Dan Cloran couldn’t believe his eyes. Diamonds—lots of diamonds, shining, shooting light in all directions. Cloran, director for the University’s annual fund and athletic giving, got a call from former Xavier and National Basketball Association player Tyrone Hill, who expressed a desire to give to the University. “He said, ‘I’m going to have my jeweler call you,’ ” Cloran says.

Cloran spoke with the jeweler, but didn’t ask for particulars. Hence his shock when he opened the box to find three pendants: a “32” (one of Hill’s uniform numbers) with 5.5 carats worth of diamonds set in 18-karat gold, a “42” (another number) featuring 9.25 carats worth of diamonds set in 18-karat gold, and a large “T” boasting 14.6 carats worth of diamonds set in platinum.

“The diamonds in the ‘T’ are rated next to flawless,” Cloran says. “In terms of jewelry, I don’t know whether we’ve ever received something of this magnitude.”

The University is still deciding what to do with the gift. Hill spent 13 years in the N.B.A.