Iowa athletic director Gary Barta apologized to the great Hawkeyes basketball family Roy Marble on Tuesday for any resentment they have over star player Luka Garza’s retirement.
Garza last month broke Marble’s 32-year career scoring record, is the twice player of the Big Ten and is among the favorites for the national player of the year. Iowa announced after the home win on Sunday against Wisconsin that no one on the basketball program would wear No. 55 after this season.
Marble took Iowa for his season of just 30 wins and an NCAA regional final in 1987 and for Sweet 16 the following year, and many consider him the best player on the show of all time. His number 23 was not retired.
“We have known since Sunday that Roy Marble’s family has been hurt and feeling disrespected since that day,” said Barta. “I just want to take a moment and share that this disrespect was not intentional at all and to publicly apologize for it.”
Marble died of cancer in 2015 at the age of 48. He and Garza are the only male players in Iowa to score more than 2,000 points.
Her son, Roy Devyn Marble, tweeted on Monday that he would never watch another Iowa game.
The youngest Marble also starred for the Hawkeyes. He scored more than 1,600 points and was one of the top ten players on the main team in 2014. Father and son had short careers in the NBA.
Barta said that since arriving in Iowa in 2006, three players have often been mentioned as deserving of retirement: Marble and consensus All-Americans Murray Wier (1948) and Chuck Darling (1952).
Barta said that none of the three met the university’s criteria for such a tribute. Barta did not disclose the criteria.
“Iowa Athletics, in conjunction with the Iowa Varsity Club, had different criteria over the years involving achievement, recognition from across America, individual awards, etc.,” the sports department said in a statement. “Gary Barta and the Iowa administration have been working on a more streamlined set of criteria, in which accurate awards and recognitions are included. The top two priorities are individual recognition of National Player of the Year and consensus recognition across America. Gary and The Iowa administration will continue to work on a more straightforward list of criteria that will be used in the future. “
Marble, Wier and Darling will be among the players honored at a permanent exhibition planned for the lobby of the Carver Hawkeye Arena, Barta said. A temporary exhibition is in effect until the school moves forward with a lobby renovation project.
Coach Fran McCaffery said he got involved in discussions with the Marble family because he trained Roy Devyn Marble.
“I thought it was important to do this,” said McCaffery, “and our conversations have been very positive and will remain so, as we move forward to honor Roy the way he should be.”