Men's Basketball Trailblazer John Austin to Have Jersey Retired on Feb. 17
January 15, 2024 | Men's Basketball
BC Athletics will also celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the 1994 Elite Eight team
CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — In conjunction with the February 17 game versus Miami, Boston College Athletics will retire the jersey of men's basketball pioneer John Austin and celebrate the 30th anniversary of the 1993-94 team's run to the NCAA Elite Eight in a halftime ceremony.
John Austin was a trailblazer in Boston College Athletics' history. Austin was the first African American to play for the Eagles' men's basketball program and the first-ever BC player to earn All-American accolades on the hardwood.
After winning two national prep championships at famed DeMatha H.S. in his hometown of Washington, D.C., Austin starred for the Eagles from 1963-66. Due to the NCAA rule on freshmen ineligibility, Austin quickly established himself as one of the top scorers in the country as a sophomore and re-wrote the Boston College record book in the process. During the 1963-64 campaign, the 6-1 guard averaged 29.2 points per game - good for eighth nationally.
He followed that up by ranking sixth nationally in scoring as a junior, pouring in 26.9 points per game. Austin, under second-year head coach Bob Cousy, helped lead the Eagles to a 21-7 record and their first-ever trip to the prestigious National Invitation Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City. For his efforts that season, Austin earned the first of his numerous All-American honors from the Associated Press, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), and the Helms Foundation.
"We had a few outstanding players in my six years," Cousy recalled in an interview this past September. "John was our first and most talented offensive player and he had a tremendous impact on our future success."
As a senior, Austin scored at a 25.4 points per game clip for the Eagles, leading the way for another trip to the NIT. BC beat Louisville in the first round at MSG before falling to Villanova in the quarterfinals, finishing with a 21-5 overall record. Austin again was honored nationally, earning All-American accolades from the NABC, USBWA, Helms Foundation, and United Press International (UPI).
Each of Austin's single-season scoring averages still rank 1-2-3 in Boston College history and this season will mark the 60th anniversary of his single-game scoring record. On Feb. 21, 1964, Austin erupted for 49 points against Georgetown. He scored 33 of his 49 points in the first half, finishing with 16 made field goals and 17 made free throws. It remains the most points scored against Georgetown by an opposing player.
"There have been a lot of big thrills in my college career - there was a trip to Hawaii, a tour of Europe with the State Department, the NIT, being named All-American and so forth," Austin said in an interview with Reid Oslin of The Heights on Feb. 25, 1966. "But the one that stands out most in my mind is the Georgetown game in my sophomore year. We won the game and I scored 49 points, but what made it so memorable was that my mother came up from Washington to see the game. It was the first time she had seen me play for BC and she was really proud."
Cousy recalled that special night for Austin vs. the Hoyas: "It placed us and our program on the national scene. As a sophomore, John played a wonderful game against the defending national champions - UCLA. But his 49 points against Georgetown only further established our national identity."
At the time of Austin's graduation in 1966, he left as the program's all-time leading scorer, totaling 1,845 points in 68 games - good for another Boston College standard as the top career scoring average of 27.1 points. He held the distinction of being the Eagles' all-time scoring leader until 1976 and currently sits ninth on BC's scoring list. He is the only three-year player to rank among the Eagles' top 10 scorers all-time.
Austin was inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame in 1972. He passed away in November 2020.
The 1993-94 Boston College Eagles embarked on one of the most memorable seasons in program history. Under head coach Jim O'Brien, Boston College finished with a 23-11 overall record and an 11-7 mark in Big East play. The Eagles were led by a core of seniors - Bill Curley, Malcolm Huckaby, Howard Eisley, and Gerrod Abram - along with talented freshman forward Danya Abrams. Curley, Eisley, and Abrams earned All-Big East honors and BC spent 13 weeks ranked on the Associated Press' top 25 poll, reaching as high as No. 18.
Boston College earned an at-large bid to the 1994 NCAA Tournament, as the No. 9 seed in the East region. A double-double by Curley (25 points/10 rebounds) and 17 points and seven assists by Eisley led the way for the Eagles over Washington State, 67-64, in the first round.
BC advanced to face the No. 1 overall seed and defending national champion - North Carolina. The three-guard lineup of Abram (6), Eisley (3), and Huckaby (3) made a dozen trifectas in a 3-point attack on the Tar Heels and Curley scored 10 of the Eagles' final 11 points in the 75-72 victory at the U.S. Airways Arena in Landover, Md.Â
In the Sweet 16 round in Miami, Fla., all five BC starters reached double figures, led by 21 points from Abram, and the Eagles took down No. 5 seed Indiana, 77-68, before falling in the East Regional championship game to third-seeded Florida, 74-66.
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In addition to the team being honored, Malcolm Huckaby will serve as the analyst for the game for ACC Network, while Danya Abrams will be on the radio call for the Boston College Sports Network.
