NAIA 75th Anniversary All-Star Team

By Chad Waller, NAIA Director of Communications & Sports Information

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The 2012 Buffalo Funds-NAIA Division I Men’s Basketball National Championship marks the 75th Anniversary of the longest continuous national basketball tournament in any sport in the country. To commemorate this celebration of basketball, the NAIA has announced the 75 members on the 75th Anniversary All-Star Team. This team is comprised of 60 athletes and 15 coaches.

Members of the All-Star Team have been invited to be a part of the festivities in mid-March at Municipal Auditorium in downtown Kansas City. Attendees will be recognized with a special reception preceding the National Championship final on March 20 and then introduced at halftime of that contest.

A special committee of current and former coaches, tournament staff, dedicated media and long-time supporters was created to help with the selection process. After fans voted on a web site ballot, this committee followed several criteria to select the 75th Anniversary All-Star Team. Criteria included and in no particular order: performance at a national tournament, game statistics, involvement in a national championship-winning team; status on All-Tournament Team and/or Tournament MVP.

The NAIA is proud of its 75-year history and the advancement of character-driven intercollegiate athletics. From the origins in 1937 when Central Missouri State Teacher’s College (now University of Central Missouri) won the first title game to the creation of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics in 1952, the NAIA has evolved into a membership-driven association. Icons such as John Wooden, Dr. James Naismith, Emil Liston, Travis Grant and Terry Porter have all been an integral part of our history.

The National Championship will play out March 14 – 20 from downtown Kansas City, Mo. For tickets, call 816.595.8141. The tournament is a single-elimination format with 32 teams playing up to five games in six days for a chance at the prized Naismith trophy. The announcement of the championship bracket will occur on March 7 at 6 p.m. CST and will be posted on NAIA.org.

For more information on the National Championship, click here.

75th Anniversary All-Star Team – Players (60)
Listed alphabetically

	First Name	School (Years)
Emil Liston	Jerry Anderson	Southwest Missouri State (1952-53-54)
	Dick Barnett	Tennessee A&I (1956-57-58-59)
	John Barnhill	Tennessee A&I (1956-57-58-59)
	Zelmo Beaty	Prairie View A&M (Texas) (1962)
	DuJuan Brown	Oklahoma Baptist (2001-02)
	Nate Brumfield	Oklahoma Baptist (2009-10)
	Stacy Butler	Birmingham-Southern (Ala.) (1990)
	Will Carlton	Georgetown (Ky.) (1998-1999-2000)
	Michael Leon (M.L.) Carr	Guilford (N.C.) (1970-71-72-73)
	Tony Carr	Wisconsin-Eau Claire (1979-80-81-82)
	James Cason	Birmingham-Southern (Ala.) (1995-96)
	Mark Chambers	Oklahoma City (1991-92)
	Brandon Cole	John Brown (Ark.) (2005-2006)
	Gerald Cunningham	Kentucky State (1974-75-76-77)
	Nate DeLong	Wisconsin-River Falls (1947-48-49-50)	Travis Grant
	Edgar Eason	Fort Hays State (Kan.) (1984-85)
	Corey Evans	Life (Ga.) (1998-99-2000)
	Bevo Francis	Rio Grande (Ohio) (1952-53-54)
	Lloyd B. Free	Guilford (N.C.) (1973-74-75)
	Joe Fulks	Murray State (Ky.) (1942-43)
	Reggie Garrett	Oklahoma City (1996)
	Orlando Graham	Auburn Montgomery (Ala.) (1987-88)
	Travis Grant	Kentucky State (1970-71-72)
	Kameron Gray	Oklahoma City (2007-08)
	Charles Hardnett	Grambling (La.) (1960-61-62)
	Hal Haskins	Hamline (Minn.) (1947-48-49-50)
	Edgar Hinshaw	Southwestern (Kan.) (1939)
	Jimmie Hunter	Life (Ga.) (2000)
	Philip Hutcheson	David Lipscomb (Tenn.) (1987-88-89-90)
	Roger Iverson	Pacific Lutheran (Wash.) (1957-58-59)
Terry Porter	Lucious Jackson	Pan American (Texas) (1962-63-64)
	Rodney Johns	Grand Canyon (Ariz.) (1986-87-88)
	Darryl Jones	St. Benedict's (Kan.) (1965-66-67-68)
	Duane Klueh	Indiana State (1948)
	Matt Laur	McKendree (Ill.) (2000-01-02-03)
	Irvin Leifer	Eastern Washington (1943-45-46-47)
	Billy Lewis	Life (Ga.) (1993-94-95-96)
	Fred Lewis	Eastern Kentucky (1945)
	Vern Mikkelsen	Hamline (Minn.) (1947-48-49)
	Earl Monroe	Winston-Salem State (N.C.) (1965)
	Zach Moss	Mountain State (W. Va.) (2003-04)
	Joe Pace	Coppin State (Md.) (1975-76)
	John Pierce	David Lipscomb (Tenn.) (1991-92-93-94)
	Terry Porter	Wisconsin-Stevens Point (1984-85)
	Willis Reed	Grambling (La.) (1961-62-63-64)
	Bill Riegel	McNeese State (La.) (1956)
	Dennis Rodman	Southeastern Oklahoma State (1984-85-86)
	Nate Rollins	Fort Hays State (Kan.) (1983-84)
	Charles Sharp	Southwest Texas State (1957-58-59-60)
	Jack Sikma	Illinois Wesleyan (1975-76-77)
	Belus Smawley	Appalachian State (N.C.) (1943)
	Elmore Smith	Kentucky State (1970-71)
	Tony Smith	Pfeiffer (N.C.) (1991-92)
	Jim Spivey	Southeastern Oklahoma State (1954-55-56-57)	John Wooden & Clarence Walker
	Gene Stotlar	Southern Illinois (1946)
	Benny Swain	Texas Southern (1955-56-57-58)
	Al Tucker	Oklahoma Baptist (1965-66-67)
	Mel Waits	Tarkio (Mo.) (1940)
	Clarence Walker	West Georgia (1974)
	Kenneth Wilburn	Central State (Ohio) (1965)