Former Kentucky State University men’s basketball standout Elmore Smith was officially announced as a part of the second annual Small College Basketball Hall of Fame on Tuesday.
Smith joins fellow teammate Travis Grant in the SCB Hall of Fame as Grant was a part of the inaugural class from a year ago. Joining Smith in the 2017 class are as follows:
Zelmo Beaty, Player, Prairie View A&M
Walt Frazier, Player, Southern Illinois
Emil Liston, Contributor, Baker
Bob Love, Player, Southern
Coach Don Meyer, Coach, Hamline, David Lipscomb and Northern State
Coach Dave Robbins, Coach, Virginia Union
Jack Sikma, Player, Illinois Wesleyan
Jim Spivey, Player, Southeastern Oklahoma State
Rico Swanson, Player, Bethel (IN)
George Tinsley, Player, Kentucky Wesleyan
Al Tucker, Player, Oklahoma Baptist
“This is an outstanding Hall of Fame Class, nearly equal to the inaugural class,” said Don Landry, a member of the SCB Hall of Fame Selection Committee. “It includes two great coaches, a famous contributor to the sport and several of the greatest players to ever play small college basketball.
From 1968 to 1971, Smith and his seven-foot-tall frame roamed the paint for KSU inside historic Bell Gymnasium, leading to back-to-back NAIA National Championships in 1970 and 1971. Smith was later selected by the Buffalo Braves in the 1971 NBA draft, playing for four different teams before retiring in 1979. Smith still holds the single game record for most blocked shots in an NBA game with 17, an accomplishment he achieved on October 28, 1973, as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers against the Portland Trailblazers.
The SCB Hall of Fame Induction ceremony will take place on Thursday, November 2 at 6:30 p.m. at the Doubletree by Hilton in Evansville, Indiana. Fans may purchase tickets/tables to the Hall of Fame Induction through the following link, www.HoFClassic.com, or by calling 812-421-2212.
