Regular visitors of Notinhalloffame.com know that we are slowly working on the top 50 of every major team in the NHL, NBA, NFL and MLB. Once that is done, we intend to look at how each team honor their past players, coaches and executives. Eventually, we are going to get to that of the Division I schools, and conferences. As such, it is news to us that the Missouri Valley Conference has announced their Hall of Fame Class of 2021.
This is the 24thHall of Fame Class for the Conference, and due to COVID-19, there will be no physical ceremony, nor any modern candidate, as all of these inductees are classified as “Veteran Candidates”.
The eight new members are:
Maurice Cheeks, West Texas State, Men’s Basketball, 1974-78: Cheeks started all four years at West Texas State, and was an All-MVC player three times. He tallied 1,127 Points, and averaged 16.8 Points per Game as a Senior. Cheeks later had a successful career in the NBA where he was a four-time All-Star, four-time First Team All-Defensive player and was a champion with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1983. His number was retired by the Sixers and he was named to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 2018.
Joe Greene, North Texas, Football, 1966-68: Greene was a three-time All-MVC Selection and his squad went a combined 23-5-1 with him on the field. An All-American in 1968, Greene went on to play professionally for the Pittsburgh Steelers where he was a Rookie of the Year, two-time Defensive Player of the Year, 10-time All-Pro and four-time Super Bowl winner. Greene is also a member of both the College and Pro Football Hall of Fame.
Clark W. Hetherington, Missouri, Administrator: Hetherington was the Missouri’s Athletic Director from 1900 to 1910, and helped broker what is now the MVC.
James Naismith, Kansas, Administrator: Yes, that James Naismith. Naismith is the man who invented basketball, and was the first coach of the Jayhawks program (1898-1907), and he would later be a Professor at Kansas. Following his tenure as a Professor, Naismith became their Athletic Director from 1919 to 1937.
Tara Oltman, Creighton, Softball, 2007-10: Oltman was an All-MVC in all four of her years, and was a three-time MVC Pitcher of the Year. She holds the conference records for Wins (118), Strikeouts (1,086) and Innings (1,064), and she led the Blue Jays to three NCAA Tournament Appearances.
F. Morgan Taylor, Grinnell, Track & Field, 1926: Taylor was also an Olympian who won the Gold Medal in the 400-meter hurdles at the 1924 Games in Paris. Taylor still holds the school record in the long jump.
Tom Thacker, Cincinnati, Men’s Basketball, 1960-63: Thacker was a starter on Cincinnati’s 1961 and 1962 NCAA Championship Teams, and he was a three-time All-Conference Selection and a Second Team All-American. He would later have a seven-year pro career, winning an NBA Title with Boston and an ABA Title with Indiana. Those titles made Thacker the only player to win a title in the NCAA, NBA and ABA.
Connie Yori, Creighton, Women’s Basketball, 1982-86 & Coach (1992-02): Yori scored 2,010 career Points and would later be the MVC Coach of the Year in 2002. She would later have her number retired.
The MVC is currently comprised of Bradley, Drake, Evansville, Illinois State, Indiana State, Loyola, Missouri State, Northern Illinois, Southern Illinois and Valparaiso.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the eight new members of the Missouri Valley Conference Hall o Fame.
While the majority of the inductees was leaked two days ago the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame has officially announced the Class of 2018.
The Class is:
Jason Kidd, a ten time All Star and former NBA Champion with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011 and two time U.S. Olympic Champion. Kidd retired second all-time in Assists and Steals and is a five time Assists Champion. He is also a five time First Team All-NBA and four time First Team All-Defensive Selection. He is likely to be the headliner for the class.
Another Point Guard, Steve Nash was also chosen. Born in South Africa and raised in Canada Nash is a two time NBA MVP. He also boasts eight All Star Game appearances, five Assists titles and a three time First Team All-NBA Selection.
Ten time All Star Ray Allen also enters the Hall. From UConn where he was a former National Player of the Year, Allen would win two NBA Titles and is the all-time leader in three pointers.
Coincidentally, Jason Kidd’s Co-Rookie of the Year winner, Grant Hill also was chosen. Hill was a two time NCAA Champion at Duke and was a seven time All Star in the NBA. He is also a one time First Team and four time Second Team All-NBA Selection.
In what could be pegged as a mild surprise, four time All Star Maurice Cheeks will also be inducted. The former Point Guard was a four time First Team All-Defensive Selection and was a champion with the Philadelphia 76ers in 1973.
Katie Smith is the all-time leading scorer in Women’s Professional Basketball through her career in the ABL and the WNBA. She is also a three time U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist and a two time WNBA Champion with the Detroit Shock.
Four time WNBA Champion with the Houston Comets and two time U.S. Olympic Gold Medalist Tina Thompson was also chosen. Thomson was a nine time WNBA All Star and is one of the most dominating female players of all-time.
Retired College Coach Lefty Driesell will be entering the Hall as well. Currently 11th all-time in Wins, Driesell has a 786-394 record and coached at Maryland, Davidson, James Madison and Georgia State. He would take the Terrapins to a NIT Championship in 1972.
Rod Thorn enters as a Direct Elect Contributor. A decent player in his own right, Thorn was the General Manager for the Chicago Bulls for six years and was the man responsible for drafting Michael Jordan. He would later serve as the NBA’s Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations and would later win the Executive of the Year while with the New Jersey Nets in 2002.
Rick Welts also enters as a Direct Elect Contributor. Welts is the current President and Chief of Operations for the Golden State Warriors. Previously he worked for the NBA and is credited for the creation of the NBA All Star Weekend and the marketing of the 1992 U.S. Dream Team.
Charlie Scott is this year’s Direct Elect Veteran. Scott was the 1971 ABA Rookie of the Year and was a two time ABA All Star and three time NBA All Star. He also won an NBA Title with the Boston Celtics in 1976.
Entering the Hall as the Direct Elect International inductee is Dino Radja. Radja played three and a half years for the Celtics, but in Europe he was a two time EuroLeague Champion and a EuroLeague Final Four MVP (1989). He also won two Silver Medals in the Olympics for Yugoslavia as well as a Gold Medal in the 1990 World Cup.
Ora Mae Washington was also chosen. More known for her tennis she played Basketball throughout the 1930’s and early 40’s where she was considered one of the greatest female athletes of her day.
Of the Finalists, Chris Webber was the most notable name not chosen.
With this announcement we will begin work on the revised Notinhalloffame Basketball List, which will reflect the subtraction of the new inductees and the addition of those who will now be eligible next year.
We here at Notinhalloffame.com would like to congratulate the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2018.