Spencer to have his jersey retired
MBB: The former Racer was enshrined in Murray State's Hall of Fame in 2014
Murray State Athletics announced Thursday that Hall of Famer Isaac Spencer will have his #31 jersey retired this upcoming season. The date of the jersey retirement will be December 6th when the Racers host Bellarmine. On that day, Spencer and his teammates from the 1999-2000 team will finally receive their Ohio Valley Conference championship rings.
Inducted into the Murray State Hall of Fame in 2014, Spencer put together one of the great careers in Racer history. Playing for Murray State from 1997-2001, Spencer scored 2,248 points, grabbed 962 rebounds and dished out 352 assists. Dating back to 1957, only Oscar Robertson, Larry Bird and Lionel Simmons put together better all-around numbers in their careers.
"I am proud to be a Racer and I always will be," Spencer said in a statement. "I want to thank AD Nico Yantko and the Murray State Hall of Fame committee for this honor. Those days of playing for the Racers are still among the cherished days of my life, and I'll always be appreciative of my coaches and teammates."
Spencer was part of three Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship teams, and played in a pair of NCAA Tournaments in 1998 and 1999.
"Isaac Spencer is truly one of the greatest players to ever wear our uniform," Murray State Head Coach Ryan Miller said in a statement. "It's a grand occasion when we get the opportunity to honor the greats of Racer Basketball. Isaac is part of the fabric that has made this program among the best in the game for decades and I'll look forward to having him and the 1999-00 team back on campus."
Spencer’s 2,248 are second-most on Murray State’s all-time scoring list, behind only Jeff Martin.
This will be the second jersey retirement this season. Previously, Murray State announced they’ll retire Lamont Sleets’ #10 jersey during the home opener, November 7th, against Mississippi Valley State.
To quote Coach T… Isaac was a warrior! Great to see this news!