July 23, 2002
LAS VEGAS - The UNLV Athletic Hall of Fame, which was born in 1987, will welcome another stellar class this fall with induction scheduled for Friday, September 6, which will coincide with the Rebels' football game vs. Kansas the following evening.
The ceremonies, presented by the UNLV Alumni Association, will take place at the MGM Grand Conference Center. A reception begins at 6 p.m. with dinner at 7 and awards presentation one hour later. For further information or for tickets, which are $100 apiece or $1,000 for a table of 10, call 895-4411.
Joining the prestigious group will be five individuals and one team, which will put UNLV's Hall of Fame at 76 members strong. Under the hall's bylaws, former student-athletes must have completed their eligibility at least 10 years earlier to be selected. Coaches and administrators must have stopped working at the University five years earlier. Classes enter on a biennial basis.
"We feel we have a very talented group ready for induction this year," Senior Associate Athletics Director Jerry Koloskie, who also chairs the school's hall of fame committee, said. "UNLV boasts a lot of former elite student-athletes who qualified so the selection process was not an easy one."
Headlining the prestigious group will be three members of the school's only back-to-back NCAA Final Four men's basketball squads as well as a hoops team that has been billed as one of the best in college history.
Perhaps the most famous Runnin' Rebel of all, power forward Larry Johnson (1989-91) took home the prestigious John Wooden Award as the nation's top player as a senior as well as being a unanimous first team All-American. A first-teamer a year earlier as well, he was also a two-time conference regular-season and tournament MVP. Still ranking 12th in career scoring and seventh in rebounding at the school despite only playing two seasons, he holds records in single-season and career field goal percentage as well. The only UNLV player ever chosen No. 1 overall in a professional league draft, LJ went on to a 10-year NBA career, including winning the league's rookie of the year award for the Charlotte Hornets in 1991-92. A two-time NBA all-star, Johnson scored more than 11,000 points and grabbed 5,000 rebounds in his career and served as a tri-captain on the gold-medal-winning United States national team (known as Dream Team II) at the 1994 World Championships.
Small forward Stacey Augmon (1987-91) was voted First Team All-American in 1991 and was the winner of that year's Henry Iba Corinthian Award, which goes to the nation's top defensive player. The 1989 Big West Conference Player of the Year after being named the league's freshman of the year a season earlier was also tabbed the 1990 NCAA West Regional Most Outstanding Player. A member of the bronze-medal-winning 1988 USA Olympic Team, he remains the school's leader in career games played (145) and starts (137). A versatile performer, Augmon currently ranks third in career scoring with 2,011 points, fourth in career field goals (757), third in career rebounds (1,005) eighth in career assists (433) and stands tied for first in career steals (275). Chosen with the No. 9 pick overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the 1991 draft, he just finished his 11th pro season and has scored more than 7,000 points and grabbed more than 2,700 rebounds and recorded more than 800 steals.
Point guard Greg Anthony (1988-91) was a two-time honorable mention All-American and three-time all-conference selection. The playmaker still holds school records in assists (838), steals in a season (106) and is tied in career steals (275). A member of the 1991 All-West Region NCAA Tournament Team, Anthony was the No. 12 pick overall by the New York Knicks in 1991 draft. Having just concluded his 11th NBA season, the Las Vegas native has scored more than 5,000 points, recorded more than 800 steals and dished out nearly 3,000 assists in his professional career.
The 10th team to be inducted, the 1990-91 UNLV men's basketball squad is the only program in the last 23 years to go undefeated during the regular season (27-0), which included winning a memorable showdown at No. 2 Arkansas 112-105. Coached by 1998 inductee Jerry Tarkanian, the Runnin' Rebels' perfect 18-0 league record earned the school a Big West Conference championship and a No. 1 seed at the NCAA West Region after its smallest margin of victory all season was seven points. UNLV rolled into the Final Four with a 99-65 win over Montana and victories over Georgetown, Utah and Seton Hall. However, the defending national champs were upset in the semifinal, 79-77, by Duke in Indianapolis and finished 34-1.
