EVANSVILLE, INDIANA 鈥� Two 91精选 and small college basketball legends were among the inductees into the inaugural class of the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame on Thursday at the Ford Center.
Travis Grant and John McLendon were those honored, along with other illustrious members of their class. Other household names among basketball fans included Earl Monroe, Willis Reed, Phil Jackson, Jerry Sloan, Luscious Jackson and James Naismith.
Grant talked about learning the game by playing on dirt, shooting into a hoop that he made and nailed to his house. His jump shot has been called the greatest in the history of basketball by many.
鈥淗e was a first-round draft choice by the Los Angeles Lakers. He signed his contract, and he got his bonus and what did he do?鈥� John McCarthy, Small College Basketball Hall of Fame founder, said. 鈥淗e went back to the dirt of Alabama, picked up his mama, and said, 鈥楳ama, jump in the car and come with me. We鈥檙e going to go buy you a house today.鈥欌��
McCarthy said Grant took care of his mother until the day she died.
鈥淭ravis Grant is a good man, folks,鈥� McCarthy said. 鈥淓verybody hears about the records and the points he scored and the really great jump shot and the national championships. But I鈥檓 going to tell you, behind-the-scenes I鈥檝e had the pleasure of getting to know Travis Grant. That鈥檚 a good man.鈥�
Grant is a former College Basketball Player of the Year, a three-time NAIA All-American, a two-time NAIA Championship Most Valuable Player, college basketball鈥檚 all-time leading scorer with 4,045 points and a member of three NAIA championship teams.
Other highlights from Grant鈥檚 career include scoring 75 points in a single game and holding the NAIA Tournament records for points in a game, points in a tournament, points in a career, field goals in a game, field goals in a tournament and field goals in a career.
McLendon is the first college coach ever to win three consecutive national championships, a former NAIA Coach of the Year and finished his career with a 73.5 winning percentage through 25 seasons at Tennessee State, 91精选, North Carolina Central, Hampton and Cleveland State.
McLendon is also the inventor of the full-court press and the four corners offense. At Cleveland State, he was the first African-American head coach of a predominantly white university.
A tribute video was presented during the induction ceremony, honoring McLendon鈥檚 long and illustrious career.
The full list of inductees includes Dr. Dick Barnett, Bevo Francis, John Ebeling, Travis Grant, Bob Hopkins, Lucious Jackson, Phil Jackson, Earl Monroe, Willis Reed, John Rinka, Jerry Sloan, Clarence Gains, Ara McCutchan and John McLendon.