Xavier Athletics Announces The Retirement Of Trevon Bluiett's No. 5 Jersey

CINCINNATI --- Xavier University Athletics will make a series of announcements this summer to celebrate an elite short list of names of men's and women's basketball players that have been chosen to have their jersey numbers retired. The numbers will hang permanently in the Cintas Center, joining the eight existing banners.

The first name revealed on the list today is No. 5 Trevon Bluiett, a consensus Second Team All-America selection as a senior, is one of the most decorated players in Xavier history. Xavier made the NCAA Tournament in each of Bluiett's four seasons, including the 2017 Elite Eight, the 2015 Sweet 16 and the Second Round in 2016 and 2018, giving him a school-record tying seven NCAA Tournament wins on his resume. Bluiett made his mark on the Xavier record book, finishing second on XU's all-time scoring list with 2,261 career points and 12th on Xavier's all-time rebounding list with 762 career rebounds. Bluiett was one of only 13 players in league history to earn BIG EAST First Team honors three times (2016, 2017, 2018).

Four former men's basketball players (Byron Larkin, Tyrone Hill, Brian Grant and David West) and two women's basketball players (Jo Ann Osterkamp and Tara Boothe) currently have banners hanging in Cintas Center. In addition, former President Fr. James Hoff and former Academic Advisor and current Faculty Athletic Representative Sr. Rose Ann Fleming are honored with banners.

"Just as hanging a championship banner is a symbol of excellence, honoring former players with retired jersey numbers is one of the highest honors a program can bestow," said Vice President and Director of Athletics Greg Christopher. "Each of these former Musketeer greats contributed to building the foundation of Xavier's basketball programs."

The announcement of these jersey number retirements this summer will culminate a multi-year process to develop a standardized approach to jersey retirements and conversations within Xavier Athletics. Individual jersey unveilings and recognitions will take place in the coming basketball seasons.

"Retiring certain jersey numbers has been long-discussed within the department and certainly by our fans," said Christopher. "Rather than make emotional decisions, I wanted to be sure we had a process in place that was thoughtful, could stand the test of time, and captured those former players who were truly the best of the best to ever wear a Xavier uniform."

A subset of Xavier Athletics Hall of Fame Committee members worked through the jersey retirement criteria, which are outlined on the attached FAQ document. To be considered for a potential jersey number retirement, a former player must be a Xavier graduate, a member of the Hall of Fame as well as being a major part of team success standards that are spelled out for the committee.

"This summer's announcements are about recognizing former Musketeer greats," said Tom Eiser, Associate Athletics Director for Communications and chair of the Xavier Athletics Hall of Fame Committee. "We reviewed the procedures at many other schools and organizations, while developing our own process. Our goal was developing a structure to appropriately recognize former greats and hang their jerseys in the Cintas Center."

FAQ
What are the criteria to have a jersey number retired?
Procedure
A committee to include Athletics senior staff and Head Coaches will review potential candidates annually and submit possible recommendations to the Athletics Director for final discussion and decision.

Eligibility

Must have degree from Xavier.
Must be a member of the Xavier Athletics HOF.
Individual honors and statistical milestones must be among the elite of his/her sport.
Team success at Xavier is a major factor, including championships and NCAA Tournament success.
Team winning percentage during career must be 65% or more.
Professional basketball success after Xavier may be considered.

Will others be considered going forward?
The group announced this summer captures all former basketball players meeting the baseline criteria. Future considerations will be done as appropriate.
When will the banners be hung?
Each of the new jersey number retirement honorees will be notified of the recognition. Specific jersey retirements will be scheduled as feasible with each former player.
Can I nominate a former player for a potential jersey retirement?
Nominations are accepted for the Xavier Athletics Hall of Fame. That is the first step than anyone may take. The process is spelled out on GoXavier.com.

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