Former L-R Standout Daniel Willis To Be Inducted Into The South Atlantic Conference Hall Of Fame
April 14, 2010
Willis is one of four in this year's class
 Former Lenoir-Rhyne University Men's Basketball standout Daniel Willis will be inducted into this year's South Atlantic Conference Hall Of Fame on June 3, 2010, in Asheville, N.C. |
Rock Hill, S.C. - Former Lenoir-Rhyne University Men's Basketball Standout Daniel Willis will be inducted into the South Atlantic Conference Hall Of Fame as part of the 2010 Class, Commissioner Patrick Britz announced today.
Willis joins Ricardo Colclough (Tusculum College), Lorinza "Junior" Harrington (Wingate University) and Jerry Tolley (Elon University) in this year's class.
The four will be inducted into the SAC Hall Of Fame as part of the South Atlantic Conference Annual Meeting in Asheville, N.C., on June 3, 2010. The banquet will be at the Biltmore Doubletree Hotel with a reception at 6:15 p.m. with dinner and inductions at 7 p.m.
Willis is one of the most prolific scorers in school and conference history, finishing his career with 1,980 points. Willis' point total ranks second in Lenoir-Rhyne and South Atlantic Conference history.
As a senior in 2000-01, Willis was named the South Atlantic Conference Player Of The Year and earned All-America honors by three different organizations. His 24.4-point average as a senior ranks second and fourth on the SAC and Lenoir-Rhyne's all-time lists, respectively.
Willis still holds the conference record for free throw attempts in a season (241) and a career (684) and ranks second in the South Atlantic in free throws mades in a season and a career as well.
Willis also earned First-Team All-South Atlantic Conference honors twice (1999-00 and 2000-01).
Following his career and graduation at Lenoir-Rhyne, Willis continued his involvement in basketball as he has become a successful coach. He was an assistant coach for Western Carolina University and Tusculum College, where he helped guide the Pioneers to their first South Atlantic Conference Championship. Willis is currently an assistant coach at Virginia Military Institute.
The class of 2008-09 joins the 68 current members in the SAC Hall of Fame:
Class of 1999-2000: Dr. Fred Bentley, Mars Hill (President); Dr. Ronald Christopher, Wingate (Baseball Coach); W.C. Clary, supervisor of football officials; Cally Gault, Presbyterian (Football Coach/AD); Fred Herren, Newberry (Football Coach/AD); Dr. Paul Jolly, Gardner-Webb (Faculty Athletic Representative); Dr. Robert Knott, Catawba (President); Dr. Cordell Maddox, Carson-Newman (President); Sam Moir, Catawba (Men’s Basketball Coach); Dr. Keith Ochs, Lenoir-Rhyne (Athletic Director); Dr. Kenneth Orr, Presbyterian (President); Albert Sloan, Carson-Newman (President); Harvey Stratton, Catawba (Football Coach); Dr. Bill Walker, Mars Hill (Athletic Director); Dr. Alan White, Elon (Athletic Director).
Class of 2000-01: Lamont Jones, Mars Hill (Men’s Basketball); Keith Henry, Catawba (Football); Terence Steward, Lenoir-Rhyne (Football/Baseball); Direne Thomas, Wingate (Women’s Basketball); Dick Williams, Catawba (Baseball Coach).
Class of 2001-02: Charlie Coles, Newberry (Football); Ann Hancock, Wingate (Women’s Basketball); Bill Morningstar, Elon (Golf, Cross Country Coach); Allen Morris, Presbyterian (Athletic Director); Tom Parham, Elon (Tennis Coach); Susie Hopson Shelton, Mars Hill (Women’s Basketball).
Class of 2002-03: Allison Ankerson Makovec, Catawba (Women’s Soccer); Vernon Buck, Wingate (Football); Darren Hayes, Wingate (Baseball); Todd Collins, Carson-Newman (Football); Cedric Mansell, Mars Hill (Men’s Basketball); Clyde Miller, Newberry and Gardner-Webb (Baseball Coach); Jimmy Skipper, Newberry (Football).
Class of 2003-04: Steve Campbell, Mars Hill (Football); Leonard Davis, Lenoir-Rhyne (Football); Kimberly Hampton, Presbyterian (Women’s Tennis); Bret Jones, Presbyterian (Men’s Basketball); Marvin Moore, Catawba (Men’s Basketball); Shannon Myers, Lenoir-Rhyne (Football/Baseball); and Heather Randolph, Carson-Newman (Softball).
Class of 2004-05: Daniel Colangelo, Elon (Men’s Tennis); Natalie Daniel, Lenoir-Rhyne (Women’s Soccer); Elizabeth Roe Decker, Presbyterian (Women’s Soccer); Pam Deanhardt Niles, Presbyterian (Basketball/Volleyball); Selena Wilkes, Catawba (Volleyball).
Class of 2005-06: Traci Hyman Davis, Lenoir-Rhyne (Softball/Basketball); Boyce Green, Carson-Newman (Football); Angela Harbour Mayfield, Catawba (Women’s Basketball); Dr. Jerry McGee, Wingate (President); Jennifer Wiggins, Mars Hill (Women’s Cross Country).
Class of 2006-07: Rachel Sloan Bullard, Presbyterian (Women’s Basketball); Todd Cunningham, Presbyterian (Football); Johnny Jacumin, Wingate (Women’s Basketball Coach); Thomas O. Laurendine, Lenior-Rhyne (Football); Carol Zachary Mitchell, Carson Newman (Softball); Ken Sparks, Carson Newman (Football Coach); Rev. Edward N. Taylor, Newberry (Football).
Class of 2007-08: Ed Hoffmeyer, Mars Hill and Tusculum (Athletic Director); Brandon Hughes, Newberry (Men’s Basketball); Alvin Morman, Wingate (Baseball); Don Safrit, Coordinator of Football Officials; Danny Sanders, Carson-Newman (Football); Curtis Walker, Catawba (Football).
Class of 2008-09: Michelle Baity Bryant, Lenoir-Rhyne (Volleyball); Doug Echols, SAC (Commissioner); Lesley Murray, Tusculum (Women’s Basketball, Women’s Tennis); Leah Jackson Smith, Carson-Newman (Women’s Basketball); Andy Thompson, Mars Hill (Men’s Soccer).
