Former Syracuse great Pearl Washington dies

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Former Syracuse great Dwayne “Pearl” Washington has died, according to his family. He was 52.

Syracuse announced Washington’s death in a news release.

Washington was diagnosed with a brain tumor last summer. He had surgery in the fall.

Washington was born on Jan. 6, 1964, and grew up in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York. At a young age, he displayed such skill on the court that locals dubbed him “The Pearl” because his game resembled that of NBA great Earl “The Pearl” Monroe.

Washington excelled at Boys and Girls High School in Brooklyn and he was the nation’s most sought-after recruit in 1983. When Washington, a point guard, committed to Syracuse, coach Jim Boeheim said the program was changed forever.

“I can’t underscore how big a moment that was for our program,” Boeheim said in the book “Color Him Orange: The Jim Boeheim Story.” “I believe at that point we officially went from being an Eastern program to a national program. Everybody knew who the Pearl was. I’d get off of a plane in L.A. and somebody would say, ‘There’s Pearl’s coach.'” He was the guy who opened …

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