Small College Basketball Announces 2024 Hall of Fame Class

 

 Kansas City, MO – The Hall of Fame Committee and Small College Basketball is excited to announce the Hall of Fame Class of 2024. Once again, this year the class is made up of some of the greatest coaches, players, and contributors at the Small College Basketball level. These individuals have truly left their mark on the game. John McCarthy had this to say about this year’s class:

 

"Congratulations to the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2024,” stated McCarthy. “Each and every member of this class has clearly earned and deserved to be included in the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame, and we are thrilled to welcome them into this prestigious national Hall of Fame.  What an impressive class!"

 

Players

Jerry Anderson (Southwest Missouri, now Missouri State)

Jeff Covington (Youngstown State)

Antonio Garcia (Kentucky Wesleyan)

Horace Jenkins (William Paterson)

Duane Klueh (Indiana State)

Milton “Milky” Phelps (San Diego State)

Ralph Tally (Norfolk State)

 

Coach

Ken Anderson (Wisconsin Eau Claire)

Dave Hixon (Amherst)

Joe Retton (Fairmont State)

Glenn Robinson (Franklin & Marshall)

 

Contributor/Coach

Del Harris (Earlham & Milligan)

 

This year’s National Hall of Fame Class marks the eighth class inducted into the Small College Basketball National Hall of Fame. The National Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Friday November 1st inside the Polk Theatre in Lakeland, FL. McCarthy had this to add about the Hall of Fame Committee:

 

"Importantly, I'd like to thank our Hall of Fame Committee for their time, research and insight during this process.  This is a time-consuming, detailed process, and we're so fortunate to have a highly credible and knowledgeable committee.  I am truly grateful."

 

The Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Committee consists of the following individuals: Don Landry, Roy Pickerill, Jim Nelson, Doug Palm, Rich Zvosec, Gary Pine, Gary Stewart, Mike Lightfoot, John Rinka, Jim Poteet, Greg Moore, Bob Hoffman, Joe Niland, Bob Wilson, Greg Grant, Charlie Brock, and Rusty Osborne.

 

For more information regarding the Small College Basketball National Hall of Fame please head to smallcollegebasketball.com.

 

Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2024 Bio’s

 

Jerry Anderson, Southwest Missouri [now Missouri State]

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1952 Helms All-American 1954 NAIA All-American Two-time NAIA Championship Most Valuable Player 1952, 1953 Won 1952 and 1953 NAIA Championship (27-5; 24-4) NAIA All-Time All-Tournament Team in 1971 1954 All-MIAA first team Selected to the NAIA 50th and 75th Anniversary All-Tournament teams 1,000 points (9.4) His four-year record 84-25 NAIA Basketball Hall of Fame inductee

 

Jeff Covington, Youngstown State

 

1978 Basketball Weekly College Division Player of the Year Three-time NABC Division II All-American 1976 (third team); 1977 (first); 1978 (second) 1977 Associate Press Little All-American second team First in scoring - 2,424 (22.9) Second in career rebounds - 1,381 (13.0) Eighth All-time NCAA Division II rebounds - 1,381 Youngstown State Athletic Hall of Fame inductee, jersey number 55 was retired into the YSU Athletic Hall of Fame. Played in the Pizza Hunt Classic College All Star Game. 

 

 

Antonio Garcia, Kentucky Wesleyan 

 

1999 Consensus NCAA Division II Player of the Year 1998, 1999 Consensus first-team All-American Two-time NCAA Division II Rebounding Champion 1998, 1999 Two-time CBS Sports/Chevrolet NCAA Championship Player of the Game 1998, 1999 Two-time NCAA Championship Most Outstanding Player 1998, 1999 Two-time Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year 1998, 1999 Won 1999 NCAA Championship (35-2) Two-time All-Great Lakes Valley Conference first-team 1998, 1999 1999 NABC East-West All-Star participant First in career field goal percentage - .609 First in career rebound average – 14.2; third in career rebounds – 997 Member of Kentucky Wesleyan All-Century Team

