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Jeep, Lee May's, others inducted into UTEP HOF

Maybe I'm a little younger and missing something, but is there controversy on why it took so long for Jeep to get in?

Or is arguing over the UTEP hall of fame a dumb topic?

One would think he would have already been in

No controversy. There are a number of deserving players who haven't been inducted yet. They only induct one basketball, football, etc. player every year.
 
Maybe. Anybody here have experience playing ball while on coke? Does it make you fly higher? Seriously though. He should have been in sooner. Sad story.

My understanding was that he had his fun the night before, not during the game. Anybody remember differently?

Agree, should’ve been sooner. One **** up does not define a career. He was a high character kid who made a bad choice.
 
Feitl maybe. Foster, no way!!! Did you have the fortune of watching Jeep play?

Jeep didn't even average double digits until his senior season and I don't believe he even started until his senior season.

Eddie Rivera, Marlon Maxey, Antoine Gillespie, Brandon Wolfram, Fili Rivera, Randy Culpepper should have been inducted before Jeep as well.
 
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Feitl maybe. Foster, no way!!! Did you have the fortune of watching Jeep play?
I agree Fanaticoog. Having watched those teams, Jeep was a far more impactful college player than Foster. As a Junior and Senior, he was the heart and soul of some very good teams. Early in his career, he was inconsistent, but he also played behind some very good upperclassmen. In my opinion, Jeep was just as valuable as Fili, who also deserves to be in the HOF.
 
Jeep didn't even average double digits until his senior season and I don't believe he even started until his senior season.

Eddie Rivera, Marlon Maxey, Antoine Gillespie, Brandon Wolfram, Fili Rivera, Randy Culpepper should have been inducted before Jeep as well.

So I’m going to assume you didn’t see him play. It isn’t all about the numbers. That’s hard for some to grasp. He was a glue guy that made everyone around him better.

Eddie Rivera is probably my second favorite Miner ever and it’d still be a difficult call as to who was more valuable to his team.
 
So I’m going to assume you didn’t see him play. It isn’t all about the numbers. That’s hard for some to grasp. He was a glue guy that made everyone around him better.

Eddie Rivera is probably my second favorite Miner ever and it’d still be a difficult call as to who was more valuable to his team.

No I didn't. But stats say a lot about a player. He had one good season, but if you think he was better than Fili, Randy, etc. that's ok. That's why the Hall of Fame is so subjective. Some people use stats and other voters use different metrics.
 
No I didn't. But stats say a lot about a player. He had one good season, but if you think he was better than Fili, Randy, etc. that's ok. That's why the Hall of Fame is so subjective. Some people use stats and other voters use different metrics.

I’ll agree with that...to some extent. Some guys are all about the numbers and don’t have a lot of talent around them which affords them plenty of opportunity to pad those stats. Antoine Gillespie epitomized that.

Jeep played during an era in which he was part of over 100 wins during his career. That right there says a lot. There was so much talent around him. Haskins was keen on giving the bulk of minutes to upper class men. Jeep played over 30 minutes a game as a junior and senior. He didn’t have the numbers until his senior year, but that’s because UTEP had so many options to put points on the board. Anyway...yeah, just my opinion having seen everyone you mention play night in and night out.
 
I’ll agree with that...to some extent. Some guys are all about the numbers and don’t have a lot of talent around them which affords them plenty of opportunity to pad those stats. Antoine Gillespie epitomized that.

Jeep played during an era in which he was part of over 100 wins during his career. That right there says a lot. There was so much talent around him. Haskins was keen on giving the bulk of minutes to upper class men. Jeep played over 30 minutes a game as a junior and senior. He didn’t have the numbers until his senior year, but that’s because UTEP had so many options to put points on the board. Anyway...yeah, just my opinion having seen everyone you mention play night in and night out.
Jeep had many great games, but his performance against Arizona in Tucson in the NCAA is legendary. He willed his team to victory in overtime against all odds with a bunch of guys fouling out. One of the greatest wins in UTEP history. Clutch player who deserves to be in the HOF without a doubt.
 
