Sometimes a tribute seems fitting.

In the case of former ISU basketball player Barry Stevens, a tribute seemed nothing but fitting to former ISU basketball player Jeff Grayer and former ISU assistant coach Jim Hallihan.

Hallihan and Grayer, who is married to Stevens’ sister, are members of a committee that is setting up a benefit weekend for the Stevens family, which will be held from July 20-22 in Ames. The weekend will include an all-star basketball game at Hilton Coliseum.

Stevens, who recently died at the age of 43, was a key cog in turning the ISU men’s basketball program around in the 1980s and creating the phenomenon of “Hilton Magic,” Hallihan said.

“Barry helped put our program back on the map,” Hallihan said. “Barry was a great man.”

Grayer and Stevens have always had a connection, not only off the basketball court but on it as well. Stevens set many high school records in Flint, Mich. and went on to hold the all-time leading scorer record at Iowa State. Grayer came along after Stevens and broke all of his high school records and is now the all-time leading scorer at Iowa State.

Grayer said Stevens was the main reason he decided to come to Iowa State.

“I admired the way he approached the game and his competitiveness,” Grayer said. “He had the same approach to basketball that he did to life.”

“It was a tremendous loss for our whole family, especially for me, because he was always someone I could reach out and touch, so I want to do anything I can to help,” Grayer said.

The benefit weekend will include a social for all the people involved, as well as a camp for young children, and will culminate with an all-star game, which will be held at Hilton Coliseum, of former ISU players as well as some others.

Grayer said many ISU greats, such as Fred Hoiberg, Jamaal Tinsley, Jeff Hornacek and Jake Sullivan, will be in attendance, as well as some former players from Stevens’ and Grayer’s hometown. Those men include members of Michigan State’s 2000 national championship team and NBA players, Mateen Cleaves and Morris Peterson, along with Antonio and Robaire Smith.

Grayer said more than 50 members of the ISU family will be helping out in some way.

“It’s a who’s who of Iowa State basketball,” said former player Julius Michalik.