Hall of Fame inductees announced for Class of 2017

The 2017 class of the NJCAA Men’s Basketball Coaches Association Hall of Fame was released Monday. The inductees of this year’s class include former Trinity Valley (Texas) and Brown Mackie (Kan.) forward Eddie Robinson, former Coffeyville (Kan.) guard Craig Tucker, current Lansing (Michigan) head coach Michael Ingram, Joliet (Ill.) head coach Joe Kuhn and former Vincennes (Ind.) sports information director Robert Stevens.

Eddie Robinson
Player – Brown Mackie (KS) / Trinity Valley (TX)

Robinson – a native of Flint, Michigan known for his ability to score the basketball and jaw dropping vertical – began his collegiate career at Trinity Valley in Athens, Texas. In his freshman year and only season with the Cardinals, Robinson helped guide the team to a semifinal appearance at the 1994 NJCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.

In 1996, the next chapter of Robinson’s collegiate career, he continued playing two-year college basketball at Brown Mackie. In his only season with the Lions, he tallied 22.7 points per contest – garnering first team All-America honors and helping lead the squad to the semifinals of the NJCAA DII Men’s Basketball Championship.

The final act of Robinson’s collegiate career saw him finish out at Central Oklahoma. He competed with the Bronchos in both his junior and senior year. In his first season, the Flint native totaled 14.8 points per game and pulled in 7.4 rebounds per game. Finally in his senior year, Robinson nearly averaged a double–double, accumulating 28 points per tilt and 9.5 rebounds per contest.

With his strong performance, Robinson was able to catch the attention of the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. In 1999, Robinson went undrafted and was able to earn a roster spot with the Hornets for two seasons. During his stint, he averaged 7.3 points and 2.9 rebounds in 134 games played with the franchise.

In 2001, Robinson moved on to play with the Chicago Bulls where he signed a five–year contract worth $31.2 million. In his first year with the squad, he averaged a personal best nine points per game. Robinson appeared with the Bulls in 144 games. He was later drafted 16th overall on November 2, 2006, by the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Development League and spent the 2006 season with the Stampede.

Robinson currently resides in Missouri City, Texas.


Craig Tucker
Player – Coffeyville (KS)

Another product of Flint, Michigan, Tucker immediately made his presence felt as a freshman for the Red Ravens. In his first season at Coffeyville, Tucker posted 23.8 points per contest and was named an All-American to the NJCAA’s third team in 1979.

In his sophomore season, success continued as he tallied a whopping 27.7 points per tilt and was named an NJCAA All-American again, but this time on the first team. In his final season with Coffeyville, Tucker accumulated 41 points in a single game – at the time a program-best. The All-American still leads the program in total scoring, reaching 1,436 points in 60 career games.

After his stint at Coffeyville, Tucker continued his collegiate career in playing basketball at Illinois from 1980 to 1982. While with the Fighting Illini, Tucker continued to score the ball averaging 10.7 and 15.5 points per game as a junior and senior, respectively.

Tucker’s skills would then propel him to a gold medal at the 1979 World University Games in Mexico City as a member of Team USA and to be drafted by the New York Knicks in the 1982 NBA Draft.  The Knicks selected the Red Ravens standout with the 11th pick in the third round.

Prior to competing in college and being drafted professionally, Tucker went to Flint Northern High School and played under head coach Bill Troesken. With the Vikings, Tucker was a catalyst in helping them win a Class-A Michigan State Championship, in which he tallied 26 points in a 67-56 victory over Pontiac Central High School.

Tucker currently resides in Las Vegas.


Michael Ingram
Coach – Lansing (MI)

Ingram currently resides over the Lansing men’s basketball program as the head coach and is entering his twenty-seventh season with the program. Coming into this year, he had amassed a total of 556 wins in his NJCAA career.

Among Ingram’s achievements is being named NJCAA Region 12 Coach of the Year three times in 1991, 2006 and 2015. During his tenure, Ingram has coached his teams to 19 conference championships in the Michigan Community College Athletic Association (MCCAA), earning MCCAA Western Conference Coach of the Year honors in each of those seasons. His squads have finished fourth, fifth, sixth and eighth at the NJCAA DII national tournament. As an assistant coach he was on the coaching staff that won the 1988 NJCAA DII championship.

During his time with the Stars, Ingram has coached eight NJCAA All-Americans.

Ingram began his collegiate career at Lansing in 1979 and played two years with the program. While there he earned NJCAA Second Team All-America accolades before moving on to Central Michigan to finish his playing career at the NCAA DI level.

In the offseason, Ingram holds summer camps at Lansing and since 1990 has directed free camps in his hometown of Jackson, Michigan. He has been director for various camps for NBA players, such as Magic Johnson, Anthony Miller and Jason Richardson. As a high school basketball player, Ingram was teammates with Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy.

Along with being the basketball head coach for the Stars, Ingram has also been an instructor at the college for 30 years. He is married to Phebiet and has four children – Mike, Alayne, Justin, and Jocelyn.


Joe Kuhn
Coach – Joliet (IL)

Kuhn began his 20^th season with the Joliet program in 2016. Under his leadership, the program has flourished.  He helped guide the Wolves to 431 wins entering this season, including the 2010 NJCAA DIII men’s basketball championship and a runner-up finish at the national tournament in 2008 and 2005. Other notable team accomplishments include 15 straight NJCAA Region 4 Championship appearances, 30 wins in a single season and 21 wins in a row-all program bests. 

Joliet has won at least 20 games in 13 of the last 14 seasons, which includes a current streak of 11. Kuhn’s success hasn’t gone unnoticed over the years, as he has been recognized through various coach of the year awards. The accomplishments include 2010 National Coach of the Year, District 2 Coach of the Year (6), Region IV Coach of the Year (6), North Central Community College Conference (7), Illinois Basketball Coaches Association (6), and Indiana Basketball News’ Coach of the Year in 2006.

During his tenure with the Wolves, Kuhn has coached a total of 15 NJCAA All-Americans - including 2009-10 DIII Player of the Year Brian Bradley - and a total of 35 All-Region players.

Prior to taking over the reins at Joliet, Kuhn had various coaching jobs. He was the head coach at Rich East High School from 1994-96, an assistant coach under Pat Klingler at Joliet during the 1992-93 season, an assistant coach at the University of Saint Francis under Pat Sullivan, and an assistant coach for basketball and baseball at Thornwood High School in South Holland, Illinois.

Coach Kuhn graduated in 1981 from Hillcrest High School in Country Club Hills, Illinois, where he was a two-sport athlete, playing basketball and baseball. From there, he moved on to playing basketball at Prairie State in Chicago Heights, Ill. Kuhn then continued his education at Chicago State University and earned his bachelor’s degree in physical education and completed his master’s degrees in curriculum and instruction from National-Louis University and education leadership from the American College of Education.

Along with coaching basketball, Kuhn is currently a teacher at Rich East High School where he has been teaching for the last 25 years. He resides in New Lenox, Illinois, with his wife Kathy and daughter Caitlin, 22.


Robert Stevens
Contributor – Vincennes (IN)

For 41 years, a graduate of Vincennes University, Stevens gave his service to his alma mater and Trailblazer athletics as the program’s sports information director. From 1967 to 2003, he compiled, edited and wrote content for press guides. His press notes were named the Best Basketball Brochure by the NJCAA four times during his career.

Steven’s career is highlighted by 20 years in radio and television broadcasting, which included broadcasting Trailblazers basketball. He also researched and authored “The 100 Year History of Vincennes Basketball, 1904-2004.” When he retired, Stevens departed as Director of the Byron R. Lewis Historical Collections Library on the Vincennes campus.

Stevens has been honored by various organizations over the course of his career. In 1984, Indiana Gov. Robert Orr gave Stevens the Sagamore of the Wabash, an honorary award by the state of Indiana. In 1997, he was awarded Vincennes Lincoln High School’s Distinguished Alumni Award. Prior to that in 1996, he was given the Caleb B. Smith Medal, Indiana Grand Lodge of Free and Accepted Masons’ highest honor. Then finally Stevens was given the Long Knife Award from Spirit of Vincennes Rendezvous.

Stevens also served in the Korean War and graduated from the University of Indiana.