Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
The Manchester College Association will hold its 2000 Hall of Fame induction ceremony Sept. 23. Former men's basketball coach Steve Alford and the 1994-95 men's basketball team will be inducted this year.
Alford came to Manchester in the middle of the 1991-92 season, inheriting an 0-8 team that finished 4-24. In his first full season as a head coach, Alford posted a 20-8 record, the first winning season for Manchester basketball in 17 seasons, and guided Manchester to its first NCAA Tournament appearance.
In 1993-94, the Spartans posted a 23-4 record, winning the school's first Indiana Collegiate Athletic Conference championship in 28 years. Most memorable was Alford's 1994-95 season in which Manchester finished second in the NCAA Division III National Tournament and ended the season with a 31-1 record.
Alford left Manchester College after that season with an overall record of 78-29.
Alford went on to become the head coach at Southwest Missouri State, where he stayed for four seasons, compiling a 78-48 record. He was named the head coach at Iowa in 1999 days after taking SMS to the NCAA regional finals, where the Bears lost to Duke.
In his first season at Iowa, Alford posted a 14-16 record.
The 1994-95 men's basketball team will also be inducted as an honored team during the ceremony. Members of the team were Brad Knoy, Tony Frieden, Jeff Kock, Colin Hindman, Adam Smith, Kyle Hupfer, Aaron Wolfe, Burt Paddock, Chad Berry, Mark Finley, Roger Huffman, Rodney Bluiett, Chanse Young and Courtney Harris. Their 31-1 record is the best in Manchester history.
They won the ICAC regular season and conference tournament championships before their run in the national tournament in Buffalo, N.Y.
The luncheon is set to begin at 11 a.m. Sept. 23.
To make reservations, contact thhe Manchester College Alumni Office at (888) 257-ALUM (2586) or 982-5223. Tickets are available for $15 per person and should be purchased before Sept. 11.
