FORT MYERS, Fla. – On Sunday, Otterbein standout Jeff Gibbs '02 was named to the Small College Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2026. The class brings together an extraordinary group of coaches, players, and contributors whose excellence has defined and elevated the game at the small college level. This year's class is composed of 10 players, one coach and one contributor. 

Gibbs, the 2002 NABC Division III and DIII News Player of the Year was a key part in the Cardinals winning the National Championship that season as part of a 30-3 record. That season, he was selected to the D3hoops.com All-American First Team and was the NCAA Division III Championship Most Outstanding Player.

Gibbs led all of Division III in rebounding for three consecutive seasons, the only player to ever achieve this feat. He is a two-time OAC Player of the Year (2001, 2002), a 2001 D3hoops.com Second Team All-American, a three-time First Team All-OAC player and a 1999 DIII News Third Team All-American. In a career where he amassed 1,924 points and 1,496 rebounds, Gibbs was a lifetime 63.8 percent shooter. He still stands atop the Otterbein record books in rebounding and field goal percentage, and sits fifth all-time in scoring. He is also an inductee of the Otterbein Athletic Hall of Fame and the Ohio Basketball Hall of Fame.

This year's Hall of Fame Class marks the 10th class inducted into the Small College Basketball National Hall of Fame. The National Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place on Friday November 6th inside the Polk Theatre in Lakeland, Fla.