For some of the most competitive college basketball games in the nation this season, look no further than the inaugural year of Pac-12 men’s basketball.
An abundance of teams will compete for NCAA tournament bids come March, and just one game separates the six squads from the top.
Though the season is still young, a shootout is brewing for the conference tournament among established contenders Cal, Oregon, Colorado, Washington, Stanford and UA.
Unfortunately, ASU (6-13, 2-5 Pac-12) definitely won’t be one of the conference teams vying for a March Madness berth. The struggling Sun Devils are third-to-last in the standings.
In an ideal world, ASU basketball fans wouldn’t need any incentive to come out and support their team in the midst of a trying season. If for some reason you need a little motivation to come out to the game tonight, there will be an extra special guest in the house: The Sun Devils are set to retire the legendary Lafayette “Fat” Lever’s No. 12.
Tonight will be a historic moment, and any person who professes to be a true Sun Devils hoops diehard must make witnessing Lever’s banner-raising ceremony a priority. Lever is one of the greatest ballers to ever don an ASU uniform, and perhaps one of the greatest ballers to ever come out of Arizona.
Lever is joining an elite club of retired Sun Devils. The only jerseys hanging in the rafters at Wells Fargo Arena belong to Joe Caldwell, Byron Scott and Lionel Hollins. The ceremony will occur during halftime of tonight’s 6:30 p.m. contest and will allow fans to relive the glory days of ASU hoops — even if it’s for a few minutes.
Lever starred at guard in Tempe from 1978-82 and made his impact on the record books. He was a second-team All-American in 1981-82, and that same season, he set a Territorial Cup record with 38 points in addition to leading the Sun Devils to a victory over No. 1 unbeaten Oregon State on the final day.
In his final year, ASU went 24-4 and Lever was selected 11th overall in the NBA draft by the Portland Trailblazers. It would be the beginning of a storied career for a man many consider to be one of the top point guards in the league during the 1980s.
Over the course of his professional pursuits, Lever made an impact in every city. After two years, the Trailblazers traded Lever to the Denver Nuggets, with whom he wrote most of his professional legacy. During his time in the Mile-High City, Lever was a hit. It was there that he had his best NBA days, averaging 17 points, 7.6 rebounds and 7.5 assists per game. Lever also recorded a remarkable 45 triple-doubles with the Nuggets. He finally closed out his time in the NBA on a five-year run with the Dallas Mavericks before retiring in 1995.
While Lever isn’t in the Springfield, Mass., NBA Hall of Fame, tonight’s retirement is far from the first time his hardwood accomplishments were recognized.
He was introduced into the ASU Hall of Fame in 1988 before earning enshrinement into the Pac-10 Hall of Honor in 2004.
Of course, you’ve got to be one confident cat to be able to have the nickname of “Fat.” The moniker, which Lever received from his brother after he couldn’t pronounce the guard’s first full name, stuck.
With tonight’s ceremony, Lever’s legacy — just like his nickname — will be around for good here in Tempe.
Reach the columnist at kjnewma2@asu.edu
