November 14, 2006

Jim Haney, the head of the NABC, deserves plaudits for the job he has done in fundraising and development to help create the College Basketball Hall of Fame.

Located in Kansas City as part of the new Sprint building, the Hall of Fame will feature memorabilia from all of those vital contributors to the sport. The first big banquet and induction was recently held and it was quite a group entering the first class of the Hall.

Try this group: Dr. James Naismith, who started the game in Springfield, Massachusetts back in 1981. He hung that peach basket up and that gave us a game that means so much to so many people.

One of the greatest winners in the history of sports, Bill Russell, is in the group. Bob Ryan said that Russell was a superstar who was all about winning, with back-to-back national championships at San Francisco and 11 titles in 13 years with the Celtics. He was a consummate team player and winner.

Also inducted: the Big O, Oscar Robertson, who averaged 33 points a game and led Cincinnati to back-to-back championship games. Robertson also won the gold medal in 1960 and he was a Mr. Versatility, a superstar in every way. The Big O averaged a triple-double for an entire season in the NBA.

On the coaching front, the legendary Dean Smith, the icon from North Carolina, was put into the Hall. The Michelangelo of coaching, an innovator who came up with the four corners and the team huddle. Smith also alphabetized the stat sheet instead of listing players based on performance. He was an unbelievable winner with so much integrity as well. He posted 879 wins and you never heard anything about NCAA investigations.

Then there is the Wizard of Westwood, John Wooden. He did it with the team concept, blending in superstars who understood what it was like to share the basketball, defend and play with a sense of pride. His pyramid of success is so unique and special.

What a great group!

I also think the College Hall is doing a great think by putting all the college members of the Naismith Hall of Fame into the Kansas City-based shrine.

Mr. Haney, you have done such a great job giving many important people to the game we love to be remembered. The college experiences will be shared in that venue will be special.

Dick Vitale coached the Pistons and the University of Detroit before broadcasting ESPN's first college basketball game in 1979. Send a question for Vitale for possible use on ESPNEWS.