The first softball player ever voted into the Hall, two-time All-American and Olympic hero Lori Harrigan (1989-92) still holds numerous school records. The world-class pitcher owns two gold medals and is the only UNLV softball player with her jersey retired (1998). She led her teams to three NCAA tournament appearances and two trips to the College World Series. Her records include a 0.77 career ERA, 725 career strikeouts, 83 victories and 53 shutouts, including five no-hitters and the school's only perfect game (1992). She was a member of the USA Olympic Team in 1996 and 2000 and pitched the first no-hitter in Summer Games history in Sydney.
The class' Distinguished Contributor is longtime team physician and UNLV supporter Dr. Gerald Higgins, who has served as the team's primary orthopedic surgeon for 27 years. Higgins has spent countless hours providing medical care to student-athletes both at home and during road competition. Aside from contributing his time, he has funded the Gerald Higgins Annual Student Athletic Trainer Scholarship.
UNLV ATHLETIC HALL OF FAME
HONOREE CLASSIFICATION YEAR
Greg Anthony Athlete/Basketball 2002Rene Arceneaux* Distinguished Contributor 1994Dr. Thomas Armour Staff 1987Stacey Augmon Athlete/Basketball 2002Dr. Donald Baepler Administration 1994Roger Barnson* Administration/Coach 1987Ernie Becker Sr. Distinguished Contributor 1988Rex Bell Distinguished Contributor 1998Bob Blum Distinguished Contributor 2000Dr. Kathie Calloway Athlete/Basketball 1994Glenn Carano Athlete/Football 1989Jack Cason Distinguished Contributor 1994Bob Cline Distinguished Contributor 1989Dr. David Cohen Athlete/Soccer 1994Randall Cunningham Athlete/Football 1997"Chub" Drakulich Administration/Coach 1987Sally Fleisher Athlete/Swimming 2000Bob Florence Athlete/Basketball 1987Ralph Garcia Athlete/Baseball 1989Armen Gilliam Athlete/Basketball 1998Glen Gondrezick Athlete/Basketball 1987Sidney Green Athlete/Basketball 1994Lori Harrigan Athlete/Softball 2002"Cowboy" Haverty Athlete/Football 1988Nate Hawkins Athlete/Football 1987Dr. Gerald Higgins Distinguished Contributor 2002Christina Hixson Distinguished Contributor 1997Trena Hull Athlete/Track & Field 2000Joe Ingersoll Athlete/Football 1987Bill Ireland Administration/Coach 1987Larry Johnson Athlete/Basketball 2002Pauline Jordan Athlete/Basketball 2000Sam King Athlete/Football 1994Tony Knap Coach/Football 1989Todd Liebenstein Athlete/Football 1994Don Lyons Athlete/Basketball, T&F 1987Alice Mason Administration/Coach 1987Elburt Miller Athlete/Basketball 1987Aaron Mitchell Athlete/Football 1989Ken Mitchell Athlete/Football 1989"Wildcat" Morris Distinguished Contributor 1987Michael Morton Athlete/Football 1994Dave Pearl Administration 1994Dr. Wayne Pearson Administration 1994Bart Pippenger Athlete/Swimming 2000Art Plunkett Athlete/Football 1994Herb Pryor Athlete/Baseball 1988Marilyn Redd* Distinguished Contributor 1997Jackie Robinson Athlete/Basketball 1994Brad Rothermel Administration 1998Tommy Rowland Athlete/Football 1994Robbie Ryerson Athlete/Soccer 1998Robert Smith Athlete/Basketball 1987Ricky Sobers Athlete/Basketball 1987Raymond Strong Athlete/Football 1989Jerry Tarkanian Administration/Coach 1998Sheila Tarr Athlete/Track & Field 1997Reggie Theus Athlete/Basketball 1989Mike Thomas Athlete/Football 1989Misty Thomas Athlete/Basketball 1997Lisa Thompson Athlete/Track & Field 2000R.E. "Doc" Tobler Team Doctor/Trainer 1989Scott Warner Athlete/Men's Tennis 1998Tom Wiesner Distinguished Contributor 1994Matt Williams Athlete/Baseball 1997"Ickey" Woods Athlete/Football 1998
TEAMS
1958-59 Men's Basketball Squad 19891967-68 Men's Basketball Squad 19891968 Football Squad 19871974 Football Squad 19881976-77 Men's Basketball Squad 19871979 Football Squad 19941980 Baseball Squad 19941986-87 Men's Basketball Squad 19981989-90 Men's Basketball Squad 20001990-91 Men's Basketball Squad 2002
*posthumous
