Photo by: ART FOXALL
Bucknell Men’s Basketball to Retire Mike Muscala’s Jersey on Feb. 15
12/10/2019 11:58:00 AM | Men's Basketball
LEWISBURG, Pa. – Mike Muscala '13, one of the all-time great players in the history of the Bucknell men's basketball program and now a seven-year NBA veteran, will have his #31 jersey retired on Saturday, Feb. 15 during a halftime ceremony at the Bucknell-American game at Sojka Pavilion. The event will be the centerpiece of the team's Alumni Weekend.
The festivities begin at 11 a.m. on Feb. 15, when Muscala will be the guest of honor at a brunch in the Terrace Room on campus. The brunch is open to the public at a cost of $20 per person. The Bison men's basketball team will take on American at 2 p.m., and all fans will receive a free Muscala poster. The jersey retirement ceremony will take place at halftime, and then Muscala will be available for autographs following the game. Fans are invited to stick around as the annual Alumni Game is scheduled to tip off at approximately 4:30 p.m.
PURCHASE TICKETS
Muscala becomes the fifth Bucknell basketball player to have a jersey retired and commemorated as part of the newly renovated display on the east concourse of Sojka Pavilion, presented by Geisinger. He joins #44 Hal Danzig '59 and #22 Al Leslie '81 from the men's team, and #12 Jennifer Walz '89 and #23 Molly Creamer '03 from the women's program.
A native of Roseville, Minnesota, Muscala came to Bucknell in the fall of 2009 and went on to author one of the finest careers in the storied history of the Bison men's basketball program. Muscala was a versatile 6'11" center who could score both inside and outside and with either hand, and he was also a dominant defensive player in the Patriot League.
Muscala graduated as Bucknell's all-time leading scorer with 2,036 points, and he also ranked second in rebounds (1,093) and blocked shots (271). He became only the fifth 2,000-point scorer and just the second player with 1,000 rebounds in Patriot League history, and he is the only player to reach both milestones.
Muscala was a four-time All-Patriot League selection, and he was the Patriot League Player of the Year in both 2010-11 and 2012-13 while leading the Bison to league championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. As a senior, he made history by becoming the first Patriot League student-athlete to sweep Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.
That season Muscala was also one of 30 national candidates for the Naismith National Player of the Year Award and one of 25 for the Lou Henson Mid-Major Player of the Year. He was selected to play in the Reese's All-Star Game in Atlanta on Final Four Weekend and recorded 15 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots in the game. He later earned Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America, Lute Olson All-America, and NABC First Team All-District honors.
Muscala was equally successful in the classroom, where he was a CoSIDA Academic All-American in addition to his Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.
Along with classmates Bryson Johnson, Colin Klebon and Joe Willman, Muscala was part of one of Bucknell's all-time great classes, one that helped the program return to glory. That group came in on the heels of a rare down season (7-23), and as freshmen in 2009-10 helped double the win total to 14 while posting a 9-5 Patriot League record.
A year later the Bison went 25-9 overall and 13-1 in league play, and they returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006. In 2011-12 Bucknell once again won 25 games, and after being upset by Lehigh in the Patriot League Tournament championship game, despite Muscala's 30 points and 14 rebounds, the Bison knocked off Arizona in the first round of the NIT.
As a senior in 2012-13, Muscala led the Bison to a school-record 28 wins, including a regular-season victory at Purdue, and another Patriot League title and NCAA Tournament appearance.
All told, Muscala's Bucknell teams compiled a 92-42 overall record and a 46-10 Patriot League mark.
After graduation, Muscala was selected 44th overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2013 NBA Draft, making him the third Bucknell men's basketball player to be drafted. The others were Leslie, who was selected in the second round (37th overall) by the Indiana Pacers in 1981, and Jaye Andrews '85, who was a seventh-round pick of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1985.
Not long after hearing his named announced, Muscala was dealt to the Atlanta Hawks as part of one of several draft-night trades. Muscala played with the Hawks' NBA Summer League team, but roster spots in the frontcourt dwindled when Atlanta brought in free-agent forwards Elton Brand and Paul Millsap. So Muscala began his pro career overseas with Rio Natura Monbus in Spain.
Muscala excelled in Spain, averaging 14.6 points and a league-best 7.8 rebounds per game, and when the Hawks experienced a rash of injuries in February, they purchased Muscala's contract. He made his debut on March 2, 2014 in Phoenix, making him the first Bucknell alum ever to appear in an NBA game.
Muscala would go on to play five seasons in Atlanta, helping the Hawks to four straight playoff appearances from 2014-17. He averaged a career-best 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 2017-18.
That offseason, Muscala was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he appeared in 47 games with six starts before being dealt again, this time to the West Coast. In a flurry of trade deadline action, Muscala was first sent to the Los Angeles Clippers, and then a day later he went across town to the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he finished out the season.
