Former Syracuse great Dwayne 'Pearl' Washington dies

Syracuse legend Dwayne "Pearl" Washington passed away on Wednesday, his family informed the school.

Washington, 52, was diagnosed with a brain tumor last summer and had surgery in the fall.

This year's Final Four Syracuse team honored Washington by wearing orange warmup shirts with "Pearl" and "31" inscribed in white.

"There was no better guy and there's nobody who has meant more to our basketball program than Dwayne Washington," longtime coach Jim Boeheim said back in January.

Washington was known for his flair as a player, perfecting the crossover before it became a mainstream move and becoming the "human highlight reel." In his career with the Orange from 1983-86, he was a three-time All-American. He scored 1,490 points and led the team in scoring as a senior with an average of 17.3 points game, while pacing the team in assists his last three seasons. He's fifth all-time in steals (220) at the school.

In 1986, Washington was the No. 13 overall pick by the New Jersey Nets in the NBA draft.

His No. 31 jersey was retired by Syracuse on March 2, 1996. A frequent visitor to the Carrier Dome, Washington remained a beloved figure to Orange fans. His final Dome appearance came on December 19, 2015 against Cornell.