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[QUOTE="RF2044, post: 179062, member: 40"]
Thanks for posting that video, Jake.
 
I have a bunch of games from the Pearl / Raf  era in my collection, and some of the stuff he was capable of was amazing.  Some of those tapes are from BET, and when the bright lights came on, there wasn't a better player than Pearl.  Some of the things he could do with the ball were phenomenal--I'm not exaggerating when I say that at times, Georgetown used to try to press him with all five guys to force him to give the ball up.  Instead, he'd break the press singlehandedly and get us into transition.  We're not talking about the Georgetown of the last decade, we're talking GEORGETOWN--the best defensive team in college basketball.  Flynn had a great handle [so did Autry, IMO], but this guy was on a different level.
 
I think that there are two main reasons why some fans don't put him on the same pedestal as other SU legends.  First, the team's NCAA performance during his career [already discussed in this thread] was forgettable.  
 
Second, Pearl didn't play hard all the time.  When we were playing a quality opponent, he was a superstar.  But he'd often go through the motions against lesser opponents--like in the early portion of the preseason schedule.  Meanwhile, he was the biggest star most of those guys would be playing all year, so they'd be sky high to play against him and score 20 while Pearl himself would coast.
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