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Campbell University

Joe Spinks inducted into Campbell Sports Hall of Fame

BUIES CREEK, N.C. - Joe Spinks, a former four-time men's basketball all-conference performer, was inducted into the Campbell University Sports Hall of Fame during an Apr. 9 ceremony at the John W. Pope Jr. Convocation Center. Membership in the Campbell Sports Hall of Fame, which began honoring past Campbell athletic greats in 1984, now numbers 71.

A native of Asheboro, N.C., Spinks arrived at Campbell University in the fall of 1990 and by the time he graduated four years later, he had led the Camels to their first-ever NCAA tournament berth as well as victories over Atlantic Coast and Southeastern Conference opponents.

Spinks framed his career by earning Big South Rookie of the Year honors in 1991 and capturing Big South Player of the Year recognition in 1994. In between, he became the school's career scoring and rebounding leader at the Division I level and finished as the third-leading scorer in Big South history as well as the conference record holder for rebounds.

As a freshman, Spinks led the Big South Conference in rebounding, a feat he matched both as a sophomore and senior. During his sophomore season, he gained first-team all-league recognition and added 1992 Big South all-tournament team honors as the Camels captured their first league title on the Division I level. CU then faced top-ranked Duke at the Greensboro Coliseum in the program's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

As a junior, Spinks again earned first-team all-conference honors and topped the 1,000-point barrier during the 1992-93 campaign.

During his senior year, Spinks led the Camels to a pair of benchmark victories. He scored a game-high 25 points, grabbed 6 rebounds, handed out 5 assists and made 4 steals on Dec. 4, 1993 in a 72-69 overtime win at North Carolina State, marking Campbell's first victory over an ACC school.

Just over a month later, on Jan. 15, 1994, Spinks tallied a game-high 24 points with 15 rebounds and 7 assists in a 73-72 overtime victory at South Carolina, Campbell's first triumph over an SEC school in men's basketball play.

A 1994 graduate as a sport management major, Spinks capped his Camel career by leading his team to a school Division I era record of 20 wins and earning Outstanding Male Athlete honors.

Spinks began a 12-year professional career in the fall of 1994 in Sweden. His pro travels also took him to one-year stints in Finland, Belgium and Portugal before he began an 8-season run in Holland where he became one of the top professionals in the Dutch League.

While with the Ricoh Astronauts and Demon Astronauts of Amsterdam, Spinks led his teams to three Dutch Cup championships in addition to five Dutch League titles. His pro career was marked by three Dutch Player of the Year trophies (2000, 2003, 2004) and four Dutch Defensive Player of the Year honors (2000, 2003, 2004, 2005). Spinks was named to the Dutch League All-Star Game three times and was an all-league selection five-straight years from 2000-04.

Following his retirement in 2006, Spinks was named interim head coach of the My Guide Amsterdam club and led his team to the league semifinals. In two more seasons as head assistant coach, Spinks helped the club achieve a record of 61 wins, 11 losses, two league championships and a final four showing in Europe.

Spinks and his wife, the former Dawn Gibson, returned to the States last year with their young son Jonathan. He is now a sports performance coach with Parisi Speed School in Greensboro, N.C.

Campbell Sports Hall of Fame Inductees

1984
Gaylord Perry
Jim Perry
1985
Fred Emmerson
Richard Murphy
1986
Earl Smith
Bob Vernon
1987
Cal Koonce
Len Maness
1988
Jim Bromley
Jay Overton
Don Prince
Dr. Mike Reidy
1989
Archie Brigman
Jim Gurkin
Dr. Don Laird
1990
Sam Brewer
Rob Cole
George "Buck" Hardee
1991
Howard Auman
Walter Deal
1992
George Graybill
Charles Koonce
Bruce Shelley
Don Whaley
Billy Williams
1993
Ronda Mueller Langdon
Billy Mason
James Sessoms
Gary Woodward
1994
Wayne Dale
Marion Hargrove
1995
Hank Currin
Fred McCall
Fred Whitfield
1996
Sam Bishop
Antionette Matthews Flowers
Horace "Bones" McKinney
1997
James "Catfish" Cole
John T. Johnson
1998
Ollie Harrell
Frances Lloyd
1999
Ken Faulkner
Regina McKeithan Wadsworth
2000
Dave Amsler
Wendell Carr
2001
Betty Jo Clary
Hargrove B. Davis (posthumously)
Clarence Grier
2002
Bob Etheridge
Gary Hobgood
Bill Holleman
Carl Ivarsson
James Nisbet
Tammy Brown Tew
2003
Barry Howard
Danny Roberts
Dr. Pete Wish
2004
Willard B. Harris
Leanne Plum Mann
Orville Peterson
2005
Bobby Bowie
Janet Wooten Collins
Captain Eugene "Red" McDaniel
2006
David Doyle
John Marshbanks
2007
Denelle Hicks
Maria Maldonado
Ernie White
2009
Juha Miettinen
2010
Toni Siikala
Joe Spinks

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