Hall of Fame
Sam Hipple was recruited by James (Barney) Oldfield to play basketball at McKendree in the late 1950s. By the time he completed his four seasons in a Bearcat uniform, Sam was not only a well-decorated student-athlete, but also a member of the campus community involved in numerous clubs and organizations at the highest level at McKendree.
On the court, Sam was a four-year varsity letterman for the McKendree men’s basketball program. He served as a starter for the Bearcats in three of those seasons. McKendree enjoyed a successful run in the Prairie College Conference as the team won the league title in each of Sam’s four seasons on the roster. His stellar play on the court did not go unnoticed as Sam was an honorable mention All-Conference selection following his sophomore campaign before collecting first-team All-Conference accolades as a junior and senior. Additionally, Sam grabbed second-team All-National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) District 20 mention as a senior, the same year he was honored with the Bearcats’ Most Valuable Player award.
In each of his final two seasons with the Bearcats, Sam averaged 18 points per contest. Those efforts served Sam well as he closed his McKendree playing days as a member of the program’s 1,000-point club. He finished his career with better than 1,100 points over four seasons.
Away from the basketball court, Sam was involved with several extracurricular activities and organizations at McKendree. He served as the junior class president before ascending to Student Body President as a senior. Sam also held office in Sigma Zeta – an honorary national science organization – serving as vice president of the group as a junior before becoming its president during his senior year. In addition, Sam was one of six seniors selected for the 1962 edition of Who’s Who in American Colleges.
