University of Massachusets Athletics
Camby Named to Atlantic 10 Legends Class of 2016
January 13, 2016 | Men's Basketball
Atlantic 10 Legends Class of 2016 Release | #A10Legends
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Former University of Massachusetts men's basketball standout Marcus Camby was named to the Atlantic 10 Conference Legends Class of 2016, as announced by the league office Wednesday. One of the most decorated athletes in UMass history, Camby won the 1996 John R. Wooden Award and Naismith National Player of the Year in leading the Minutemen to the Final Four and a 35-2 record.
"It is an honor for the Atlantic 10 to recognize the accomplishments of the 2016 Legends Class," stated A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade. "Their significant contributions to their institution, teams and to college basketball have made a lasting impression. A well-deserved congratulation is in order for this outstanding group of individuals."
The Men's Basketball Legends will be honored on Sat., March 12 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, prior to the 2016 Men's Basketball Championship semifinals. The celebration awards brunch will be in the 40/40 Club, beginning at 11 a.m. The 2016 Men's Legends class features 13 former student-athletes and one coach. Of the honorees, 10 went on to play professionally in either the NBA or overseas. The group also includes four all-Americans, two former NBA executives, one NBA All-Star, and one Wooden Award Winner and Naismith National Player of the Year.
Camby was a first-team all-American in 1995-96 and led the A-10 with 20.5 points per game. A two-time all-District and first-team all-Conference selection, UMass won the Atlantic 10 in each of his three seasons and he was named A-10 Freshman of the Year in 1994. Camby left Amherst with the most blocks in a career (336) and single-season (128) while he scored 1,387 points to rank in the top 10 all-time among Minutemen.
The highest NBA Draft Pick in Atlantic 10 Conference history, Camby played with six different NBA teams in a 17-year career. Named the NBA Defensive Player of the Year during 2006-07, he is a four-time member of the NBA All-Defensive Team, and is 12th among the league's all-time blocks leaders.
Camby is joined by former Minutewoman Melissa Gurile Black in the 2016 class. Gurile Black was a four-time Atlantic 10 honoree from 1992-96 during one of the most prolific eras of UMass women's basketball as she led the Maroon and White to their first-ever WNIT appearance in 1995 and the first-ever NCAA Tournament berth in 1996.
A limited number of brunch tickets are available to the general public. For more information, please contact the Atlantic 10 Conference at 757-706-3052.