Moncrief elected to Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame with enshrinement in September

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Arkansas’ Sidney Moncrief was one of 12 honorees named to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The Class of 2019 will be inducted September 5-7 during this year’s enshrinement festivities in Springfield, Mass.

Moncrief earns his second Hall of Fame honor in as many years as he was inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame this past year.

Joining Moncrief in this year’s class are two-time NBA Coach of the Year Bill Fitch, eight-time NBA All-Defensive First Team member Bobby Jones, seven-time NBA All-Star Jack Sikma, five-time WNBA All-Star Teresa Weatherspoon, five-time NBA All-Star Paul Westphal and the first men’s collegiate team to win back-to-back-to-back championships, the Tennessee A&I teams of 1957-1959.

One of the Arkansas’ famed “Triplets”, Moncrief ended his career as Arkansas’s leader in scoring (he ranks second now behind Todd Day) with 2,066 points from 1976-79.

He helped lead Arkansas to two Elite Eight appearances and the 1978 Final Four. Moncrief received a total of 14 All-American honors over three seasons and his name is scattered all through Arkansas’ record book. He was named All-Southwest Conference his last three years.

Moncrief was drafted fifth overall in the 1979 NBA Draft to the Milwaukee Bucks. While in Milwaukee, Moncrief earned All-NBA first team honors once (1983) and second team honors four times (1982-85 and 1986).

In addition to being a five-time All-Star, Moncrief was named to the NBA’s All-Defensive first team four years (1983-86) and second team in 1982 while earning NBA Defensive Player of the Year honors two seasons (1982-83 and 1983-84).

Distinguished committees focused on preserving all areas from the game also selected five directly elected enshrinees.

They include Al Attles from the Contributor Committee, Charles “Chuck” Cooper from the Early African American Pioneers Committee, Vlade Divac from the International Committee, Carl Braun from the Veterans Committee and the Wayland Baptist Flying Queens of 1948-1982 from the newly instated Women’s Veterans Committee.

“The globally celebrated game of basketball would not be what it is today without the many remarkable men and women who have broken barriers and paved the way for future generations,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. “The Class of 2019 is brimming with those who have had a significant historical impact on the game we love. We thank them for their contributions to the game and look forward to honoring them during Enshrinement this fall.”

To be elected, North American and Women’s Committee finalists must receive 18 of 24 votes from the Honors Committee for election into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

Direct elect committees are incorporated into the election process to maintain a strong focus on keeping history on the forefront of the voting procedures and to preserve a balance between two eras of basketball.

The Class of 2019 will be enshrined on Friday, September 6 in Springfield, Massachusetts, the home of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.