14. 35. 20. 14. 44. 32. 35. 42. 53. 51.

To any casual fan, these ten numbers are nothing but a nifty Hilton Coliseum decoration. To former players, coaches and die-hard Cyclone fans, they mean everything.

“There are certain situations where student-athletes have made significant contributions to the university, and it’s the ultimate honor we can give them,” said women’s basketball head coach Bill Fennelly. “It’s a way to remember them way beyond their playing days.”

On Jan. 16, the late Barry Stevens joined former men’s basketball players Zaid Abdul-Aziz, Fred Hoiberg, Waldo Wegner, Jeff Hornacek, Jeff Grayer and Gary Thompson and former women’s players Tonya Burns, Megan Taylor and Jayme Olson as the 10th Cyclone basketball player to have a jersey retired.

Iowa State does not retire numbers – only jerseys. The NCAA allows players to wear the numbers 00, 0, 1-5, 10-15, 20-25, 30-35, 40-45 and 50-55 so referees can communicate better when making calls. Only since the 1999-00 season has the NCAA allowed teams to use numbers 1 and 2. That means there are only 37 jersey numbers to choose from each season.

This has led to identical jersey numbers being retired more than once. Wegner and Hornacek both wore number 14, while Abdul-Aziz and Stevens wore number 35. If Iowa State retired numbers instead of jerseys, the number of jerseys available to current players would be even lower.

“It’s one more way to say thank you for all of their hard work, and I think it’s important to stay selective in doing it,” Fennelly said. “Once we do it, it’s forever – so you have to make sure you do it the right way with the right people.”

Iowa State has no formal qualifications for a jersey to be retired. However, in 100 years of ISU basketball, only seven men’s jerseys and three women’s jerseys have been retired. The exclusivity of the club has kept things in perspective for those who have received the honor.

“It’s kind of surreal when you see it hanging up there,” said Olson, whose number 53 jersey will forever be a part of Cyclone history. “Seeing how far Cyclone basketball has come over the years, it’s special to me because it shows that I was a part of it.”

Here is a look at the careers of the players whose jerseys are retired.

Men

#20 Gary Thompson (1955-57)

The “Roland Rocket” was the first player in ISU history to score 1,000 career points, and he led the Cyclones to a win over No. 1-ranked Kansas, which was led by Wilt Chamberlain.

#32 Fred Hoiberg (1992-95)

“The Mayor” was an Ames product who got his nickname due to his massive popularity in the state of Iowa during his career. He finished third on the school’s career scoring list with 1,993 points.

#14 Waldo Wegner (1933-35)

Wegner was Iowa State’s first All-American and led the Cyclones in scoring during the 1933-35 seasons. He was a two-time all-Big Six selection.

#14 Jeff Hornacek (1983-86)

Hornacek walked on at Iowa State and ended up becoming the Big Eight’s career assists leader. He is Iowa State’s all-time assists (665) and steals (211) leader.

#35 Zaid Abdul-Aziz (Don Smith) (1966-68)

Known as Don Smith during his playing career at Iowa State, Abdul-Aziz led the Big Eight in scoring twice (24.8 points per game in 1966, 24.2 in 1967) and rebounding three times (13.0 rebounds per game in 1966, 13.4 in 1967, 14.6 in 1968). He was named an All-American and Big Eight Player of the Year in 1968.

#44 Jeff Grayer (1985-88)

Grayer is the greatest scorer in Iowa State history with 2,502 career points. He was a three-time all-Big Eight pick (1986-88) and led the conference in scoring (25.3 points per game) in 1988.

#35 Barry Stevens (1982-85)

Smooth from long-range, Stevens athletic ability helped coach Johnny Orr revive the program. When he left Iowa State his 2,190 points was a school record, and still ranks second today. First-team all-Big Eight in 1984 and 1985.

Women

#42 Tonya Burns (1981-85)

Burns was the first female Cyclone basketball player to have her jersey retired. When she graduated, she held 31 ISU records, including most points and rebounds in a career.

#51 Megan Taylor (1997-01)

Taylor started in every game of her ISU career and set career records for field goal attempts, 3-pointers made and 3-pointers attempted. She was an all-conference performer four times.

#53 Jayme Olson (1994-98)

Olson finished her career holding ISU records on 13 season lists and 15 career lists. She averaged 15.7 points and 8.1 rebounds over her career and earned all-conference honors three times.