GREENSBORO, NC – UNC Greensboro Director of Athletics Nelson E. Bobb announced Saturday morning that the University will retire the men’s basketball jersey number 42, worn by All-America candidate Kyle Hines, later this season.
Hines’ jersey will be hung in the gymnasium in the rafters at Fleming Gym on Thursday, February 28 prior to the Spartans’ game against Chattanooga. He will be the fifth player in UNCG basketball history – men’s or women’s – to have their number retired and will be the first player to have it done while still active. Scott Hartzell and Courtney Eldridge are the other men’s players and Melinda Goodson and Angie Polk are the women’s players who have previously had their numbers retired.
“We felt it was an appropriate honor for one of the greatest student-athletes to not only play at UNCG, but in the Southern Conference,” said Bobb. “Kyle has represented this university in a tremendous way as a student-athlete and ambassador, not just as a basketball player. We felt we had to do whatever we could to show our gratitude to this young man. Along with that, he is on his way to basketball history, not just in this history of this University but on a national level, as well.
“We wanted to announce this now so that his family could plan accordingly,” said Bobb. “Our senior night will be held the following Monday night as tradition has predominantly held – our last home game. Kyle’s honor should not alter the spotlight for what our other seniors have brought to this program. Kyle would not have that nor would we. Dwayne (Johnson) and Kevin (Oleksiak) have been a great part of the last four years and deserve to be honored in a special way, as well. So, it will become a prolonged celebration with games on Thursday and Monday and we wanted all of Kyle’s family members to be able to plan accordingly.”
Hines, a 6-6 forward from Sicklerville, NJ, is already the school’s all-time leading scorer and shot blocker and is closing in on the program’s career rebounding record. The holder of several other career and many single-season school marks, he was the first player in school history to record three consecutive seasons of 400 points and back-to-back seasons of 500 points. The 2005 Southern Conference Rookie of the Year and 2007 Southern Conference Player of the Year (UNCG’s first-ever Player of the Year), he is closing in on becoming the 96th player in college basketball history to record 2,000 points and 1,000 rebounds with totals of 1,782 points and 876 rebounds entering today’s game against Georgia Southern.
An AP All-America Honorable Mention selection last season, Hines could also join a select list – Pervis Ellison, David Robinson, Alonzo Morning, Tim Duncan and Derrick Coleman – if he gets to 2,000 points, 1,000 rebounds and 300 blocked shots in his career. He enters Saturday’s game with 289 career blocks. In addition, the Southern Conference’s record for career blocked shots is 308.
“I am not sure what to say – I am speechless,” said a typically humble Hines. “All along, this has been about team achievement. I have always said that I would trade all of the individual honors and records for a conference title and a trip the NCAA Tournament and that could never be truer. We have a lot of season left and that is clearly our focus and, specifically, will remain my own. The recognition is truly special and, like many of the achievements I have had to date, will be one of those things that down the road will have a tremendous amount of meaning to me.
“I would be remiss, although it seems somewhat premature at this moment, to say thank you to all of my teammates – past and present – as I could not have done any of this without them playing alongside of me,” said Hines. “Thanks, too, to our fans, my fellow students, Coach Dement and the staff, and Mr. Bobb for all that they have done during my time here.”
Kyle Hines 101
Entering his 101st career game on Saturday
Career Points: 1,782 (25 percent of UNCG’s total scoring over the last four years; UNCG scoring record)
Career Rebounds: 876 (second all-time at UNCG, 24.4 percent of UNCG’s total rebounding over the last four years)
Career Blocks: 289 (UNCG record; second in SoCon history)
Career Steals: 145 (fourth all-time at UNCG)
Career Assists: 120 (approaching UNCG's Top 15 list)
Career Field Goal Pct.: 58.4% (fourth all-time at UNCG; has more field goals than anyone else in the school’s Top 10 has FG attempts)
Career Games of 10 or more points: 93 (UNCG record)
Career double-doubles: 37 (UNCG record)
UNCG Career Records: Points, Blocks, Field Goals, Double figure scoring games
UNCG Season Records: Free throw attempts, blocks, double doubles, 30-point games; Division I era: points, field goals, field goal attempts, free throw attempts, blocks, double doubles, 30-point games
Streaks and Such: Most consecutive games scoring 10 or more points (61 – active); most consecutive games with a blocked shot (37); first player at UNCG to score 500 points in consecutive seasons; first player at UNCG to score 400 points in three consecutive seasons; only active player nationally with 1000 points, 500 rebounds, 200 blocks and 100 steals (one of 19 to do so in last 10 years and did it in just 68 games – the fastest on that list to do so); ranks in Top 10 among active players in points (sixth), rebounds (fourth), blocks (third) and double-doubles (second).
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