ST. JOSEPH, MO – Kentucky Wesleyan Athletics has a storied tradition of excellence, with many former Panthers accomplishing great things during both their time at KWC and after they graduate. Four former Kentucky Wesleyan graduates, Dallas Thornton, Corey Crowder, Joel Utley, and Roy Pickerill were honored this year at the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame banquet. Thornton and Crowder were inducted into the Hall of Fame, while Utley and Pickerill became just the 3^rd and 4^th individuals to receive the Lifetime Achievement Award.

Dallas Thornton '68

Dallas Thornton is one of the greatest Kentucky Wesleyan Basketball players of all time, and considering the storied tradition of Panther basketball, that's saying something. Thornton was a four-year starter and helped lead the Panthers to two national championships (1966 and 1968), as well as a third-place finish in 1967. Thornton played and started in all 112 games he played in for the Panthers. He averaged 17.1 points/game throughout his four-year career and ranks 6^th in KWC history in points (1,903), 7^th in rebounds (903), and 9^th in career field goal percentage (49%).

During his time at KWC, Thornton was named a First Team NABC All-American, Second Team AP and United Press International All-American, and Third Team Converse Yearbook All-American. He participated in the 1968 U.S. Olympic Trials and was drafted by the Baltimore Bullets in the fourth round of the NBA draft, and the Miami Floridians in the fifth round of the ABA draft. He played two years for the Floridians before moving on to a storied 15-year career with the famed Harlem Globetrotters.

Corey Crowder '91

Corey Crowder was the NABC Division II National Player of the Year in 1991 after finishing as the runner-up in 1990. He was a three-time NABC All-American and was a first team member in 1990 and 1991 as well as a second team member in 1989. He was a three-time NABC All Great Lakes Region First Team member and was a two-time GLVC Player of the Year. In 1990 he led the Panthers to their 6^th National Championship.

Crowder re-wrote the record books during his time as a Panther. He is Kentucky Wesleyan's all-time leader in points (2,282), ranks 2^nd in three-pointers made (245), 3^rd in career scoring average (19.3), 4^th in games started (114) and minutes played (3,322), and 5^th in career free throws made (429). Following his career at KWC he played in 58 games in the NBA for the Utah Jazz and San Antonio Spurs from 1991-94 before embarking on a very successful European career that lasted until his retirement in 2006.

Joel Utley '74

Joel Utley, otherwise known as the "Voice of the Panthers," is currently in his 61^st year calling basketball games for Kentucky Wesleyan Basketball, making him the longest tenured broadcaster in NCAA history. Beginning his broadcasting career for the Panthers in 1961, he has called 8 National Championships, 12 National Championship games, and 1,705 total games over his career.

Utley began his career before he even started, listening to the legendary Harry Cary calling games for the St. Louis Cardinals before he even got to high school. Starting at age 16, Utley did play-by-play for his high school basketball team in Madisonville, Ky., and then worked at the WVLK radio station while he was a student at Kentucky. Utley was inducted into the Kentucky Wesleyan Hall of Fame in 2016.

Roy Pickerill '75

Roy Pickerill is the original Sports Information Director at Kentucky Wesleyan, holding that title for 29 years. Beginning as a student in 1971, the Louisville, Kentucky native has been at Kentucky Wesleyan for 50 years. He has been selected to four Hall of Fames, including the KWC Alumni HOF (2012), the KWC Athletics HOF (2015), GLVC HOF (2018), and the CoSIDA HOF (1999). This is the second Lifetime Achievement Award Pickerill has won, as he was presented with the CoSIDA Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. In 1998 CoSIDA awarded Pickerill with the prestigious Warren Berg Award due to his countless contributions to the field of sports information.

Pickerill was a 26-year member of the NCAA Division II Elite Eight Men's Basketball Media Operations team. He served as the GLVC's second SID from 1980-83 and received the GLVC's Thomas Kearns Service Award in 2014. He served as the President of the Division II Sports Information Directors Association from 2006-2009. Throughout his storied career Pickerill has won over 30 awards for his publications, including 20 "Best in the Nation" awards from CoSIDA.