Feb. 5, 2007

GREENSBORO, N.C.- Six former All-Americans, nine National Basketball Association draftees, two pivotal members of NCAA National Championship teams, one former consensus National Player of the Year and a total of 67 years of experience in the NBA are represented among the 12 2007 Atlantic Coast Conference Basketball Legends, announced today by Commissioner John D. Swofford.

Led by former consensus National Player of the Year Christian Laettner (1989-92) of Duke and All-America point guard Tommy Kearns (1955-58) of North Carolina, both of whom helped lead their teams to national titles - Duke in 1991 and 1992, North Carolina in 1957 - this year's class features four of the highest scoring backcourt men in their schools' histories in Buzzy Wilkinson (1953-55) of Virginia, Bimbo Coles (1987-90) of Virginia Tech, Don Curnutt (1968-70) of Miami and Bob Sura (1992-95) of Florida State.

Joining them in this year's class is Billy Jones (1966-68) of Maryland, the first African-American to play varsity basketball in the ACC; and a couple of mobile big men in Jay Murphy (1980-83) of Boston College and Murray Jarman (1981-84) of Clemson.

Completing the 2007 class are three players who were the prototypical power forwards of the 1990's. Each possessed a unique blend of power, speed, quickness and ball handling ability not previously seen at that position in Wake Forest's Rodney Rogers (1991-93), Georgia Tech's James Forrest (1992-95) and NC State's Tom Gugliotta (1989-92).

This year's Legends class will be honored the 2007 ACC Men's Tournament, which will be held at the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla. They will be honored at the annual ACC Legends Brunch which will be held at the tournament headquarters hotel, the Marriott Tampa Waterside and Marina, beginning at 10 a.m. on Saturday, March 10. Later that afternoon, the Legends will be introduced at halftime of the first semifinal game.