1992 NIT after leading UVa to an 81-76 overtime win vs. Notre Dame in the championship game at Madison Square Garden. Sinking five of six free throws in the overtime period, Stith finished the game with eight rebounds and a team-high 24 points.
Arguably the greatest clutch performer to wear a Cavalier uniform since Jeff Lamp, whose old UVa scoring record of 2,317 points he eventually broke, Stith provided many late-game heroics and often seemed unstoppable. Playing at Notre Dame as a junior during the 1990-91 regular season, he scored Virginia’s final 19 points, including 17 in the last 3:14, to lead UVa to a dramatic 68-67 come-from-behind victory. In all, Stith accounted for 20 of Virginia’s 39 second-half points as the Cavaliers rallied from a 57-51 deficit with 6:20 remaining.
He capped off his outstanding freshman season in 1988-89 by being named ACC Rookie of the Year. The Cavaliers-paced by Stith’s 28 points and seven rebounds-advanced to the finals of the NCAA Southeast Regional that season with an 86-80 victory over heavily favored Oklahoma.
Stith is listed in the top six of several UVa career statistical categories. The 1992 Wooden Award finalist ranks: first in scoring (2,516), minutes played (4,391) and free throws made (690); second in field goals made (856); fourth in rebounds (859); and seventh in steals (177).
The sixth Virginia men’s basketball player to have his jersey number retired, Stith was selected in the first round of the 1992 NBA draft (13th pick overall) by the Denver Nuggets. He played a total of 10 pro seasons-eight with the Nuggets, and one each with the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers-before retiring prior to the start of the 2002-03 NBA season.
Stith’s Career Statistics
FG FT
Year G M-A FG% M-A FT% Reb-Avg Ast St Pts-Avg
1988-89 33 181-330 .548 150-195 .769 216-6.5 50 45 513-15.5
1989-90 32 217-451 .481 192-247 .777 221-6.9 53 41 666-20.8
1990-91 33 228-484 .471 159-201 .791 203-6.2 41 51 653-19.8
1991-92 33 230-509 .452 189-232 .815 219-6.6 72 40 684-20.7
Career 131 856-1774 .483 690-875 .789 859-6.6 216 177 2516-19.2
Three-point Field Goals: 1988-89: 1-1 (1.000); 1989-90: 40-102 (.392); 1990-91: 38-125 (.304); 1991-92: 35-95 (.368). Career: 114-323 (.353).
5 – Curtis Staples 1995-1998
One of the top three-point shooters in NCAA Division I basketball history, Curtis Staples’ jersey was retired in halftime ceremonies during UVa’s victory over Arizona in the first men’s regular season basketball game at the John Paul Jones Arena on Nov. 12, 2006. Staples, a 6-3 guard from Roanoke, Va., finished his Virginia career in 1998 as the NCAA’s leader in three-point field goals made with 413. His mark held until Duke’s J.J. Redick established a new NCAA record for three-point field goals made (457) during the 2005-06 season.
In addition to being Virginia’s career leader in three-point field goals made, Staples holds UVa records for three-point field goals made in a season (130) and in a game (9). He also holds Virginia records for most three-point field goals made by a senior (130), junior (98), sophomore (82) and freshman (103). He led the Atlantic Coast Conference in three-point field goals made per game during each of his four seasons at UVa.
Staples ranks 10th on the Cavaliers’ career scoring list with 1,757 points. He lettered four times for Virginia and was a team captain as a senior during the 1997-98 season. Staples averaged a career-high 18.1 points a game during the 1997-98 season and earned third-team All-ACC honors.
Staples’ Career Statistics
FG FT
Year G M-A FG% M-A FT% Reb-Avg Ast St Pts-Avg
1994-95 34 132-317 .416 37-49 .755 103-3.0 26 28 404-11.9
1995-96 27 126-337 .374 44-55 .800 98-3.6 56 23 378-14.0
1996-97 31 146-337 .433 42-61 .689 144-4.6 51 24 432-13.9
1997-98 30 169-415 .407 75-98 .765 137-4.6 54 22 543-18.1
Career 122 573-1406 .408 198-263 .753 482-4.0 187 97 1757-14.4
Three-point Field Goals: 1994-95: 103-244 (.422); 1995-96: 82-249 (.329); 1996-97: 98-253 (.387); 1997-98: 130-333 (.390). Career: 413-1079 (.383).