Villanova to Retire a Pair of Jerseys at Halftime of Kansas Game
The December 21 game against Kansas will be a little extra special, as Villanova will retire a pair of jerseys in a halftime ceremony, the school announced Wednesday.
Allan Ray (2002-06) and Jim Washington (1961-65) will have their jerseys retired at “Alumni Day” at the Wells Fargo Center.
“It is with great pride and excitement that we announce we will retire the jerseys of Allan Ray and Jim Washington,” said Jay Wright. “They are two outstanding representatives of what a Villanova basketball player should be.”
For Ray, the opponent and location will hold a bit of extra significance. In 2005, Ray scored 27 points to lead the Wildcats to a victory over unbeaten, second-ranked Kansas in the same building where he will see his number get retired.
Ray joined Villanova as part of an elite recruiting class that would help lead Villanova back to national prominence. That class produced a Big East regular-season title and appearances in the Sweet 16 and Elite 8. Ray is one of just eight players in program history to reach the 2,000 point mark (2,025). He was a second-team All-American in 2005-06 and was named to the All-Big East Team three times.
Washington played under coach Jack Kraft, averaging 14 rebounds across three seasons on the Main Line. He averaged a double-double in each of his college seasons, including 15.2 points and 15.8 rebounds in his final season at Villanova. Washington remains No. 2 on Villanova’s all-time rebounding list with 1,194. He was the Big 5 Player of the Year in 1964-65 and was selected sixth overall in the 1965 NBA Draft, where he played until 1976.
The addition of Ray and Washington will run the total of retired Villanova jerseys to 21, including 16 players, four coaches, and legendary trainer Jake Nevin. The ceremony will mark the first Villanova jersey retirement since 2011 when Randy Foye was awarded the honor.
Each jersey retirement honoree is recognized with a plaque in the Finneran Pavilion lobby, but the numbers remain in circulation. Paul Arizin’s No. 11 is the lone exception.