In this edition of the Nova Notebook we caught up with Jim Washington, the standout Villanova forward from 1961-65 who will have his No. 50 retired as part of "Alumni Day" Saturday at halftime of the game against No. 1 Kansas at Wells Fargo Center.
 
As he begins a phone conversation with a caller in the Delaware Valley, Jim Washington has a question.
 
"How's the weather up there?"
 
When told the high temperature Thursday was 28 degrees, he chuckles. Washington has been based in the Atlanta area since wrapping up a decade plus career in the National Basketball Association in 1975. Yet even that chilly forecast can't dampen this former Wildcat's enthusiasm for a weekend that will put a cap on one of the most storied careers in program history.
 
"It's a fantastic honor," Washington says. "How many people does this happen to?"
 
In the weeks since he received the telephone call informing him of the jersey retirement, Washington, now a contented grandfather, has reflected upon what it all means to him. During a college career that included 1,194 rebounds – still second all-time at Villanova –the 1965 Philadelphia Big Five Player of the Year award and countless other honors from his NBA days, Washington decided stands beside perhaps his most cherished trophy.
 
Just before graduating in 1965, his Villanova classmates recognized him as their Most Valuable Athlete.
 
"I have that little trophy somewhere," he says. "You can't ask for more than to have your peers recognize you in that way. It's always meant a lot to me. Now to have this to go with that is right at the top for me, short of my daughters' births.
 
"This is amazing. It's even more meaningful coming in such a late part of my life and because of where our school stands now. Its accomplishments, the championships and what the school has become academically, are tremendous. It's not the obscure University of about 2,500 students that it was when I went there."
 
A native of Philadelphia, Washington largely grew up in the shadow of Philadelphia International Airport. For the bulk of his time at West Catholic High School, he was an obscure but lanky youngster who spent hours on the outdoor courts. When the 1960-61 prep season began, Washington was a West Catholic frontcourt reserve.
 
"To the best of my recollection, we didn't have an exceptional team," notes Washington. "We didn't win any championships. It was a rebuilding time. I didn't become a starter until midway through my senior year."
 
Recently Washington shared that story at a youth clinic in the hope that it might inspire some of the children in attendance.
 
"I went from being someone who didn't start until midway through his senior year to becoming the first round pick of a professional basketball team in four years," Washington states. "I was trying to relate to the kids what you can do with hard work and a little bit of luck."
 
For Washington, good fortune came by way of a tip that made its way to Villanova head coach Jack Kraft. In one account, it was West Catholic coach and former Wildcats' standout Jack Devine who recommended Washington to Kraft. In another, it was the uncle of future Wildcats' teammate Richie Moore who got word to Kraft via another former player, Joe Walters.
 
What Washington is certain of is that he had no college offers heading into the summer of '61. By August, Washington was uncertain where he would land. A call from Devine changed everything mere weeks before the start of fall semester. Devine asked if he would like to attend Villanova.
 
"I was like, 'are you kidding me?'" Washington says. "I couldn't have afforded to go to school. The other options were going into the service or getting a job somewhere. Jack's call was a blessing."
 
Freshmen were ineligible then yet the 6-7 Washington offered Kraft something the varsity didn't have – size. After working out with the freshmen each day, Washington would jump into the varsity practice to battle the Wildcats' center – All-American Hubie White.
 
"Hubie was our center – at 6-3," he notes. "Even in those days the centers were much taller. Jack had me come out to play Hubie just so he could face someone taller. I was a rebounder and a shot-blocker. Hubie was more of a guard than a center and it helped me to play someone that was as agile and fluid as Hubie was. He was just a great basketball player."
 
Washington stepped into fill the void created by White's graduation in 1962. His debut came against Princeton in the Field House and the Tigers, led by Bill Bradley, downed the 'Cats 68-53.
 
"I had an awful game," says Washington. "It was a terrible induction into varsity basketball at the collegiate level. But they never beat us again."
 
George Raveling is a 1959 graduate, an exceptional rebounder who preceded Washington at Villanova. By the time Washington enrolled two years later Raveling was in the nascent stages of a legendary coaching career that began as an aide to Kraft (he also worked full-time at Sun Oil Co.). Raveling recently told an interviewer that no Wildcat of that era made greater strides in his four years than Washington.  
 
"That's interesting that the Rave would say that," said Washington with a chuckle. "Considering where I came from, he's probably right. Most of the players that came to Villanova on scholarship were accomplished players. George Leftwich, Wali (Jones), and those guys were much further advanced than me. I came a long way because I had a long way to go. I was in the embryonic stages of my growth as a basketball player."
 
Yet Washington brought the Wildcats something none of his mates could offer. Kraft built his program around defense and though admittedly raw, the young forward served as a true five man, a shot blocker who was very much ahead of his time.
 
"Our strength was always defense," Washington states. "When Wali was there, he set the tone. People  have said that I set a tone with my rebounding. But it really wasn't that. The way I impacted our defense was with my shot blocking.
 
"Unfortunately, they didn't keep that stat at that time. I always considered myself a shot blocker first and that all came from my early development. When I first started getting the passion for this game as a kid, I couldn't dunk a ball. But the great thing about basketball is that to improve, all you need is a ball and a hoop."
 
Washington burned a path from his Philadelphia home to a nearby elementary school. Each day, he would toss the basketball against the backboard, and try to dunk it.
 
"I was building the strength in my legs and the timing," he says now. "That helped me to become a good rebounder and shot blocker. I became known as a shot blocker and I carried that into my professional career. When the other team knows there's somebody back there who can block their shot, they're going to think twice about going to the hole.
 
"We had a team of leaders. We all played to our strengths and had a great coach in Jack Kraft. Jack knew how to get the most out of his talent. He inspired us and motivated us. As a result, we had success and had fun."
 
The Wildcats were 66-19 in Washington's three seasons. As a senior he averaged 15.3 points and 15.8 rebounds per game before being selected by the St. Louis Hawks with the sixth overall pick in the first round of the '65 NBA Draft. He would go on to play for the Chicago Bulls, the Hawks again – this time in Atlanta - and the Buffalo Braves before retiring in 1975.
 
Washington settled in Atlanta. In the days before multi-million dollar contracts became the NBA norm, he understood that a second career was essential. A fellow Villanovan named Prentiss Yancey had become a successful attorney in Atlanta. Yancey connected Washington to a client who owned a beer distributorship. Washington was soon in the business of selling beer.
 
"As someone who doesn't drink, it wasn't a great fit," he quips.
 
Yet that start helped launch a new career and, by 1983, Washington had joined the administration of Mayor Andrew Young. He later served as Director of Community Affairs for the Hawks before moving into a role as a roving ambassador. In 2012, he moved into another line of work as a retiree.
 
"I took on a full-time job as a doorkeeper," he says.
 
 A doorkeeper?
 
"As you get older, you start feeling more aches and pains when you play golf or exercise," he explains. "I heard someone say that as you get older, you've got to watch the door and not let the 'Old Man' in. As you start getting older, it's a part-time job. But now that I'm 76, it's a full-time job. The 'Old Man' is persistent and he likes to get his foot in the door."
 
A hearty laugh makes the point.
 
When Washington steps on a flight Friday bound for the airport located not far from the old neighborhood, he'll do so with anticipation of seeing old friends and teammates from a cherished part of his past.
 
"I'm really looking forward to it," he says. "I keep up with Wali Jones and talk with Billy Melchionni from time to time. But to see so many friends and teammates together at a Villanova game will be very special. I can't wait to share this day with my two daughters and so many old friends."