Former Bulldog Joe Ward Honored As SEC Legend
March 08, 2006 | Men's Basketball
March 8, 2006
NASHVILLE, Tenn. --- Jumpin' Joe Ward, whose on-court acrobatics made him a favorite of Georgia Bulldog fans in the mid-1980s, will be honored as part of the Chick-Fil-A SEC Basketball Legends program at the 2006 SEC Tournament here this weekend.
Ward will be recognized at halftime of Georgia's first-round game against Arkansas on Thursday night. He, along with representatives from the 11 other SEC schools, will be introduced between semifinal games on Saturday afternoon. They will also appear at their schools' respective displays at the SEC Fanfare exhibition.
"I'm very excited that the University of Georgia thought enough of my contributions to bestow this honor upon me," Ward said. "It's going to be a fun weekend and I'm sure it will bring back a lot of good memories."
Ward, a native of Griffin, Ga., was one of the most popular, most talented and most accomplished members of Hugh Durham's Georgia program of the 1980s. After playing his freshman year at Clemson University, he transferred to Georgia and sat out the 1983 season, when the Bulldogs reached the NCAA Final Four. He entered the starting lineup five games into his sophomore season and stayed there for the next three years.
Ward's greatest moment as a Bulldog came in December of 1984, when his buzzer-beating jump shot toppled heavily-favored Georgia Tech. In his senior season of 1986, he averaged a team-high 15.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per game and was named to the Coaches' All-SEC first team. After the season he was drafted by the NBA's Phoenix Suns, and he played professionally overseas until his retirement in 1994.
Since the inception of the Chick-Fil-A Legends program, the following former Bulldogs have represented their alma mater at the SEC Tournament:
1999 - Vern Fleming
2000 - Alec Kessler
2001 - Zippy Morocco
2002 - Dominique Wilkins
2003 - James Banks
2004 - Lavon Mercer
2005 - Ronnie Hogue
| |
