CLASS OF 2009 HOOP HISTORIANS INDUCTEES
STEVEN ATKINS
Residence: Highland Park, IL
Steve is a nine-year basketball season ticket holder at Northwestern
University. Along with going to 22 Final Fours, he has attended first and
second rounds of the NCAA Tournament in 19 of the last 22
years (1987-89,
1991-96, 1998-2005, and 2007-08) – giving him 180 NCAA Tournament games
attended! In addition, to being “a fan of the game”, Steve is a
certified high school basketball official in both Illinois and Maine.
CAL DILWORTH
Residence: Southfield, MI
Recently retired from as the head of Detroit’s Master’s Sports and Recreation
program for over 20 years, Cal continues to play organized basketball for 63
years. Cal played with every Harlem team from the Ambassadors to the Wizards
from 1957-66. At age 50, Cal founded the Master’s Sports Program and has played
basketball competitively every year since. As a Masters AAU player, Cal was
selected to play for Team USA in Canada, Denmark, Australia, Argentina, Finland,
Slovenia and Brazil. Cal has been inducted into four Hall of Fames and is the
sponsor to an Endowed basketball Scholarship at Wayne State University. Cal was
been a 24 year member of the National Association of Basketball Coaches and has
attended the Final Four every year since being a member, except in 1988 -- on
the 50th Anniversary of the Tournament in Kansas City – when he could
not secure a ticket.
MICHAEL GANT
Residence: Indianapolis, IN
A financial advisor by trade, Michael manages the National Association of
Basketball Coaches retirement plan. A four -year player at Rockhurst College in
Kansas City, he later was an assistant coach at his alma mater. Michael also
served as the National Collegiate Athletic Association’s Education Outreach
Program Coordinator.
STEVE NEWHOUSE
Residence: Wheaton, IL
A member of the United States basketball Writer’s Association, Steve is the
Publisher of the website, wearedepaul.com, and is also a writer for the national
on-line publication, scout.com.
NOEL & PETER SOTTA
Residence: Kansas City, MO
Peter and Noel come from a four generation family of Final Fours. Noel’s
grandparents, Bill and Julie Andrews, started attending Final Fours together in
the early years of the NCAA Tournament when it was held annually in Kansas
City. The couple would still attend the tournament even as it moved around the
country. Granddaughter Noel continued the tradition with her husband Peter as
they have been present the last 11 NCAA tournaments together and have brought
their son Brendan to his first Final Four in Atlanta (in 2007) when he was only
four months old!