James Worthy, Bob Knight among eight named to National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame

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Around here, James Worthy will always be known as a Lakers legend. But he had plenty of big games while playing college basketball at North Carolina, where he earned his nickname, ‘Big Game James.’

Already a member of the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame, Worthy will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame on Nov. 20, joining a class that includes coaches Bob Knight and Eddie Sutton, players Ralph Sampson, Cazzie Russell and Chris Mullin, and contributors Joe Vancisin and Eddie Einhorn.

Worthy led the Tar Heels to the national championship game in 1981 and ‘82, with North Carolina winning the title and Worthy being named the tournament’s most outstanding player the second year. He was also a unanimous All-American selection in 1982 and is one of seven Tar Heels to have their jersey number retired.

Knight coached Indiana to three national titles and had 902 wins in 41 seasons, the most wins of any men’s coach in Division I. Sutton was the first coach to take four schools to the NCAA tournament — Creighton, Arkansas, Kentucky and Oklahoma State.

Sampson, a four-time All-American at Virginia, is one of three men to be national player of the year three times (1981-83). Russell scored 2,164 points in three seasons at Michigan, leading the Wolverines to the Final Four twice, including a loss to UCLA in the 1965 championship game. Mullin led St. John’s to the Final Four as a senior in 1985 and won the Wooden Award as the nation’s top player.

Vancisin spent 54 years in college basketball as a player, coach and administrator. Einhorn is the founder and chairman of the TVS television network.

-- Chuck Schilken

The Associated Press contributed to this report.