Former Cyclones Unite For Barry Stevens

AMES, Iowa-- Hilton Coliseum will be the place to be July 21. A slew of former Cyclone stars on the hardwood will unite that day to participate in the "ISU Hilton Magic All-Star Celebrity Basketball Game." The game is the culmination of a two-day celebration in memory of Barry Stevens, an ISU All-Century team member who passed away in February after a heart attack. All proceeds from the weekend events will go to the Barry W. Stevens Education and Health Foundation and the American Heart Association. Tickets for the game will be $20 for adults and $10 for children 15 and under. Tip-off is set for 1 p.m.

If you are a true Cyclone basketball fan, you can't miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The list of players scheduled to appear in the game include some of the greatest players in ISU history, including five members of ISU's All-Century team that will be honored throughout the 2007-08 ISU men's basketball season. All-Century team members Victor Alexander, Jeff Grayer, Jeff Hornacek, Jamaal Tinsley and Fred Hoiberg will play alongside former Cyclone stars Ron Harris, Tom Peterson, Elmer Robinson, Will Blalock, Ron Virgil, Lafester Rhodes, Sam Hill, Marc Urquhart and Julius Michalik. Members of the Flint Connection, Mateen Cleaves, Morris Peterson and Antonio Smith, who helped Michigan State to the 2000 NCAA Championship, will also play in the charity game. Former Cyclone head coach and ISU Hall of Famer Johnny Orr will be in attendance to reunite with his former players.

"The main reason we decided to do this is because Barry meant so much to me and the entire Cyclone family," Grayer said. "Without Barry, there would be a lot of players, including myself, that would have never gone to Iowa State. Barry was a unique and special person and I feel honored I was his friend. He touched a lot of lives."

The event begins on Friday (July 20) with a golf outing at The Harvester Golf Club from 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m., followed by a Youth Skills Clinic at the Lied Recreation Center on the ISU campus from 4-8 p.m. The clinic is for boys and girls age 8-17. A $100 entry fee to the clinic includes a t-shirt and the unique opportunity to learn from the six current or former NBA players who will be instructors (Tinsley, Grayer, Alexander, Hoiberg, Peterson and Cleaves).

"Coming back to Ames will bring back a lot of great memories," Grayer added. "To be able to run up and down the court at Hilton with some of my old teammates and with some great players that came after me will be really special. It will be a great game for fans to watch."

All tickets for the All-Star game can be purchased through Ticketmaster or at the Iowa State Center box office. Call 515-233-1888 or log onto ticketmaster.com for more ticket information. To sign up for the Youth Skills Clinic, contact Ev Cochrane at 515-290-5004 or ev@icsmail.net. All checks or donations can be sent to the Barry Stevens Foundation, P.O. Box 1102, Ames, IA 50014.