In July 2019, Muscala signed a free-agent contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he is currently in his seventh season in the NBA.
The festivities begin at 11 a.m. on Feb. 15, when Muscala will be the guest of honor at a brunch in the Terrace Room on campus. The brunch is open to the public at a cost of $20 per person. The Bison men's basketball team will take on American at 2 p.m., and all fans will receive a free Muscala poster. The jersey retirement ceremony will take place at halftime, and then Muscala will be available for autographs following the game. Fans are invited to stick around as the annual Alumni Game is scheduled to tip off at approximately 4:30 p.m.
PURCHASE TICKETS
Muscala becomes the fifth Bucknell basketball player to have a jersey retired and commemorated as part of the newly renovated display on the east concourse of Sojka Pavilion, presented by Geisinger. He joins #44 Hal Danzig '59 and #22 Al Leslie '81 from the men's team, and #12 Jennifer Walz '89 and #23 Molly Creamer '03 from the women's program.
A native of Roseville, Minnesota, Muscala came to Bucknell in the fall of 2009 and went on to author one of the finest careers in the storied history of the Bison men's basketball program. Muscala was a versatile 6'11" center who could score both inside and outside and with either hand, and he was also a dominant defensive player in the Patriot League.
Muscala graduated as Bucknell's all-time leading scorer with 2,036 points, and he also ranked second in rebounds (1,093) and blocked shots (271). He became only the fifth 2,000-point scorer and just the second player with 1,000 rebounds in Patriot League history, and he is the only player to reach both milestones.
Muscala was a four-time All-Patriot League selection, and he was the Patriot League Player of the Year in both 2010-11 and 2012-13 while leading the Bison to league championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. As a senior, he made history by becoming the first Patriot League student-athlete to sweep Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors.
That season Muscala was also one of 30 national candidates for the Naismith National Player of the Year Award and one of 25 for the Lou Henson Mid-Major Player of the Year. He was selected to play in the Reese's All-Star Game in Atlanta on Final Four Weekend and recorded 15 points, eight rebounds and three blocked shots in the game. He later earned Associated Press Honorable Mention All-America, Lute Olson All-America, and NABC First Team All-District honors.
Muscala was equally successful in the classroom, where he was a CoSIDA Academic All-American in addition to his Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year award.
Along with classmates Bryson Johnson, Colin Klebon and Joe Willman, Muscala was part of one of Bucknell's all-time great classes, one that helped the program return to glory. That group came in on the heels of a rare down season (7-23), and as freshmen in 2009-10 helped double the win total to 14 while posting a 9-5 Patriot League record.
A year later the Bison went 25-9 overall and 13-1 in league play, and they returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2006. In 2011-12 Bucknell once again won 25 games, and after being upset by Lehigh in the Patriot League Tournament championship game, despite Muscala's 30 points and 14 rebounds, the Bison knocked off Arizona in the first round of the NIT.
As a senior in 2012-13, Muscala led the Bison to a school-record 28 wins, including a regular-season victory at Purdue, and another Patriot League title and NCAA Tournament appearance.
All told, Muscala's Bucknell teams compiled a 92-42 overall record and a 46-10 Patriot League mark.
After graduation, Muscala was selected 44th overall by the Dallas Mavericks in the 2013 NBA Draft, making him the third Bucknell men's basketball player to be drafted. The others were Leslie, who was selected in the second round (37th overall) by the Indiana Pacers in 1981, and Jaye Andrews '85, who was a seventh-round pick of the Philadelphia 76ers in 1985.
Not long after hearing his named announced, Muscala was dealt to the Atlanta Hawks as part of one of several draft-night trades. Muscala played with the Hawks' NBA Summer League team, but roster spots in the frontcourt dwindled when Atlanta brought in free-agent forwards Elton Brand and Paul Millsap. So Muscala began his pro career overseas with Rio Natura Monbus in Spain.
Muscala excelled in Spain, averaging 14.6 points and a league-best 7.8 rebounds per game, and when the Hawks experienced a rash of injuries in February, they purchased Muscala's contract. He made his debut on March 2, 2014 in Phoenix, making him the first Bucknell alum ever to appear in an NBA game.
Muscala would go on to play five seasons in Atlanta, helping the Hawks to four straight playoff appearances from 2014-17. He averaged a career-best 7.6 points and 4.3 rebounds in 2017-18.
That offseason, Muscala was traded to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he appeared in 47 games with six starts before being dealt again, this time to the West Coast. In a flurry of trade deadline action, Muscala was first sent to the Los Angeles Clippers, and then a day later he went across town to the Los Angeles Lakers, with whom he finished out the season.
In July 2019, Muscala signed a free-agent contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder, and he is currently in his seventh season in the NBA.
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