George Mason basketball alum Jai Lewis ('06) and Debbie Taneyhill ('92) will represent the Patriots in the Atlantic 10 Conference Basketball Legends class of 2016 and will be honored at the conference's respective Men's and Women's Basketball Championships this March, the A-10 announced today.
The Legends program, established in 2013, recognizes men's and women's basketball student-athletes and coaches who have made a lasting impact on their respective basketball programs and institutions. This year marks the fourth class the Atlantic 10 has inducted. Each year, A-10 member institutions select their two Legends.
“It is an honor for the Atlantic 10 to recognize the accomplishments of the 2016 Legends Class,” stated A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade. “Their significant contributions to their institution, teams and to college basketball have made a lasting impression. A well-deserved congratulation is in order for this outstanding group of individuals.”
George Mason legend Jai Lewis was the primary inside force during the Patriots historic run that shocked the college basketball world in the 2006 NCAA tournament. As a senior Jai Lewis was a leader on that Mason team that would defy the odds and string together one of the greatest runs in NCAA history knocking out powerhouses Michigan State, defending champion North Carolina and top-seeded two-time champion Connecticut on their way to the first Final Four in school history.
The Patriots finished the season with a 27-8 record and ranked 8th in the final USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll. Mason, an 11 seed in the tournament, became the second team in history with a double-digit seed to advance to the Final Four.
The Aberdeen, Md. native has proven to be one of the all-time greats to put on a Patriots uniform. Lewis earned Colonial Athletic Association honors in each of his four seasons, beginning with his selection to the All-CAA Rookie Team in 2003. An undersized forward listed at 6'7”, he would go on to earn two All-CAA First Team honors and a Second Team honor his junior season. He averaged 12.2 points and 7.2 rebounds in his 125 games played, starting 101, and is etched in the program's record book in almost every statistical category. He currently stands 12th in points (1,519), 9th in field goals made (588), seventh in rebounds (895), 8th in steals (140) and 9th in blocks (91).
NFL scouts saw potential in Lewis on the gridiron. He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the New York Giants following the 2006 NFL Draft, but decided to pursue his love of basketball. He played professionally overseas in several different countries before finishing his final year of professional basketball in Japan.
Lewis earned a B.S. is in Health, Fitness and Recreation in 2006 and currently works as a behavior interventionist at Halstead Academy in Baltimore.
Debbie Taneyhill was a member of the George Mason women's basketball program for 20 years, beginning in 1988 where she was a standout point guard on the Patriots basketball team, playing in 109 games. She remains in the Patriot record books, ranking ninth in assists with 273.
After graduating from Mason in 1992 with a degree in English, Taneyhill served as an assistant coach on the Patriots bench before taking over head coach duties during the 1997-98 season.
The Altoona, Pa. native spent 11 seasons as Mason's head women's basketball coach and guided the Patriots to four-straight winning campaigns (2000-04), two post-season appearances in the WNIT in 2001 and 2004 and was named 2001 Colonial Athletic Association Coach of the Year. In only her third full season in 2000-01, Mason tied the school record for wins, going 21-9 after a 10-19 showing in 1999-2000. Those additional 11 victories stand as the best one-year turnaround in the program's history.
Taneyhill is a realtor with Engels and Volkers and teaches hot power vinyasa yoga at Down Dog Yoga. Her son Jason is a junior at W.T. Woodson High School in Fairfax, Va. and plays on the varsity basketball team.
The Women's Basketball Legends will be saluted with a breakfast on Friday, March 4 prior to the 2016 A-10 Women's Basketball Championship quarterfinals. The event will take place at the Richmond Marriott beginning at 9:00 a.m.
The Men's Basketball Legends will be honored on Saturday, March 12 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y., prior to the 2016 Men's Basketball Championship semifinals. The celebration awards brunch will be in the 40/40 Club, beginning at 11:00 a.m.
