BTI's Rants and Ramblings: Retired Jersey Week (Rex Chapman or Keith Bogans)

*This post was originally put up yesterday but the poll had an error so we are giving everybody another chance to vote on this interesting debate

Since this week basically has nothing going on, I brought back something I did years ago debating players who were “on the fringe” of having their jerseys retired at UK.  It’s not something that the university does very often.  In fact, only 2 players who played since 1992 have had their jerseys retired: Jamal Mashburn and Tony Delk.  But there have been plenty of stars who have come through Lexington since that time and just before that time and I think it is a fun conversation to debate who deserves it more.  Yesterday, the poll was opened to debate John Wall against Wayne Turner.  The ultimate “one and done vs. team player” debate.  And the fans spoke:

Both the votes and the comments strongly favored Turner over Wall, which again shows that while this may be a “Players First” program now, fans don’t necessarily support that completely, instead favoring the 4-year team guys in some circumstances.  What is truly amazing is there are 12% of people who voted who think NEITHER guy belongs up there, either showing there is a bigger group who have unbelievable standards or 12% of people are just losers who vote for the worst possible option.

Nonetheless, the way I am doing this is by position.  Yesterday were the point guards.  Today, we look at two shooting guards who absolutely made their mark on this program, albeit in different ways.  Rex Chapman vs. Keith Bogans.  Chapman was the rockstar of all rockstars.  An in-state kid with the hype coming into the program that was backed up by his play on the court.  His style of play and personality endured him with fans forever.  But he only stayed for 2 years, in part to escape the probation coming down the pike.  Keith Bogans was a 4-year player and statistically, is a no brainer.  Top 5 all-time in scoring, instant impact from the day he stepped foot on campus.  But nowhere near the personality as Rex and sometimes even a more disliked figure on the team.  A little breakdown of both

REX CHAPMAN (1986-88)
Points: 1,073 (50th all-time)
Assists: 220 (40th all-time)
Steals: 89 (39th all-time)
-2-time All-SEC
-SEC Tournament MVP (1988)
-#8 overall NBA Draft Pick

TEAM RESULTS
1986-87: 18-11 (1st Round NCAA Tournament)
1987-88: 25-5 (SEC Tournament Champions, Sweet 16)

KEITH BOGANS (1999-2003)
Points: 1,923 (4th all-time)
Rebounds: 553 (38th all-time)
Assists: 314 (15th all-time)
Steals: 155 (12th all-time)
-SEC Player of the Year (2003)
-3rd team All-American (2003)
-SEC Tournament MVP (2003)

TEAM RESULTS
1999-2000: 23-10 (SEC Champions, NCAA 2nd Round)
2000-2001: 24-10 (SEC Champions, SEC Tournament Champions, Sweet 16)
2001-2002: 22-10 (Sweet 16)
2002-2003: 32-4 (SEC Champions, SEC Tournament Champions, Elite 8)

MY TAKE
I think Bogans should and is an absolute lock for jersey retirement on the sheer numbers.  You don’t keep the guy 4th on your scoring list out of the rafters.  And it’s my opinion he should be the next guy up there.  So this one is an easy one for my to have a preference for.  The question to me is whether Rex belongs there or not and it’s a tough one.  If Rex had been a 4-year player, his stats would likely have been better than most anybody who has played at the school.  He would have truly been one of this school’s legends.  But he didn’t stay 4 years and his teams won 2 NCAA games in 2 years and went on probation.  If we say that Turner belongs there over Wall because of the team, then you have to say the team results for Rex are a little bit of a deterent.

With that said, if given a vote, I would still put Rex up there for his 2-year run at the school and his support of the school after.  He is blue through and through.  His impact on the program continues to this day and while I do think there is an argument to keep him out and whether his career was truly as elite as those up there already (or Bogans), I still think I would lean yes on him.  Also, both Bogans and Chapman are currently in the UK Hall of Fame, which is the first step to jersey retirement.

But in the case of this argument, Bogans hands down and I think he should be next in line.  Here is the poll to vote: