It’s no secret to anyone who has previously visited this website that my wife, Hellen Dodd Carpenter, is the Granddaughter of the man who invented the game of basketball. Yes, it’s true; Dr. James Naismith invented the sport as a physical activity that his students at Springfield College in Massachusetts could participate in during the long winter months. To read the entire story, as it was written by Hellen, check out this link. https://willdcarpenter.com/2015/02/10/559/

A couple of weeks ago, Hellen, her cousin Jim Naismith, my son, Bill, and I made the short trip to Evansville, Indiana to attend the Inaugural Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. Organized by John McCarthy, coordinated with the Evansville Sports Corporation, it was a fantastic event that honored 11 players, three coaches, and one contributor, Dr. Naismith. The inductees were a marvelous representation of the rich tradition of small college basketball.

The criteria for induction into the newly formed Small College Hall of Fame is as follows:

• Must have played, coached or contributed at the small college level (four-year, non-NCAA Division I)
• Focus is on accomplishments/contributions specifically at the collegiate level
• Players must be a minimum of five years removed from their final year of their collegiate career. Coaches must be a minimum of three years removed from their last season of their coaching career. There is no such timetable for contributors.
• The Inaugural Class will consist of 15 members. Subsequent classes will be composed of 8-12 members.
• Each Class will have a minimum of one inductee from each of three categories: Player, Coach, and Contributor.
• All players, coaches, and contributors that have not been inducted into the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame will continue to be eligible for annual consideration, as long as they meet the above guidelines. There is no timetable whereby candidates rotate off/out of consideration.

By creating the Hall of Fame, Small College Basketball seeks to bring great attention to the game of basketball at the small college levels. “Through the years, there have been so many great players, coaches, and contributors that have been involved in our game at the small college level,” said McCarthy. “Through the creation of the SCB Hall of Fame, we will pay tribute to them, and recognize their accomplishments on a national scale.”

Visit the SCB website here: http://www.smallcollegebasketball.com/