HISTORY & RECORDS DEPAUL BASKETBALL | 2016-17 MEDIA GUIDE RAY MEYER No one is more associated with DePaul Univer- sity or DePaul basketball than Ray Meyer. For most people, the word “DePaul” is synonymous with the name Ray Meyer. Meyer passed away on Mar. 17, 2006 at the age of 92. In his 42 years as head coach of DePaul from 1942-84, he compiled a record of 724-354 (.671). In his career, 13 of his teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament and seven of his squads played in the National Invitation Tournament. His 1943 and 1979 teams advanced to the NCAA Final Four while his 1945 team, featuring future Hall of Famer George Mikan, won the NIT when it was considered the national championship. One of only seven Division I coaches to win at least 700 games, Coach Ray posted 37 winning seasons and 12 campaigns of 20 wins or more. In his last seven years at DePaul (1977-84), he posted an impres- sive record of 180-30 (.857). Six of those teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament and his 1983 team played in the NIT finals. Inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basket- ball Hall of Fame in 1979, Meyer was recognized around the basketball world simply as “Coach”. Hall of Fame. Meyer was also honored in 1992 by His 724 career wins were tied for 28th on the the NABC with the Balfour Golden Anniversary all-time list entering the 2014-15 season. In 1978 Ring for 50 years of contributions to basketball. and 1980, he was named Coach of the Year by the Upon retiring as DePaul’s coach in 1984, Ray United States Basketball Writers Association. The served as Special Assistant to the President of Associated Press also honored him as its national DePaul until 1997. His duties included fundrais- Coach of the Year in both 1980 and 1984. In ad- ing and special projects. In addition, Meyer was a dition, he was named the Kodak Man of the Year color analyst for DePaul basketball games on WGN by the National Association of Basketball Coaches Radio for 13 seasons. In his 55 years at DePaul, he (NABC) in 1980 and was awarded the John Bunn attended 1,467 consecutive Blue Demon games, Award from the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1981 for never missing a DePaul contest in that time span. contributions to the game of basketball. He was Meyer was succeeded at DePaul by his son, Joey, also honored with the NIT-NACDA Award in 1984. who recorded a career record of 231-158 (.594) in Besides his Naismith Hall of Fame honor, 13 seasons as head coach. Coach Ray is also a member of the Illinois and Chi- On Sept. 30, 1999, a lasting tribute to Meyer cagoland Sports Halls of Fame, Illinois Basketball was dedicated on DePaul’s Lincoln Park Campus Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the DePaul as the Ray Meyer Fitness and Recreation Center opened. This 120,000 square foot facility provides the DePaul community with a variety of fitness and recreation- al sport spaces. Yet another lasting tribute to Coach Ray and his family occurred on Dec. 14, 2003 when the game floor at the Allstate Arena was officially dedicated as Ray and Marge Meyer Court in honor of the coach and his late wife of 43 years who passed away in 1986. Over the final years of his life, Coach Ray again became a fix- ture at DePaul home games and spent time in the locker room with the Blue Demon players and coaches. 112 HISTORY & RECORDS | DEPAUL BASKETBALL GEORGE MIKAN One of the greatest players in the history of Demons to the NIT title that season and in his four basketball, George Mikan played for DePaul from seasons at DePaul, the team posted an impres- 1942-46 and changed the game of basketball sive 87-11 (.888) record. Besides the NIT, the Blue forever. Demons also advanced to the NCAA Final Four in Mikan passed away on June 2, 2005 at the age 1943 and finished second in the NIT in 1944 during of 79. Mikan’s career. His 1,870 points are still fourth on Credited with helping put the NBA on the map the all-time scoring chart at DePaul. as a major league sport, Mikan was also respon- In his stellar NBA career, Mikan led the Lakers sible for sell-out crowds at the Chicago Stadium to five NBA crowns in his nine seasons. He scored and Madison Square Garden in his playing days 11,764 points - a 22.6 per game career scoring as a collegian. The first big man to dominate the average and led the league in scoring three times. game of basketball, Mikan was a three-time first In 1996, Mikan was honored as one of the top 50 team All-American for the Blue Demons. After col- players in NBA history. lege, he went on to earn All-NBA honors with the Mikan was elected to the Naismith Memorial Minneapolis