Georgetown’s dominating center Patrick Ewing, Kansas legend Clyde Lovellette and North Carolina’s star guard Phil Ford headline the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame induction class of 2012. Joining them for enshrinement will be coaches Joe B. Hall and Dave Robbins, players Kenny Sailors, Earl Monroe and Willis Reed and contributors Jim Host and Joe Dean.
A three-time consensus first team All-America, Ewing dominated during his career at Georgetown.
The seven-foot center led Hall of Fame coach John Thompson’s team to three NCAA championship games, including a national title with an 84-75 win over Houston in New Orleans in 1984. He is the all-time leader in blocked shots (493/3.45pg), rebounds (1,316/9.2pg) and games played (143) for Georgetown.
Playing for Hall of Fame coach Phog Allen at Kansas, Lovellette was the first player to win championships in the NCAA, AAU, NBA and Olympic Games. The 6-9 center was a three-time All-America selection for the Jayhawks and led the Big 7 Conference in scoring in each of his three seasons.
He was the nation’s top scorer in 1952 with 28.6 points per game and was the Most Outstanding Player in the 1952 NCAA Tournament.
The first freshman to start the first game of his North Carolina career under Hall of Fame coach Dean Smith, Ford led UNC to the 1975 Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament championship and was the first freshman in ACC history to win the Everett Case Award as the most valuable player in the ACC Tournament. Carolina won 99 of 124 games with Ford, reached the NCAA tournament every year and advanced to the NCAA championship game in 1977.
He scored 2,290 career points, was a first team All-ACC and All-America selection for his final three seasons and, as a senior, won the Wooden Award and was the consensus National Player of the Year.