CINCINNATI --- Two of the top scorers in Musketeers’ basketball history are included in the Xavier Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2017-18, the university announced Tuesday.
Terrell “Tu” Holloway and Rashid Abdul-Rahim, known during his XU playing days as Nick Daniels, will be inducted along with rifle’s Matt Bykowski, football’s Michael Conaton and volleyball’s Jill Hampton.
When you're in the gym getting dirty all you think about is making your next shot.. Not realizing that next shot is building your legacy..
— Tu Holloway (@SFFiveTu) August 8, 2017
The induction dinner is set for Friday, Dec. 8 at Cintas Center. The class will also be honored at halftime of the men’s basketball game against Colorado the following day. Details are TBA.
While Holloway (’12) put up some gaudy individual numbers and earned All-America honors during his four-year Xavier career, he played his best in the big games and left a legacy as one of Xavier’s best clutch performers.
Big congrats to @SFFiveTu for making the Xavier Hall of Fame. One of my favorite players to cover in @XavierMBB history.
— Shannon Russell (@slrussell) August 8, 2017
Holloway ranks sixth in career points (1,833), third in assists (550) and first in free throw percentage (85.2). Holloway’s teams won 100 games in four seasons while making four NCAA Tournaments and three Sweet 16s. He also led Xavier to three Atlantic 10 regular-season championships.
Holloway, who was named to the 2016 NBA Development League All-Star Game, has been playing professional basketball overseas for most of the time since his graduation.
Abdul-Rahim (’79) was one of the most explosive offensive players in Xavier history. The three-time XU Most Valuable Player ranks 11th in scoring (1,690), fourth in steals (202) and tied for 10th in blocked shots (81).
Abdul-Rahim was MVP of one of Xavier’s greatest regular-season tournament championships - the 1978 Volunteer Classic. He poured in 24 points to help defeat No. 12 Southern Cal in the semifinals and 22 points in the championship game against highly-favored host Tennessee.
Bykowski (’90) was one of Xavier's first All-Americans in air rifle. The two-time team captain won the 1990 O’Connor Award as Xavier’s top male senior student-athlete, competed in three consecutive NCAA Championships (1988-90) as an individual and was a 1990 NRA Collegiate All-America selection as a senior.
"Matt's intensity for the sport of rifle helped propel Xavier University into national prominence,” said Bykowski’s coach, XU Hall of Famer Alan Joseph. “XU improved from obscurity to the fifth-ranked team in the nation during his four years."
Conaton (’55) earned three letters in football and had an impact on Xavier in countless other ways after graduation. A lineman, Conaton helped Xavier notch notable wins over Boston College as a sophomore (6-0 in 1952) and a senior (19-14 in 1954 at Fenway Park). Xavier was the only team to beat BC in 1954, when the Eagles finished No. 8 in the country.
Over the years Conaton has served Xavier as board chairman and interim president. He was chairman from 1985-2004, including the key period of decision making and building of the Cintas Center.
Hampton (‘02), now known as Jill Bakker, was a star on Xavier’s first NCAA Tournament volleyball team. She still ranks eighth in kills (1,358) and 11th in digs (1,191), making her one of 12 Xavier players in the 1,000-1,000 club.
Hampton, a two-time Atlantic 10 First Teamer, helped XU win 89 matches in four seasons. XU captured its first A-10 regular-season championship in her freshman year, and Hampton helped XU break through her senior year to win the A-10 tourney and its first NCAA berth.