 

Horace Jenkins, William Paterson

 

Two-time NABC Division III Player of the Year 2000, 2001 Two-time NABC Division III All-American first team 2000, 2001 Two-time D3.com All-American 2000 (second team); 2001 (first) 2001 Basketball Times Division III Player of the Year Three-time New Jersey Athletic Conference Player of the Year 1999, 2000, 2001 First in career scoring – 1,940 (23.7) Ranked third nationally in scoring 27.1 (841 points) and steals with 120 in 2001.

 

Duane Klueh, Indiana State

 

1948 Helms Foundation National Player of the Year

1948 Helms Foundation All-American

1948 NAIB* Championship All-Tournament Most Valuable Player (* now NAIA)

1948 NAIB Championship Runner-up (27-7); 1949 NAIB Championship fourth place (24-8)

11th in career scoring – 1432 (15.7)

His three-year record 68-33 [1947 (17-8), 1948 (27-7), 1949 (24-8)]

Coached by John Wooden in 1947, 1948

Indiana State Athletic Hall of Fame inductee

NAIA Basketball Hall of Fame inductee

Jersey number 54 retired

 

Milton “Milky” Phelps, San Diego State

 

First player ever to use the one hand set-shot at the NAIB Tournament. Three-time NAIB All-Tournament Team 1939, 1940, 1941. Won 1941 NAIB Championship (24-7).  Led the Aztecs to three consecutive NAIB National Championship games, winning the National Championship in 1941 (finishing 24-7), and becoming the first big star of the NAIB Tournament.  He was the first First Team All American in San Diego State history.  Scored 1,043 points.  Inducted into the San Diego State Hall of Fame in 1988.

 

Ralph Tally, Norfolk State

 

1987 NABC Division II Player of the Year 1987 NABC Division II All-American first team Three-time Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) Player of the Year 1985, 1986, 1987 Three-time CIAA Tournament Most Valuable Player 1984, 1985, 1986 First in career scoring - 2,575 (21.3); steals – 314 (2.6)

 

Ken Anderson, Wisconsin Eau Claire

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Anderson was the coach for 27 years with a career record 631-152. He won 14 conference titles, played in the NAIA tournament 15 times, advanced to the Elite Eight eight times and made two trips to the NAIA Championship game. His winning percentage of 80.6 is one of the best in college basketball history. Anderson was the Gold Medal coach of the USA team at the World University games in Mexico City. The NAIA inducted him into their hall of Fame in 1990. The basketball court at his former school is known as Ken Anderson Court.

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Dave Hixon, Amherst

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2023 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame inductee. Hixon compiled a coaching record of 826-293, ranking him 15th in NCAA men's basketball when he retired in April 2020. He had a winning percentage of .738, good for a 10th place in NCAA Division III history, at the time of his retirement. He was named NABC NCAA Division III Coach of the Year in 2007 and 2013. He won national championships with Amherst in 2006-07 and 2012-13. In 2008, he reached the national championship game with his squad. In 2004, 2006, 2014, 2016, he led Amherst to the national semifinals. Under his tutelage, Amherst participated in the NCAA national tournament 20 times and compiled a 43-20 postseason record. However, due to New England Small Conference Athletic Conference (NESCAC) rules, his Amherst team was ineligible for NCAA postseason play until 1994. Several of Hixon's players went on to play professionally. Throughout his coaching career, Hixon received interest from NCAA Division I schools, especially from the Ivy League. In 2008, he was a candidate to become the new head coach of Bucknell. Hixon declined the offer, but suggested Dave Paulsen of Amherst's rival Williams College as a candidate. Paulsen eventually ended up getting the Bucknell job. On September 16, 2019 it was announced that Hixon would be taking a leave of absence for the 2019-2020 season, and that assistant coach Aaron Toomey would be the interim head coach. On April 13, 2020 Hixon announced his retirement. Hixon also coached soccer and track at Amherst. On May 7, 2022, the floor at Amherst's LeFrak Gymnasium was named Hixon Court

