Brandon Selected to Pac-10 Hall of Fame

EUGENE, Ore. — Terrell Brandon, the 1991 Pac-10 player of the year, has been selected as Oregon’s 2008 Pac-10 hall of honor inductee, director of athletics Pat Kilkenny announced Wednesday. Though his Duck career spanned only two years, his scoring and play-making skills left an indelible impression on the McArthur Court faithful.

A 6-0 guard from Portland, Ore., and Grant High School, Brandon was an all-conference selection in 1989-90, averaging a team-best 17.9 points per game to lead coach Don Monson’s Oregon squad to a 15-14 record and an appearance in the 1990 National Invitation Tournament.

That set the stage for his final year in Eugene, the 1990-91 season, which still ranks as one of the finest individual performances in league history.

In becoming only the second Duck to earn conference player of the year honors, Brandon set the school’s single-season scoring record with 745 points in 28 games for an average of 26.6 points per contest, also a school record. He scored 30 or more points eight times during the 1990-91 season. And in addition to leading the Pac-10 in scoring, he also topped the league in steals, averaging 2.3 per game and set the UO single season record with a total of 63.

During his career, the two-time team MVP set Oregon single-game records for assists (13) and steals (eight); his 13 assists Dec. 8, 1990, versus Portland are still tied for the school mark. Along with his places at the top of the Ducks’ single-season points and steals lists, he ranks fourth in assists for his 174 in 1989-90, and is tied for fourth in free throws made with 159 in 1990-91.

Despite only playing two years, he ranks 16th on Oregon’s career scoring list (1,263 points), seventh in assists (315), seventh in steals (114) and eighth in free throw percentage (.810).

A 1991 honorable mention All-American, he became the first Oregon player to leave school early for the NBA, when the Cleveland Cavaliers selected him as the 11th overall pick. His 12-year professional career saw him play for Cleveland, Milwaukee, and Minneapolis, and he was a two-time all-star with the Cavaliers in 1996 and 1997. It was during that time that Sports Illustrated named Brandon “the best point guard in the NBA.”

He led Cleveland and Minnesota to a combined nine playoff appearances. Brandon was also an NBA all-rookie second-team selection in 1992. He was inducted into the Oregon sports hall of fame in 2001.

Brandon has also been recognized for his contributions off the court. He won the NBA’s 1997 Sportsman of the Year Award for his devotion to children, and his Portland-based foundation provides numerous services to underprivileged youth in his hometown.

Brandon and representatives from the nine other Pac-10 institutions will be inducted to the Pac-10 Hall of Honor during the 2008 Pac-10 tournament, March 12-15 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Calif.