My two cents: Time to change Ring of Honor criteria
McKale Center’s rules for the Ring of Honor mean that Stanley Johnson’s name will appear in the rafters next season. He was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year. That is an automatic qualifier.
The rules someday need to be tweaked. That’s because Solomon Hill’s contributions to Arizona basketball are far greater than a one-year player like Johnson. Hill does not qualify under current rules.
Hill played four seasons, was twice an All-Pac-12 first-team selection, scored 1,430 points, and did much of the heavy labor as Sean Miller built a Pac-12 champion.
Here’s how I look at it: Hill’s senior season, 2013, was superior to Johnson’s only (most likely) Arizona season.
Hill averaged 13.4; Johnson 13.8. Hill played 33 minutes per game; Johnson 28. Hill shot 46 percent afield; Johnson 44. Hill had fewer turnovers and more assists, and played a leadership role. Johnson was a complementary player.
Nothing against Stanley Johnson — for six months, he was a good-to-very-good college basketball player. But is that good enough to have your name in the rafters with those like Sean Elliott, Damon Stoudamire and Luke Walton?