Jeep had many great games, but his performance against Arizona in Tucson in the NCAA is legendary. He willed his team to victory in overtime against all odds with a bunch of guys fouling out. One of the greatest wins in UTEP history. Clutch player who deserves to be in the HOF without a doubt.

Aside from that win against Kansas, probably my favorite Miner win. What a game! As you said, Jeep had a career game and willed them to victory.

Blocker for 3. Never mind, it’s a 2. Going to OT...with 3 starters on the bench.
 
UTEP should induct more players into Hall of Fame. One player per sport per year may not be enough. As some of you posted above there are some deserving players out there. Some of these former Miners are getting up there in age. It would be a shame if some of these athletes die before they get inducted.
 
No one with even the slightest knowledge of the game of basketball who saw both Jeep and Foster play in a Miner uniform would ever consider Foster to be a better player than Jeep. Jeep was all heart, hustle, speed, defense, timely offense, and leadership. While Foster had good mobility and skills for a collegiate 7 footer, as a poster on here once said (sorry, I forget who), "Foster was as soft as church music." He has my respect for having a long NBA career as a backup center for some very goods teams, being a good community guy, and a good assistant coach. But he was a small fraction of the player that Jeep was in a Miner uniform. Stats may tell part of the story, they certainly don't tell you everything.

Feitl is a different story. He did more than Foster did at UTEP with less physical tools, and was a key contributor to several really good Miner teams. Still, if you asked me personally to rank the Miner basketball players that I have seen, Jeep will rank above Feitl.

Speaking of ranking players: if you asked me to rank the best Miner PGs that I have had the pleasure of watching, only Tim Hardaway would easily rank ahead of Jeep. I'd have to give some real hard thought between Jeep and the Riveras for the next spot.
 
Jeep had many great games, but his performance against Arizona in Tucson in the NCAA is legendary. He willed his team to victory in overtime against all odds with a bunch of guys fouling out. One of the greatest wins in UTEP history. Clutch player who deserves to be in the HOF without a doubt.
Agree and best Miner game I ever saw.
 
Anyone want to share the Jeep story with a curious fan? I’ve never heard it.
 
Thanks for the information guys. I didn’t know he had died at such a young age. It wasn’t as bad as I imagined it. I thought he had overdosed during a game or something. Unfortunately it seems like it was nothing more than typical young men activities.
 
Shows how much you partied as a young man.

I didn't. I found partying boring. It's basically the same thing at every party. I would rather travel, go to concerts, sporting events, etc. If you think it's fun to party and do coke, then that's cool. But doing drugs was not "typical young men activities". Just because you're a drug addict and probably hang out with other drug addicts, that doesn't mean it's "typical behavior".
 
I didn't. I found partying boring. It's basically the same thing at every party. I would rather travel, go to concerts, sporting events, etc. If you think it's fun to party and do coke, then that's cool. But doing drugs was not "typical young men activities". Just because you're a drug addict and probably hang out with other drug addicts, that doesn't mean it's "typical behavior".
Awesome boy! You’re so cool! Hopefully I can win at life like you one day.
 
Fair or not, if you do coke twice a month, year, or once every 5 years; if you die shortly after, you’re going to be labeled a coke head. Especially in the 80s, especially if you’re young and black.
 
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Fair or not, if you do coke twice a month, year, or once every 5 years; if you die shortly after, you’re going to be labeled a coke head. Especially in the 80s, especially if you’re young and black.
There was a lot of people doing coke in the 80s.
 
Yes, but how many other UTEP basketball players have died with coke in their system since?
Well not that many have died in their early 20s. I would like to know how many players from the 80s would have tested positive. I doubt he had a $300 a day habit but I don’t find it unrealistic that some of his friends were doing coke and offered him a line or two.
 
Well not that many have died in their early 20s. I would like to know how many players from the 80s would have tested positive. I doubt he had a $300 a day habit but I don’t find it unrealistic that some of his friends were doing coke and offered him a line or two.

Just like with Len Bias. You are the company you keep.
 
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