Hall of Fame
In a career which placed him as the all-time Crusader scoring leader, Bob Hopkins was instrumental in putting Pasadena College basketball on the map in the early ‘50s. A 6’2” post man, Hopkins used a deadly hook shot to neutralize his height disadvantage and terrorize opponents. Those of us fortunate to see Hopkins play will never forget the sheer poetic motion of his majestic hook shots.
As a sophomore, Hopkins was the Southland’s leading scorer and was the MVP as PC won the Redlands Tournament for the first of three consecutive years. He led Coach Keoppel’s Firehouse Five to PC’s first-ever District Championship in 1953. The Crusaders were 34-2 that year as Hopkins averaged over 27 ppg and connected on .560 of his shots. The next year found Hopkins still unstoppable as he led PC to another district title.
The two-time All-American led the Crusaders to 86 wins and only 18 losses in his three years on the green and gold varsity. When he graduated in 1954, his career total of 3,203 points was more than anyone in the history of collegiate basketball had ever accumulated. In 1970, along with Willis Reed of the New York Knicks, he was inducted into the NAIA Hall of Fame, making him the first District II player to receive such an honor.
The award for Outstanding Achievement by an Athlete was presented to Hopkins by Dal Olin.
