2024 NJCAA Hall of Fame inductees announced
Charlotte, NC – The NJCAA has announced the fourth annual NJCAA Foundation Hall of Fame class, to be recognized at the 2024 NJCAA Foundation Awards event, slated for Thursday, June 6, 2024, at 6:30 PM ET at the Hilton Charlotte University Place in Charlotte, NC. Designed to tell the story of the NJCAA, the NJCAA Hall of Fame seeks to honor individuals who have paved the way for opportunities at the two-year level – athletically and professionally, and those who have been pioneers throughout the history of the association. Inductees to the Hall of Fame include administrators, coaches, student-athletes, and meritorious contributors and influencers.
In addition to the NJCAA Hall of Fame class recipients, the event will honor the Champion Award winners, the Difference Maker Award winner, and the association's three annual individual student-athlete awards – the Betty Jo Graber Female Student-Athlete of the Year, the David Rowlands Male Student-Athlete of the Year, and the Lea Plarski Award, honoring an NJCAA student-athlete who exemplifies sportsmanship, leadership, community service, academic excellence, and athletic ability. The Champion Award honors a member or former member of the NJCAA community who exemplifies resilience, excellence, and passion. The Difference Maker Award honors a supporter of the NJCAA and the NJCAA Foundation in its endeavors. Recipients of these annual awards will be in attendance to be recognized and receive their awards.
Tickets for the event are $125 for attendees and registration is required to attend. To register and to learn more regarding the NJCAA Foundation Awards event, visit: HERE.
To view a full list of inductees, visit: NJCAA Foundation Hall of Fame
Artis Gilmore
Known as the "gentle giant," Artis Gilmore stands at seven feet two inches and during his career was known for his impressive physical stature. Gilmore began to make a name for himself during his collegiate years when he led the Gardner-Webb (NC) men's basketball team to the NJCAA tournament in 1968 and 1969. In his two seasons at the then NJCAA member institution, Gilmore averaged 22.5 points and 16 rebounds with career totals of 1,530 points and 1,150 rebounds. After Gardner-Webb, Gilmore transferred to Jacksonville University where the leadership of Coach Joe Williams allowed Gilmore to enhance his skills even further. Throughout his two seasons at Jacksonville, he led the 1970 Dolphins team to the NCAA tournament where they finished second after losing in the NCAA Championship against UCLA. Gilmore's success at Jacksonville was apparent as he became one of five college basketball players ever to average at least 20 points and 20 rebounds throughout his career. In his two years at Jacksonville, Gilmore led the NCAA in rebounds with a career average of 22.7, still the highest in NCAA Division I history.
After his stint at Jacksonville, he was drafted in 1971 by the Kentucky Colonels in the American Basketball Association (ABA) Draft. Having an illustrious career in the ABA, Gilmore was a 1975 ABA champion, 1972 ABA Most Valuable Player, 1975 ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player, five-time All-ABA First-Team, four-time ABA All-Defensive First-Team, and four-time ABA rebounding champion. Gilmore was named the 1972 ABA Rookie of the Year, made the ABA All-Rookie First-Team, and was a member of the ABA All-Time Team. After five years in the ABA, Gilmore transitioned into the NBA where he was chosen first by the Chicago Bulls in the 1976 ABA dispersal draft. During his first NBA season he led the team in scoring, rebounds, and blocks. In 1977, Gilmore had an NBA career high of 42 points, 15 rebounds, and nine assists in a 114-112 victory over the Kansas City Kings. After Chicago, Gilmore went on to play for the San Antonio Spurs, Boston Celtics, and the Italian league Arimo Bologna. Gilmore's professional career spanned 19 years and he retired in 1988 at the age of 36.
Gilmore was a six-time NBA All-Star, NBA All-Defensive Second-Team, and a 2024 recipient of the Chicago Bulls Ring of Honor. He has been inducted into the Gardner-Webb Athletics Hall of Fame, Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, and the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame. Gilmore's combined ABA/NBA totals of 24,941 points rank him as the 20th leading scorer in professional basketball history.
