Former Loyola Men’s Basketball player, Jamal Barney, passed away in early October. Police had gone to his house on Oct. 2 after a missing person report was made and found Barney dead, the result of a homicide. Barney was only 37 years old, having graduated from Loyola in 2011.
During Barney’s time at Loyola, he acquired 1,028 points within his years of playing basketball for Loyola as a shooting guard. He is also the only player ever at Loyola to have played two 40-point games in 2009.
Brian Rudolph ‘11 was a teammate of Barney who played on the Loyola Men’s Basketball team with him from 2007-2011.
He said, “He was a very skilled basketball player – could score from everywhere on the court. He was one of the best to put that Loyola uniform on.”
Although he gained recognition for his 2008-09 season, having scored an average of 18.1 points and leading the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference, he continued to contribute to the Greyhounds. In his 2009-10 season, he averaged 12.9 points and in the 2010-11 season, his senior year, he averaged 10.3 points.
Outside of basketball, Barney had two daughters. Rudolph commented on Barney’s role as a father.
“Jamal was very family-oriented, and he did an amazing job of being present in his daughters’ lives. One of his daughters would come stay with him on campus and take over our dorm room.” Rudolph said.
Being a student, an athlete, and a father, Barney was involved in many things. As stated by Rudolph, Barney contributed to each of these roles all while being a good man.
“He was a great friend – very loyal, and very funny,” Rudolph said.
At the end of his four years at Loyola, Barney had left his mark with his basketball records and graduated from Loyola with his degree in Communication with an advertising specialization. He may have passed, but he will always be remembered through his accomplishments and the kind of person he was by those who loved him.
Rudolph said, “He had a weird way of getting you mad and getting under your skin but in a way that would make you laugh in the end. We’ll miss him a lot.”
His funeral service was Tuesday, Oct. 10 at the Wylie Funeral Home. As for his cause of death, it is still being investigated and police are asking for any information concerning his death.
