KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame has announced the posthumous induction of eight notable coaches and players, including the illustrious coach Jack Hartman and Wayne Estes, a rising star from Utah State whose life was tragically cut short while assisting at a car accident scene shortly after his last game.
The Hall of Fame shared this news on a Tuesday, but the specific date for the induction ceremony has yet to be determined.
Joining Hartman and Estes in this honored group are several legendary figures. They include Dave Meyers, a key player in UCLA’s NCAA Championship victories in 1973 and 1975; Sihugo Green from Duquesne, who was the top pick in the 1956 NBA draft; and Lennie Rosenbluth, who guided North Carolina to an impressive 32-0 season followed by winning the NCAA title in 1957. Other inductees consist of Sam Lacey from New Mexico State, who was selected fifth overall in the 1970 NBA draft; John Rudometkin, the first Southern California player to notch over 1,000 points over two seasons; and Tom Stith of St. Bonaventure, who averaged an impressive 26.5 points throughout his career.
Jack Hartman, a dual-sport athlete at Oklahoma State, stands out as perhaps the most prominent figure among this class. After competing as a quarterback in the Canadian Football League, Hartman shifted his focus to coaching. He began as an assistant at his university and subsequently coached at Coffeyville Community College in Kansas and Southern Illinois. His most notable achievements came during his sixteen-season tenure at Kansas State, where he succeeded coaching legends Tex Winter and Cotton Fitzsimmons. Under Hartman’s leadership, the Wildcats made four Elite Eight appearances and consistently finished at the top of the Big Eight Conference, securing first or second place in ten of those seasons.
Hartman concluded his career with an impressive record of 589 wins against 279 losses before retiring in 1986. He passed away in 1998 at the age of 73.
Wayne Estes, whose promising career was cut short at the age of 21, died on February 8, 1965. Standing at 6 feet 6 inches, Estes had just delivered a remarkable performance, scoring 48 points for Utah State against Denver in what would be his final game, which pushed his career total past the 2,000-point mark. Tragically, while attempting to assist at a car accident incident near his campus, Estes accidentally touched a fallen power line, resulting in his death by electrocution. During that season, he ranked as the nation’s second-leading scorer, just behind Rick Barry. In recognition of his exceptional talent, he earned All-American honors posthumously from The Associated Press. Utah State honored Estes by retiring his No. 33 jersey, and the campus’s practice facility, established in 2013, was named the Wayne Estes Center in his memory.