Lin Laursen
Lin Laursen, one of the winningest coaches in NJCAA women's basketball history, has had a collegiate coaching career spanning 34 years. As the head coach of Central Arizona College, Laursen had an overall record of 971-145 over the course of 34 seasons with an .870 winning percentage. Under her leadership, the Vaqueras captured 29 ACCAC titles, 27 NJCAA national tournament appearances, 26 NJCAA regional titles, 10 NJCAA final four appearances, and three NJCAA National Championship titles. Laursen produced 99 All-ACCAC or All-Region athletes, over 183 of her players were accepted into four-year schools, and two players, Bridget Pettis and Amanda Lassiter, played in the WNBA. In her last four seasons with the program, she produced 34 All-Americans.
In 2008, Laursen was inducted into the NJCAA Women's Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame. She has been named NJCAA National Coach of the Year three times, Russell Athletic WBCA Coach of the Year two times, and the Converse Coach of the Year.
In her 34 seasons, Laursen was the only coach in Vaquera women's basketball history. Having been with the college since 1971, the Central Arizona basketball court is now named in her honor. Throughout her career, the Vaqueras captured 21 ACCAC titles in a row, won at least 30 games in 20 different seasons, and won 185 consecutive games within the conference over a nine-year span. Outside of basketball, she also coached volleyball and softball for eight years at Central Arizona. In 2008, Laursen retired as head coach after nearly four decades.
Shawn Marion
Shawn Marion, former Vincennes University (IN) basketball player, is a four-time NBA All-Star, two-time All-NBA Third-Team honoree, 2000 NBA All-Rookie Second-Team member, and NBA Champion. In 1996, Marion attended Vincennes University (IN) where he played for two seasons for the Trailblazers. During his time there, he was a second-team All-American his freshman year, first-team All-American selection his sophomore year, as well as the 1997-98 David Rowlands Male Student-Athlete of the Year recipient. This award recognizes an NJCAA student-athlete who best exhibits the traits of hard work, discipline, ethics, and excellence at the two-year level. Marion also ranks second on the Blazers' all-time lists with 1,685 points and 923 rebounds.
After Vincennes, Marion continued his collegiate career at the University of Nevada Las Vegas where he was a member of the Rebels basketball team for one season. In his lone season, he averaged 18.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and 1.9 blocks over the course of 29 games. Marion was named to the Western Athletic Conference Mountain Division First-Team, All-Newcomer Team, and All-Defensive Team.
Selected as the ninth overall pick in the 1999 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns, Marion went on to blaze a path to success. In his initial season with the Suns, Marion averaged 10.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 1.0 blocks, 0.8 steals, and 24.7 minutes. As his career progressed, in the 2004-05 season, he started all 81 games and averaged 19.4 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.01 steals, 1.9 assists, 1.47 blocks and 38.8 minutes. During this time, he was the only player to be ranked in the top 25 in scoring, rebounding, steals, blocks, and minutes. After the Phoenix Suns, Marion continued his professional career playing for the Miami Heat, Toronto Raptors, Dallas Mavericks, and Cleveland Cavaliers. In the 2010-11 season with the Mavericks, Marion helped lead the team to win their first NBA Championship against the Miami Heat. In 2014, he became the first player in NBA history with 15,000 points, 10,000 rebounds, 1,000 blocks, and 500 three pointers. In 2015, Marion announced his retirement from the NBA after 16 seasons. Outside of his NBA career, Marion played for the United States national team for the Goodwill Games, FIBA World Championship, and 2004 Olympic Games where he won bronze. Known throughout his career as "The Matrix," Marion ranks among the most accomplished players of his era.
Veronica Campbell Brown
Veronica Campbell Brown, the first woman to win three track medals in three Olympic games, has had a triumphant career. Born in Trelawny, Jamaica, Campbell Brown attended NJCAA member Barton Community College (KS) on a track and field scholarship. As a member of the Cougars track and field team, she set several records in her two seasons, some of which she still holds today. Campbell Brown holds the NJCAA record for the 200-meter in women's outdoor track and field and the 60-meter in women's indoor track and field. After Barton, Campbell Brown made her way to the University of Arkansas where she ran for the Razorbacks for one season. During that time, she set a collegiate record in the 200-meters and now holds the title of the most decorated Olympic athlete affiliated with the state of Arkansas.
