article by Chris King published Nov. 13 by the St. Louis American

Lindenwood University is retiring Earl Austin Jr.'s basketball jersey #41 as part of "Earl Austin Jr. Night" on Tuesday, November 19 because of his accomplishments on the hardwood.

Austin, St. Louis American's longtime sports editor, played ball at Lindenwood from 1982-86 and left the program as its all-time leading scorer with 1,972 points. His 56 percent field goal percentage is also best in program history. The St. Louis native is also second with 840 rebounds and 546 field goals.

But his value to the men's basketball program at Lindenwood and to area sports generally far exceeds his statistics as an athlete.

"Earl Austin Jr. is truly a St. Louis treasure and an ambassador of sport for the entire metro area," said Lindenwood Head Coach Brad Soderberg.

Soderberg speaks from personal experience, as a transplant who relied on Austin to get his grounding when Soderberg was hired as Saint Louis University's men's basketball coach.

"When I was new to the city in 2001, as someone who needed to know the basketball culture and the best players, I was told to contact Earl Austin," Soderberg said. "I was told Earl had the lowdown on every good player within a 60-mile radius. Boy, were they right."

Soderberg considered for a moment, then added, "Actually, they were wrong. It's more than a 60-mile radius. And he knew not only every kid, but every kid all the way down to the freshmen in high school."

At SLU and now Lindenwood, Soderberg continued to rely upon Austin as a talent scout.

"We cover St. Louis well as far as recruiting because we follow where Earl has been and take his judgment very, very seriously," Soderberg said. "If he says someone is a serious candidate as a Division I player, he is, and if he says someone is not, he is not."

Soderberg is well aware that most sports aficionados pride themselves in being professional-grade judges of talent, and that every guy in the barber shop or calling into the talk show thinks he is an ace scout.

"I've known a lot of people say they know what kids can play," Soderberg said. "Earl actually does know."

His statistics, expertise and encyclopedic knowledge make Austin worthy of having his jersey retired – for the first time in program history – and his name celebrated at a home game. But Soderberg said Austin also happens to be the kind of person who is easy to honor.

"I was struck when I first met Earl that he was very warm, very engaging, not into himself, very approachable," Soderberg said. "I haven't met anybody in the 12 or 13 years I have known Earl who ever said a bad word about him."

Soderberg realizes that sports is brutally competitive and it's rare for someone enmeshed in the industry to have no known enemies.

"When you are in contact with so many people, you'd think someone would have an axe to grind with him," Soderberg said. "No one does. That's why he's an ambassador. He's a welcoming gentleman in love with sports in our area – as fine a person as he was a basketball player and now as a journalist doing his professional trade."

Even his own colleagues had difficulty getting Austin to talk about himself; that is not his style. But he appreciates the honor deeply.

"I am completely honored and humbled by this honor that has been bestowed on me by a school that I have loved for over 30 years. I still follow the athletic department and basketball program to this day," Austin said.

"I would like to thank everybody who has made the man I became at Lindenwood – former coaches, players – and my family. I would like to thank the university for this honor, especially President James D. Evans, John Creer and Brad Soderberg."

Lindenwood Press Release