Springfield, MA – The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame today announced the 16 honorees in the Class of 2021 with the two former standouts from Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association (CIAA) being selected in Ben Wallace of Virginia Union University and Bobby Dandridge of Norfolk State University. The Class of 2021 will be enshrined in Springfield, Mass. on Saturday, September 11.
Wallace played for VUU from 1995-97 under legendary coach Dave Robbins. He helped lead the Panthers to the 1995 CIAA Championship and set a school record of 114 blocks in 1995-96. During his 16-year NBA career, Wallace earned the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award four times (2002, 2003, 2005 and 2006), all with the Detroit Pistons. He was also the defensive anchor for the 2004 championship team.
A 2015 CIAA Hall of Fame inductee, Wallace also becomes the first undrafted player and first Virginia Union player to be selected for the Naismith Hall of Fame.
Dandridge played for NSU from 1965-69 where he averaged 22.6 points and 13 rebounds per game. In 1969, he earned several CIAA honors including All-Conference, All-Tournament and Tournament MVP while averaging 32.8 point in his senior season. In 1968, Dandridge helped lead the Spartans to a 25-2 record, a CIAA championship, and a berth in the NCAA tournament, advancing to the second round.
He was a premier player of the 1970s during his 12-year professional career in the NBA. With the Milwaukee Bucks and Washington Bullet he won NBA Championships in 1971 and 1978, respectively. Dandridge is a four-time NBA All-Star (1973, 1975, 1976, and 1979). He was named to the NBA All-Rookie Team in 1970 and All-NBA Second Team and NBA All-Defensive Team in 1979.
Dandridge is among the CIAA’s all-time leading scorers with 1,740 points and was inducted into the CIAA Hall of Fame in 1984.
The Class of 2021 Enshrinement festivities will begin at Mohegan Sun on Friday, September 10 with the
Enshrinement Tip-Off Celebration and Awards Gala. The Class of 2021 and returning Hall of Famers will then journey to Springfield, Mass. for the annual celebratory events taking place at the newly renovated Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and MassMutual Center on September 11. Premium Sponsors of Enshrinement 2021 include Nike, Baron Championship Rings, Mohegan Sun and Panini.
Tickets for the 2021 Enshrinement Ceremony and all Enshrinement events are on sale now and available online at www.hoophall.com or by calling the Basketball Hall of Fame at (413) 231-5513. As the health and safety of Hall of Famers, fans and staff is of the utmost importance, the Basketball Hall of Fame is monitoring the COVID-19 situation closely and will provide appropriate health and safety measures for all events.
To read the full release on the 2021 class of inductees for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, visit
hoophall.com.