June 19, 2007 USF basketball great Bill Russell, who led the Dons to back-to-back NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956, was selected to the new International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Hall of Fame Monday. FIBA, celebrating its 75th anniversary this year named 20 members to the Hall including three Americans, Bill Russell and Ann Meyers under the Player category, and coach Dean Smith from the University of North Carolina. On September 12, 2007, during the EuroBasket in Spain, the official enshrinement ceremony of the 2007 Class of the FIBA Hall of Fame will take place in Alcobendas (Madrid, Spain). Russell led the University of San Francisco to NCAA championships in 1955 and 1956, earning the NCAA's Most Outstanding Player of the 1955 NCAA Tournament. In four seasons and 79 games at San Francisco, Russell compiled 1,636 points (20.7 ppg.) and 1,606 rebounds (20.3 rpg.). Russell delayed his pro debut so he could compete in the 1956 Olympics. He led the Americans to gold and an 8-0 record averaging a team best 14.1 ppg. Following completion of the Olympics, Russell reported late to the Celtics but still managed to play in 48 of Boston's 72 games in 1956-57, and led the Celtics in field goal percentage and rebounding as Boston captured their first of many NBA titles while Russell occupied the post. Named one of the 50 Greatest Players in NBA History, and elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1975, Russell during his 13 year career (1956-57 to 1968-69) compiled 14,522 points (15.1 ppg.) and 21,620 rebounds (22.5 rpg.). A five time NBA MVP, he helped lead Boston to 11 NBA titles. UNC legend Smith directed the U.S. to a 7-0 record and the gold medal at the 1976 Montreal Olympics. In his 36 years (1961-62 to 1996-97) as the leader of the UNC Tar Heels, Smith coached North Carolina to 11 Final Fours, two national championships, 17 ACC regular season championships and 13 ACC Tournament titles. Inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1983 and the North Carolina Hall of Fame in 1981, Smith's teams had a record of 879-254 for an amazing 77.6 winning percentage. His teams won more games than those of any other Division I men's college basketball coach in history and more than 96 percent of Smith's lettermen graduated. Meyers, one of three women players selected for the FIBA Hall of Fame Class of 2007, was a member of the 1976 U.S. Olympic Team that captured a silver medal in the first women's Olympic basketball competition. The 5-8 guard accounted for 9.6 ppg., 3.2 rpg. and a team leading 5.2 apg. Her 5.2 apg. average still today ranks as the third most by a USA player in the Olympics. Meyers was also a member of the 1975 and 1979 USA World Championship teams, 1975 and 1979 Pan American Games teams, 1977 World University Games team, and 1979 R.William Jones Cup team. The '79 USA world Championship squad captured gold, the USA's first World Championship gold medal since 1957. The '75 Pan American Games Team brought home gold, while the 1979 squad earned silver; the 1977 World University Games earned a silver medal and the 19981 Jones Cup team collected gold. Inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1993, Meyers was the first female to receive a full athletic scholarship from UCLA, where she finished her stunning career owning twelve of thirteen school records. Leading UCLA to the 1978 AIAW national championship, she compiled in 97 games a striking 1,685 points (17.4 ppg.), 819 rebounds (8.4 rpg.), 544 assists (5.6 apg.), 403 steals (4.2 spg.) and 101 blocked shots (1.0 bpg.). Meyers was the first player, male, or female, named to Kodak's All-America team for four consecutive seasons, and became the first woman player drafted by the Women's Basketball League (WBL) and made history by becoming the first woman player to try out with an NBA team, the Indiana Pacers.
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