Vernon Earl Monroe is an American former professional basketball player known for his flamboyant dribbling, passing, and play-making. He was nicknamed "Earl the Pearl". From an early age, Monroe was a playground legend. His high school teammates at John Bartram High School called him "Thomas Edison" because of the many moves he invented. Monroe rose to prominence at a national level while playing basketball at then Division II Winston-Salem State University, located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Under the coaching of Hall of Fame coach Clarence "Big House" Gaines, Monroe averaged 7.1... points his freshman year, 23.2 points as a sophomore, 29.8 points as a junior and an amazing 41.5 points his senior year. In 1967, he earned NCAA College Division Player of the Year honors and led the Rams to the NCAA College Division Championship. In 1967, the two-time All-American was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets in the first round of the NBA draft . He won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award in a season in which he averaged 24.
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