Two of the top point guards in Temple basketball history, Rick Brunson and Stacey Smalls, will among the five member class to be inducted into the Philadelphia Big 5 Hall of Fame on Friday, January 21 at The Palestra. Joining the two Owl standouts will be Rashid Bey (Saint Joseph's 1994-98), Jewel Clark (Penn 2001-04), and Kerry Kittles (Villanova 1992-96).
Brunson, who played from 1991-95, still ranks fifth on the school’s all-time list in assists (470), sixth in steals (253) and 16th in points (1,493). The two-time team captain was a three-time all-Philadelphia Big 5 selection (2nd team in '92-93, 93-94; 1st team in '94-95) and two-time all-Atlantic 10 Conference honoree (2nd team in '93-94; 1st team in '94-95).
The Salem, Mass. native (Salem HS) led Temple in assists in three straight seasons ('91-92 through '94-95) and in steals in consecutive seasons ('93-94, '94-95). As a senior, he topped the squad in scoring (16.7 ppg.), assists (123) and steals (74). A member of four NCAA Tournament teams, including the 1993 Elite 8 squad, Brunson still owns the school-record with nine three-pointers in the win over George Washington, tied later that same season by Johnny Miller.
A veteran of nine seasons (1997-2006) in the NBA, Brunson played for seven different teams. He is currently an assistant coach with the Chicago Bulls.
Smalls, who played from 1999-2003, finished her four-year career with the Temple women’s team as the program's sixth all-time leading scorer, amassing 1,258 points. She also connected on a still-standing school-record 154 career three-pointers.
The Cheltenham, Pa. native (Cheltenham HS) is the only Owl to score more than 1000 points and lead the team in assists in four straight seasons. Smalls dished out 359 assists, fifth on the TU all-time list, and made187 steals, ninth all-time. As a junior in the 2001-02 season, she led the Owls to their first Atlantic 10 title and was named the tournament's MVP.
Smalls was a three-time first team All-Big 5 selection and a three-time second team all-Atlantic 10 Conference honoree. She also was a two-time A-10 all-Defensive team selection.
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