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Joe Retton, Fairmont State

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Retton compiled a record of 478-95 for a winning percentage of 83.6. By winning percentage, he is college basketball’s winningest coach. Retton twice was the NAIA Coach of the Year in 1969 and 1976 plus the Associated Press Small College Coach of the Year in 1976.  His led Fairmont State to 12 WVIAC regular season titles and eight WVIAC Tournament Championships, while his team made 12 NAIA tournament appearances and reached the semifinals four times. Retton posted 18 straight seasons of 20 or more victories. His 1971 and 1976 were undefeated. Retton is a member of the Fairmont State Hall of Fame, the West Virginia Sports Writers Hall of Fame and the NAIA Hall of Fame.

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Glenn Robinson, Franklin & Marshall

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In his 48 years as the Head Coach at Franklin & Marshall, Glenn Robinson was the most victorious coach in NCAA Division III history with 967 wins, which placed him third all-time in all levels of NCAA annals. He led F&M to the NCAA DIII Tournament 25 times (11 consecutive years from 1986-96) and posted 44 wins in the tournament. During the post-season appearances, F&M advanced to the Sweet 16 on 17 occasions, the Elite Eight nine times, and the championship finals five times. His 1990-91 squad finished as the 1991 national runner-up to Bo Ryan’s first national title UW-Platteville team. Basketball Times recognized Robinson as its 1991 Coach of the Year (COY) for Division III in recognition of his team’s 27-5 record and its run to national championship game. D3hoops.com recognized him as its 2009 COY following F&M’s fifth final four appearance. The 1995-96 Diplomats, 29-3, achieved the school’s most victories in a season during Robinson’s tenure and capped the most successful decade in the program’s history. During that span, F&M won 22 or more games every season and averaged less than four losses a year. Robinson led the Diplomats to eight Mid-Atlantic/Centennial Conference titles and nine NCAA Tournament appearances, including two times as the one of the last four remaining teams. During his tenure, only three letterwinners did not earn a degree. Robinson received coach of the year recognition from both of the conferences in which F&M participated during his tenure and from the NABC (District) 12 times.

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Del Harris, Earlham and Milligan

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Posted a record of 175-70 (.714) in his nine seasons as the Quakers’ head coach. During that time Harris led Earlham to three Conference titles (2 Hoosier Collegiate Conf. & 1 Hoosier-Buckeye Collegiate Conference) and an NAIA District championship. The 1967-68 season saw Earlham post a 25-3 record and finish sixth in the final NAIA poll. Harris subsequently was a finalist in the voting for NAIA Coach of the Year. The 1970-71 team went 25-4 and advanced to the second round of the NAIA national tournament before losing to Eau Claire State. Harris still is Earlham’s coaching leaders in wins and winning percentage. Harris is Milligan’s 12th all-time leading scorer (1,639 points/91 games/18.0 ppg) and a 1959 graduate. He was a three-time all conference selection, and an honorable-mention AP Little American as a senior. 

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Harris has been the Head Coach or Assistant Coach for the National Team for five different countries (U.S. Puerto Rico, Canada, China and the Dominican Republic).  He has written books and articles that have been translated into five languages and spoken on basketball on five continents. 

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Del Harris has been awarded the Jerry Colangelo Award for Leadership and character on and off the court, the Coach John Wooden "Keys to Excellence" Award, and the John Bunn Award, awarded  by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a lifetime achievement honor for those "whose outstanding accomplishments have impacted the high school, college, professional and/or the international game."

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He is a member of the Plainfield High School Hall of Fame, the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame, the NAIA Basketball Hall of Fame, the Milligan College Hall of Fame, the Earlham College Hall of Fame, and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. 

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