Tickets for the game can be purchased at the Boston College Athletics box office, by calling (617) 552-GOBC, or by visiting BCEagles.com.
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John Austin was a trailblazer in Boston College Athletics' history. Austin was the first African American to play for the Eagles' men's basketball program and the first-ever BC player to earn All-American accolades on the hardwood.
After winning two national prep championships at famed DeMatha H.S. in his hometown of Washington, D.C., Austin starred for the Eagles from 1963-66. Due to the NCAA rule on freshmen ineligibility, Austin quickly established himself as one of the top scorers in the country as a sophomore and re-wrote the Boston College record book in the process. During the 1963-64 campaign, the 6-1 guard averaged 29.2 points per game - good for eighth nationally.
He followed that up by ranking sixth nationally in scoring as a junior, pouring in 26.9 points per game. Austin, under second-year head coach Bob Cousy, helped lead the Eagles to a 21-7 record and their first-ever trip to the prestigious National Invitation Tournament at Madison Square Garden in New York City. For his efforts that season, Austin earned the first of his numerous All-American honors from the Associated Press, the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), the United States Basketball Writers Association (USBWA), and the Helms Foundation.
"We had a few outstanding players in my six years," Cousy recalled in an interview this past September. "John was our first and most talented offensive player and he had a tremendous impact on our future success."
As a senior, Austin scored at a 25.4 points per game clip for the Eagles, leading the way for another trip to the NIT. BC beat Louisville in the first round at MSG before falling to Villanova in the quarterfinals, finishing with a 21-5 overall record. Austin again was honored nationally, earning All-American accolades from the NABC, USBWA, Helms Foundation, and United Press International (UPI).
Each of Austin's single-season scoring averages still rank 1-2-3 in Boston College history and this season will mark the 60th anniversary of his single-game scoring record. On Feb. 21, 1964, Austin erupted for 49 points against Georgetown. He scored 33 of his 49 points in the first half, finishing with 16 made field goals and 17 made free throws. It remains the most points scored against Georgetown by an opposing player.
"There have been a lot of big thrills in my college career - there was a trip to Hawaii, a tour of Europe with the State Department, the NIT, being named All-American and so forth," Austin said in an interview with Reid Oslin of The Heights on Feb. 25, 1966. "But the one that stands out most in my mind is the Georgetown game in my sophomore year. We won the game and I scored 49 points, but what made it so memorable was that my mother came up from Washington to see the game. It was the first time she had seen me play for BC and she was really proud."
Cousy recalled that special night for Austin vs. the Hoyas: "It placed us and our program on the national scene. As a sophomore, John played a wonderful game against the defending national champions - UCLA. But his 49 points against Georgetown only further established our national identity."
At the time of Austin's graduation in 1966, he left as the program's all-time leading scorer, totaling 1,845 points in 68 games - good for another Boston College standard as the top career scoring average of 27.1 points. He held the distinction of being the Eagles' all-time scoring leader until 1976 and currently sits ninth on BC's scoring list. He is the only three-year player to rank among the Eagles' top 10 scorers all-time.
Austin was inducted into the Boston College Varsity Club Athletic Hall of Fame in 1972. He passed away in November 2020.
The 1993-94 Boston College Eagles embarked on one of the most memorable seasons in program history. Under head coach Jim O'Brien, Boston College finished with a 23-11 overall record and an 11-7 mark in Big East play. The Eagles were led by a core of seniors - Bill Curley, Malcolm Huckaby, Howard Eisley, and Gerrod Abram - along with talented freshman forward Danya Abrams. Curley, Eisley, and Abrams earned All-Big East honors and BC spent 13 weeks ranked on the Associated Press' top 25 poll, reaching as high as No. 18.
Boston College earned an at-large bid to the 1994 NCAA Tournament, as the No. 9 seed in the East region. A double-double by Curley (25 points/10 rebounds) and 17 points and seven assists by Eisley led the way for the Eagles over Washington State, 67-64, in the first round.
BC advanced to face the No. 1 overall seed and defending national champion - North Carolina. The three-guard lineup of Abram (6), Eisley (3), and Huckaby (3) made a dozen trifectas in a 3-point attack on the Tar Heels and Curley scored 10 of the Eagles' final 11 points in the 75-72 victory at the U.S. Airways Arena in Landover, Md.Â
In the Sweet 16 round in Miami, Fla., all five BC starters reached double figures, led by 21 points from Abram, and the Eagles took down No. 5 seed Indiana, 77-68, before falling in the East Regional championship game to third-seeded Florida, 74-66.
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In addition to the team being honored, Malcolm Huckaby will serve as the analyst for the game for ACC Network, while Danya Abrams will be on the radio call for the Boston College Sports Network.
Tickets for the game can be purchased at the Boston College Athletics box office, by calling (617) 552-GOBC, or by visiting BCEagles.com.
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