Going professional in 2004, Campbell Brown participated at the 2004 Olympic games in Athens where she became the first woman from Jamaica to win gold in a sprint race at the Olympics. Along with that accomplishment, she also became the most successful Caribbean athlete at a single Games after medaling gold in the relay and bronze in the 200-meter. In the 2008 Olympic games in Beijing, Campbell Brown became only the second woman in Olympics history to successfully defend her 200-meter title. Campbell Brown is an Olympic gold, silver, and bronze medalist having competed in the Olympic games in 2000, 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016. She ran in the 100-meter, 200-meter, and 4x100 meter relay medaling every year. Campbell Brown has run against some of the greatest runners including Allyson Felix, who she shared one of the greatest rivalries with. As of the 2012 London Olympic games, Campbell Brown and Felix won every single Olympic and world 200-meter title since 2004.
Outside of the Olympics, Campbell Brown has competed in the World Championships, Commonwealth Games, World Indoor Championships, Continental Cup, World Athletics Final, World Relay Championships, World Junior Championships, CAC Junior Championships, and Carifta Games. Now, retired from the sport that brought her so much glory, Campbell Brown is a UNESCO Sport Ambassador and heads the VCB Foundation, created to offer mentorship and financial assistance to young women in Jamaica.
Gene Bess
With a coaching career spanning over half a century, Gene Bess left his mark on the NJCAA, the Three Rivers (MO) men's basketball program, and collegiate basketball world. Bess arrived at NJCAA member college Three Rivers in 1969 after a 12-year stint coaching in high school basketball. From there he had an acclaimed coaching career which consisted of 17 NJCAA national tournament appearances with two national championship titles. Bess led the Three Rivers men's basketball team to have one of the best winning traditions in junior college basketball history.
Bess is a two-time National Coach of the Year, 19-time Missouri Community College Athletic Conference Coach of the Year, 23-time Regional Coach of the Year, and the first college basketball coach at any level to reach 1,000 wins. Under his leadership, the Raiders averaged 26 wins per season with four trips to the national championship game, 20 NJCAA Region 16 titles, and 29 MCCAC championship victories. Throughout his career he has coached two future NBA players in Marvin McCrary and Latrell Sprewell and at least 42 former Raiders went on to become coaches.
Bess is in the Poplar Bluff Sports Hall of Fame, Missouri Basketball Coaches Hall of Fame, NJCAA Men's Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, Missouri Sports Hall of Fame, and most notably the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. The Three Rivers basketball court is named after him along with a bronze statue in front of the sports complex built in his honor. At the time of his retirement in 2020, Bess amassed 1,300 wins, the most in collegiate basketball at any level with a final coaching record of 1,300-416.
Gene Keady
Gene Keady, former Garden City Community College (KS) football player, is a member of the College Basketball Hall of Fame and the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, being inducted as part of the 2013 and 2023 classes respectively. He is also a member of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame, being inducted in 2007. Keady is known as one of the greatest coaches of his time, having a rather successful and influential career.
Keady began his collegiate coaching career at NJCAA member college Hutchinson (KS) where he served as the assistant coach for the Blue Dragons in 1965. After only serving one year as assistant coach, Keady was quickly promoted to head coach. As head coach, he led the Blue Dragons to six Jayhawk Conference titles and in 1973 finished second in the NJCAA men's basketball national tournament. Keady won Junior College Coach of the Year three times and left Hutchinson in 1974 with an overall record of 187-48. After Hutchinson, Keady made his way to Arkansas for a brief stint as assistant coach where he helped lead the Razorbacks to the 1978 Final Four. Leaving Arkansas and going to Western Kentucky, Keady acquired his first head coaching position at the NCAA Division I level. At Western Kentucky, he led the Hilltoppers to a regular season Ohio Valley Conference Co-Champion title and made it to the NCAA tournament. Spending only two seasons at Western Kentucky, Keady made his way to Purdue.
Taking the head coaching position in April of 1980, Keady is now the winningest coach in school history. With 493 victories, Keady is the second winningest coach in the Big Ten Conference. He was named Big Ten Coach of the Year seven times and led the Boilermakers to six Big Ten titles, including three back-to-back in 1994-1996. Under his leadership, the Boilermakers made 18 NCAA tournament appearances, two Elite Eight appearances, and five Sweet Sixteen appearances. Keady retired from Purdue following the 2004-2005 season and was the recipient of the 2007 John R. Wooden "Legends of Coaching" Award.
Outside of college basketball, Keady also served as the head coach for Team USA, leading them to two gold medals. He also accepted a position as assistant coach for the Toronto Raptors where he stayed for one season. Keady retired from coaching in 2015 and is now a basketball analyst for the Big Ten Network.