The following comes directly from Virginia Union University:

BALDWIN CITY, Kan. – Small College Basketball has announced that former Virginia Union University men’s basketball coach Dave Robbins will be inducted into the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Second Annual SCB Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will return to Evansville, Ind., and will take place on Thursday, November 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the Doubletree by Hilton. SCB will induct 12 new members into its elite Hall of Fame.

“It is an absolute thrill to announce the Class of 2017 for the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame,” said SCB Founder, John McCarthy. “This class represents the best of the best in the history of small college basketball, and it is with great pleasure that we announce this class.”

The Small College Basketball Class of 2017 consists of the following members:

Zelmo Beaty, Player, Prairie View A&M

Walt Frazier, Player, Southern Illinois

Emil Liston, Contributor, Baker

Bob Love, Player, Southern

Coach Don Meyer, Coach, Hamline, David Lipscomb and Northern State

Coach Dave Robbins, Coach, Virginia Union

Jack Sikma, Player, Illinois Wesleyan

Elmore Smith, Player, Kentucky State

Jim Spivey, Player, Southeastern Oklahoma State

Rico Swanson, Player, Bethel (IN)

George Tinsley, Player, Kentucky Wesleyan

Al Tucker, Player, Oklahoma Baptist

Fans may purchase tickets/tables to the Hall of Fame Induction through the following link, www.HoFClassic.com, or by calling 812-421-2212.

“This is an outstanding Hall of Fame Class, nearly equal to the inaugural class” said Don Landry, member of the SCB Hall of Fame Selection committee. “It includes two great coaches, a famous contributor to the sport and several of the greatest players to ever play small college basketball.

“As a member of the selection committee, it was extremely difficult to make a decision of the most deserving players. In the future we have many more deserving coaches and players to consider. Our assignment will not get easier.”

Said SCB Founder, John McCarthy: “It is important to note the tremendous amount of time and effort put forth from our Hall of Fame Committee. This process has taken months and months of research, discussion and exchange of information. This prominent committee spent a great deal of time with this process, and I am incredibly grateful.”

The SCB Hall of Fame committee consists of: Don Landry, former head coach/AD/commissioner, Roy Pickerill, SID Kentucky Wesleyan and NCAA Elite 8 media coordinator, Jim Nelson, AD Emeritus and Former Head Coach at Suffolk, Doug Palm, NCAA DIII historian, Rick Zvosec, former collegiate head coach, Gary Pine, Azusa Pacific AD, Steve Shepherd, AD and head basketball coach at College of the Ozarks, Gary Stewart, head coach at Stevenson University, Jerry Dunn, head coach at Tuskegee, Matt Simms, executive director of USCAA, Mike Lightfoot, head coach at Bethel (Ind.), Bob Guptill, SID at GNAC & Central Washington; former SID at Pac West, Chad Waller, Director of Athletic Communications & Media, John Rinka, SCB Hall of Fame Member and Steve Knight, Head Coach, William Carey.

If you are interested in nominating a former SCB collegiate student-athlete, coach or contributor for the Hall of Fame, please submit information to scbhof@gmail.com.

For more information about Small College Basketball, please visit the website at www.smallcollegebasketball.com.

“My induction into the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame last November is the most cherished of my awards,” said John Rinka, 2016 SCB Hall of Fame inductee, and current member of the SCB Hall of Fame Committee. “I cannot imagine a greater honor than to have my basketball accomplishments recognized along with those of Earl Monroe, Travis Grant, Jerry Sloan, Lucious Jackson and the other greats in the inaugural class who came out of the small college ranks.”

For a look at a short bio of each hall of fame recipient, please see below.

Coaches

Don Meyer

Fifth winningest coach (Hamline, David Lipscomb, Northern State); 923-324 (36 years) **Most by any coach at any level at his retirement; 1986 NAIA National Champion (David Lipscomb); 1990 Inducted into NAIA Hall of Fame; 1990 NAIA Coach of the Year; Led David Lipscomb to 3 Final Fours and 13 National tournament bids; 1990-91 David Lipscomb team set a national record totaling 41 wins; Coached the two leading scorers in the history of college basketball (Phillip Hutcheson and John Pierce); Legendary Mentor of coaches – clinics and camps attended by thousands

