CIAA basketball legends Earl “The Pearl” Monroe and Dave Robbins along with Grambling State icon Willis Reed were today announced as part of the 2012 College Basketball Hall of Fame class. Monroe, who earned the nickname ‘Black Jesus’ as standout guard for Winston-Salem State, led the Rams to the Division II national championship in 1967, averaging 41.5 points per game.

Reed led the Tigers to conference titles in each of his four years at GSU, one in the NAIA and three in the SWAC. In 1996, both he and Monroe were named among the 50 greatest players in NBA history and are members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.

Dave Robbins, former men’s head basketball coach at Virginia Union and the first white coach in CIAA history won more than 700 games and three national Division II titles with the Panthers.