Monroe, Earl (Vernon Earl)
Basketball
b. Nov. 21, 1944, Philadelphia, PA
"Earl the Pearl" had one of the most spectacular seasons in college basketball history at Winston-Salem State in 1966-67. He scored 1,329 points and averaged 44.5 per game, both small college records.
An uncanny shooter when he was on one of his frequent hot streaks, he made 22 of 24 field goal attempts and 14 of 16 free throws in a game against North Carolina College that season. His school won the NCAA College Division championship and Monroe was named the division's player of the year.
During his four-year college career, he scored 2,935 points, averaging 26.6 a game. A fast, inventive, acrobatic player, Monroe originated the 360-degree spin move to the basket while flying down the free throw lane.
A 6-foot-3, 185-pound guard, Monroe was the number one draft pick of the NBA's Baltimore Bullets in 1967 and was the league's rookie of the year, averaging 24.3 points a game. He averaged more than 21 points a game in each of the next three seasons, then was traded to the New York Knicks during the 1971-72 season.
Knee problems limited him to just 63 games that year, and he had difficulty fitting into the Knicks' team concept at first, but in 1972-73 he was an important member of New York's NBA championship team, averaging 15.5 points and using his quickness to become a good defender and ball stealer. He remained with the Knicks through the 1979-80 season, then retired because of recurring knee problems. In 926 NBA games, he scored 17,454 points, 18.8 per game.