Dave Robbins, Virginia Union 

2012 College Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee; Compiled a 713-194 record (78.6 winning percentage) in 30 seasons; Won three NCAA Division II National Championships (1980,1992,2005); One of three coaches to win three or more NCAA Division II Championships; 2006 NCAA Division II Runner-up; Three NCAA Division II Third Place Finished: 1991, 1996, 1998; Twenty-four 20-win seasons including four 30-win seasons; 25 NCAA Tournament appearances; 7 Regional Championships; Won 14 CIAA Conference Championships; Honored with Virginia Union Lifetime Coaching Award; First white coach in CIAA History; Inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame

Players

Zelmo Beaty, Prairie View A&M

Two-time All American (1960, 1962); Won the NAIA National Championship in 1962; MVP of the NAIA National Tournament, 1962; Set the NAIA Tournament record for rebounds in a tournament (96), a record that still stands; Averaged 25 points and 20 rebounds for his four-year career; Named to the NAIA’s 50th & 75th Anniversary Teams; National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame (2014); Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame (2016); NAIA Hall of Fame

Walt Frazier, Southern Illinois-Carbondale

1967 College Division First Team All American; 1967 NIT Champions (defeated Marquette, 71-56); 1967 NIT MVP; NCAA Elite Eight 50th Anniversary Team; As a sophomore, led team to the Division II National Championship game (falling 85-82 in OT to Evansville); Two-time Division II All American (1964-65 and 1966-67); During his senior year, he averaged 18.2 ppg and 11.9 rpg; shot 48.4% fg and 71.8% ft; National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame Inductee

Bob Love, Southern

Two-time All-American and a three-time All Southwestern Conference selection; Finished his career as Southern’s all-time leading scorer and rebounder with 2,458 points (23.1 career average) and 1,166 rebounds (14.9 career average); Averaged 30.6 points (8th in nation) and 18.2 rebounds in 1965; Averaged 26.0 ppg and 18 rpg in 1964; Averaged 22.6 ppg and 12.3 rpg in 1963; He has been inducted into the NAIA, Basketball Coaches, Illinois, Helms and Louisiana Halls of Fame; Selected by the NBA’s Cincinnati Royals in the fourth round of the 1965 draft

Jack Sikma, Illinois Wesleyan

Illinois Wesleyan all-time leading scorer (2,272 points) and rebounder (1,405); Led team to the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Championships in three consecutive seasons (1975, 1976 and 1977); Led team to the NAIA tournament for three consecutive seasons (1975, 1976 and 1977); Led the 1977 NAIA Tournament in rebounding, despite playing in just three games; Team went 71-20 during those three seasons; Three-time NAIA All American; NAIA Hall of Fame & member of the NAIA 50th & 75th All-Anniversary Teams; Inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame; Was 8th overall pick in the NBA Draft by the Seattle Supersonics in 1977.

Elmore Smith, Kentucky State

“The Big E” was a 7-0 center for Kentucky State; In three seasons at Kentucky State, he had 1,813 points and 1,917 rebounds; Member of Kentucky State back-to-back National Championship winning teams (1970 & 1971); Named to the NAIA All-Tournament Team in 1970 & 1971; Holds NAIA and All Division record for rebounds in a single season (799) in 1971; Two-time All American (Second Team in 1970 & First Team in 1971); As a freshman, he averaged 14.7 ppg & 19.8 rpg; as a sophomore, he averaged 21.6 ppg & 22.7 rpg; As a junior, he averaged an astonishing 25.5 ppg, 24.2 rpg & 8.1 blocks per game; Member of the NAIA’s 50th & 75th All-Anniversary Teams; In 2008, he was inducted into the Georgia Hall of Fame; He left for the NBA after his junior year in 1971 and played professional basketball until 1979. He went to the Buffalo Braves [now Los Angeles Clippers] as the 3rd pick in the first round of the 1971 NBA Draft.

Jim Spivey, Southeastern Oklahoma

Three-time NAIA All-American (1955, 1956, 1957); Led the Savages to four straight trips to the NAIA Tournament (1954, ’55, ’56 and ’57); Led the team to the National Championship game in 1955 and 1957; Member of the NAIA 50th & 75th Anniversary Teams; NAIA All-Time Basketball Team for the period of 1952-1970; NAIA Hall of Fame; Finished career as the NAIA Tournament’s leading score (now 4th); Set the NAIA Tournament record for most free throws in a game and a career; NAIA Tournament MVP in 1957 when he averaged 44 points in 5 games; Three-time All Oklahoma Collegiate Conference Team; Led the OCC in scoring as a sophomore and junior; Helms Foundation Hall of Fame (1962)

