ORU will retire basketball jersey number of Mark Acres
BY Staff Reports
Friday, December 21, 2012
12/21/12 at 6:10 AM
Mark Acres, who led ORU to an NCAA Tournament appearance in 1983-84, will have his number (42) lifted into the rafters during a halftime ceremony of the Golden Eagles' Jan. 24 home game against Lamar.
A native of Inglewood, Calif., the 6-foot-11 Acres was a two-time Midwestern Collegiate Conference MVP and received honorable mention on the Associated Press All-American team in each of his four seasons (1981-85).
He is seventh in career scoring with 2,038 points and ranks in the top 10 in nine other categories, including rebounds (third, 1,051) and blocks (second, 164).
Acres is the fourth ORU basketball player to have his number retired, joining Anthony Roberts (15), Richard Fuqua (24) and Krista Ragan-Binam (11).
"I am obviously honored, humbled and reflective of days gone by," Acres said in an ORU release. He is listed as a PE teacher at J.H. Hull Middle School in Torrance, Calif.
Acres was part of a family effort at ORU. His older brother, Jeff, also started throughout a career spanning five seasons because of a knee injury in 1982-83. Their father, Dick, who died in June, arrived at ORU as a Ken Hayes assistant and eventually helmed the program for three seasons (1982-85).
ORU's 1983-84 team went 21-10, won the Midwestern Collegiate Conference tournament, and lost a first-round NCAA Tournament game to Memphis State.
"The Acres name is a large part of our storied basketball tradition at ORU, and Mark is a big part of that," ORU athletic director Mike Carter said. "He is certainly one of the best all-around student-athletes ever to play at ORU, and this honor is well deserved."