Lakers nine times and in 1951, Mikan Hall of Fame as a charter member in 1959. He is was voted the greatest player in the first 50 years also a member of the NIT Hall of Fame and was of basketball by the Associated Press. named to the all-time NIT team. After his playing At DePaul, Mikan stills holds the school record career, Mikan was a NBA coach and also served as for points in a game with 53 against Rhode Island the first commissioner of the American Basketball State in the 1945 NIT semifinals. He led the Blue Association (ABA). RETIRED 99 113 DEPAUL BASKETBALL | 2016-17 MEDIA GUIDE MARK AGUIRRE Mark Aguirre is recognized as one of the best In his three years at DePaul, Aguirre led the college basketball players ever. Along with George Blue Demons to a 79-10 (.888) record. His career Mikan and Ray Meyer, his name is one of the most scoring average of 24.5 and his career point total synonymous with DePaul basketball. Although of 2,182 are still Blue Demon records, and Aguirre he played only three seasons at DePaul, Aguirre is the only player in Blue Demon history to score remains the school’s all-time leading scorer. 2,000 or more points in a career. In his first season at DePaul in 1978-79, Aguirre The Dallas Mavericks selected Aguirre as the set Chicago and the college basketball world on its No. 1 pick in the 1981 NBA draft. In his 13-year ear by leading the Blue Demons to the Final Four NBA career, Aguirre was named an NBA All-Star with a 26-6 record. Aguirre averaged 24 points and three times and helped the Detroit Pistons to the 7.6 rebounds as a freshman and made DePaul’s 1989 and 1990 NBA Championships. He finished Alumni Hall the place to be in the city. his career with a 20 points per game scoring aver- Aguirre did not disappoint as a sophomore, age. leading the Blue Demons to a 26-2 record and No.1 ranking for most of the season. He aver- aged 26.8 points and 7.6 rebounds. A consensus All-American, Aguirre was also named the National Player of the Year by the Associated Press, UPI, the U.S. Basketball Writers and he was awarded the Naismith Award. Aguirre also was named to the 1980 U.S. Olympic team. His junior season was almost identical to his sophomore year except for one thing, the Blue Demons had a new home arena - the Rosemont Horizon. Aguirre helped pack the new suburban home, averaging 13,369 fans per game. DePaul be- came a fixture on national television and Aguirre averaged 23 points and 8.6 rebounds a contest for a team that would finish the year 27-2 and ranked No. 1. Once again, Aguirre was named a consensus first team All-American. RETIRED 24 114 HISTORY & RECORDS | DEPAUL BASKETBALL NCAA & NIT HISTORY DePaul has made 22 NCAA Championship ap- 1976 East Regional (1-1) pearances with a trip to the Final Four in 1979 and Charlotte Coliseum (Charlotte, N.C.) 1943. The Blue Demons also claimed the 1945 NIT W Virginia ..........................................................69-60 Greensboro Coliseum (Greensboro, N.C.) title under a young coach named Ray Meyer and L Virginia Military ....................................71-66 (OT) an emerging star in George Mikan. Mikan set a program record with 53 points 1978 Midwest Regional (2-1) against Rhode Island State in the 1945 NIT semi- Levitt Arena (Wichita, Kan.) finals. Just over 30 years later, the “Iron Five” led W Creighton ......................................................80-78 by a freshman from Chicago named Mark Aguirre Allen Fieldhouse (Lawrence, Kan.) took the nation by storm with its run to Salt Lake W Louisville ...............................................90-89 (OT) L Notre Dame ..................................................84-64 City. The Blue Demons knocked off USC, Mar- quette and UCLA before falling to Larry Bird and 1979 West Regional (4-1) Indiana State in the national semifinals. DePaul Pauley Pavilion (Los Angeles, Calif.) came back and knocked off Pennsylvania to claim W USC................................................................89-76 the third-place trophy in the NCAA Championship Marriott Center (Provo, Utah) behind 34 points from Aguirre. W Marquette .....................................................62-56 In between the first postseason trip in the W UCLA .............................................................95-91 Huntsman Center (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1940 NIT to the second-round appearance in the L Indiana State .................................................76-74 2007 NIT Quarterfinals, the Blue Demons have W Pennsylvania .................................................96-93 made 38 postseason appearances between the NIT and NCAA Championship.