Rico Swanson, Bethel (IN)

Member of three NAIA Division II National Championship teams (1995, 1997 & 1998); NAIA Division II Tournament MVP in 1997 & 1998; In the 1998 National Tournament, he hit two game-winning shots in the tournament, including the shot to win the National Championship; NAIA Division II National Player of the Year in 1997 and 1998; Winningest player in NAIA history with a record of 144-12; Holds an impressive overall national tournament record of 16-1; When he finished his career, he had rewritten the NAIA Tournament record book, as he held 16 personal records. Finished his career with 2,084 points, 770 assists, 660 rebounds and 469 steals; Still holds four NAIA tournament records, including most steals, most career field goals, most games played, and tournament scoring average; Named First Team NCCAA All American in 1996, 1997 & 1998; Won the 1998 NCCAA Pete Maravich Award; Three-time First Team All Crossroads League and two-time Crossroads league MVP; First Bethel student-athlete to be voted into the NAIA Hall of Fame; Played professional basketball in Europe before returning to Bethel for six seasons as an assistant coach. As an assistant coach, he was a part of another national championship in the NCCAA tournament.

George Tinsley, Kentucky Wesleyan

First NCAA Division II player to start and win three NCAA Championships (1966, 1968 and 1969, third in 1967); 1969 Tournament MVP; NABC All American first team 1969; Two time NCAA Championship All-Tournament team 1968, 1969; Started a record 20 consecutive NCAA tournament games 1966, 1967, 1968, 1969; Two time Most Outstanding Player NCAA South Region 1968, 1969; Three time NCAA South Region All Tournament team 1967, 1968, 1969; Scored 2,014 career points for a 16.9 average in 119 consecutive games; Grabbed 1,115 career rebounds for a 9.4 average; Career shooing 47.6 percentage from the field and 76.4 from the free throw line; 1968 United State Olympic Team alternate; Named to the NCAA Division II 50th Anniversary Team; Inducted in to the State of Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame in 2011- as first Division II player; Chosen to the NCAA Division II Elite Eight Championship 50th Anniversary Team; Selected to NCAA Division II All Decade team with Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan, Earl Monroe and Walt Frazier; Drafted by the Oakland Oaks of the American Basketball Association and Chicago Bulls of the NBA in 1969.

Al Tucker, Oklahoma Baptist University

Transferred from Knoxville College to OBU in 1965; 1964-65: Team was 26-7, 16-2 OCC Conference Champions; Averaged 25.9 ppg and 14.6 rpg; Runner-up in the NAIA Tournament; All NAIA Tournament Team; All-American; 1965-66: Team was 26-7, 14-4 Tied for conference Championship; Averaged 29.2 ppg and 10.2 rpg; Won the NAIA National Championship; NAIA Tournament MVP; All-American; 1966-67: Team was 25-7, 16-2 Tied for Conference Championship; Averaged 31.1 ppg and 14.0 rpg; Runner-up in NAIA Tournament; NAIA Tournament MVP; All-American; NAIA Tournament’s 2nd leading scorer 471 pts. 31.4 ppg; Finished career with 2,788 pts and 1,252 rebounds in three seasons; Averaged 28.7 ppg and 12.0 rpg for three-year career; Sixth player taken in 1967 NBA draft; With his brother as point guard at OBU, the two have been credited with being the first to employ the alley-oop or lob as it is known today.

Contributor

Emil Liston

With sheer initiative, drive and foresight, Liston fought for uniformity and equality in college athletics. Liston envisioned a small college national tournament and helped organize the NAIB (now NAIA). Liston is considered the Founder of the NAIB/NAIA. Liston was the primary force in the first NAIB tournament in 1937. Under his leadership the NAIA was the first national organization to offer intercollegiate post-season opportunities to student-athletes of color, and he is often credited for bringing uniformity and equality to intercollegiate athletics. Liston coached Baker University to Kansas Conference championships in 1930 and 1937 and to NAIB national tournament berths in 1937 and 1941. He continued to coach at Baker until 1945 when he resigned to become the NAIB’s first full-time executive secretary, a position he had held on a part-time basis beginning in 1940 … Liston, who was elected into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975, continues to be honored to this day as the Emil S. Liston Scholarship is awarded annually to one NAIA junior men’s basketball player and one NAIA junior women’s basketball player in recognition for their outstanding academic and athletic excellence.