Willie Jenkins to be inducted into TTU Sports Hall of Fame Nov. 13
Few players in the rich history of Tennessee Tech basketball provided such an immediate and measurable impact on the program quite like Willie Jenkins did. That impact on the program has landed Jenkins in the Class of 2015 of the TTU Sports Hall of Fame, which will be inducted Friday, Nov. 13.
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COOKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Few players in the rich history of Tennessee Tech basketball provided such an immediate and measurable impact on the program quite like Willie Jenkins did. That impact is only magnified when one takes into account that everything the Memphis, Tenn., native accomplished occurred in just two seasons.
That impact on the program has landed Jenkins in the Class of 2015 of the TTU Sports Hall of Fame.
Jenkins is one of five people who will be inducted at the annual Hall of Fame Dinner, scheduled for Friday, Nov. 13, in the Multipurpose Room of the Roaden University Center. The induction dinner is part of Homecoming festivities. Tickets for the dinner, or the Saturday afternoon game against Austin Peay, can be purchased through the Athletics Ticket Office in Eblen Center or by calling (931) 372-3940.
After transferring to Tech from the University of Massachusetts (and subsequently sitting out the 2002-03 season due to NCAA transfer rules), Jenkins left no doubt during his first season on the floor as to the kind of player he was going to be for the Golden Eagles, starting in 25 of the team’s 28 games while leading the squad in scoring and rebounding. And he had just begun to scratch the surface of his potential.
As a senior, Jenkins put it all together to turn in one of the single greatest seasons in Tech history. After finishing second in the Ohio Valley Conference in scoring with 19.7 points per game, (not to mention a team-high 6.8 rebounds and 1.9 steals), the forward took home OVC Player of the Year honors while leading the Golden Eagles to the 2004-05 regular season title. He was just the second Golden Eagle to earn the top honor in the league, joining TTU Hall of Famer Stephen Kite.
Jenkins also became just the fourth Tech player ever to garner AP All-America recognition, earning Honorable Mention status following his brilliant senior campaign. He took home NABC All-Region honors as well as a spot on both the NABC All-District First Team and OVC All-Tournament Team.
He claimed all-OVC first-team accolades in each of his two seasons and took home team MVP honors and the Golden Eagle Award twice. He also was recognized as the team’s top offensive player and top rebounder for both the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons and team’s steals leader in 2004-05.
There was little doubt as to who the OVC Newcomer of the Year following the 2003-04 campaign would be, as Jenkins finished second in the league in scoring. Along with 7.2 rebounds per contest, the 6-foot-6 wing tallied 19.5 points per game, the highest scoring average by a first-year Golden Eagle since (Hall of Famer) Kenny Sidwell in 1955. His 546 total points that year marked the second highest scoring output by a first-year Tech player, just two points shy of the 548 dropped by (Hall of Famer) Damien Kinloch in 2001-02.
In his career, Jenkins captured four OVC Newcomer of the Week and two OVC Player of the Week honors on top of recording 12 double-doubles, 50 double-figure scoring games, and four 30-point performances. He posted a career-high 34 points in a one-point victory at Southeast Missouri on Jan. 20, 2005.
A dominant force for two seasons, Jenkins is the only basketball player to claim Tech’s Outstanding Male Athlete of the Year honors multiple times, winning the award in 2003-04 and sharing the recognition in 2004-05 with former All-American and NFL offensive lineman Frank Omiyale.
Following his Golden Eagle career, he not only earned an invitation to the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, he also earned All-Portsmouth second-team honors and an invite to the NBA pre-draft camp in Chicago.
Playing oversees for much of his professional career, Jenkins played for teams in Israel, France and Germany before earning a spot on the Idaho Stampede of the NBA Developmental League. In just under two seasons, he averaged 7.5 points and 3.7 rebounds in just under 23 minutes per game. He connected on a impressive 81.4 percent of his free throw attempts and shot over 40 percent from the field in 74 career games for the Stampede. His next stop was a starting role with Al Shabab of Kuwait.
A captain his junior and senior years at Fairley High School in Memphis, Tenn., Jenkins averaged 21 points, 10 rebounds, and three assists his final year of high school ball, grabbing team MVP honors as well All-Metro, All-District, All-Region, and All-State Honorable Mention accolades. He also participated in the Nike All-Star Classic Camp.
After wrapping up his playing career overseas, Willie now lives in Memphis with his wife, Eryka. He works with inner city youth for the Memphis Athletic Ministry, and serves as the head coach for the eighth grade girls' basketball team at Evangelical Christian School.
