SELINSGROVE, PA - This summer the Susquehanna University men's basketball program lost one of its brightest student-athletes in Hall-of-Famer Mike Scheib, Class of 1978. Scheib, who grew up locally in Millersburg, Pa., forged an unforgettable career that earned him the Dr. James Naismith Award, given to the best collegiate basketball athlete under six feet tall. He was inducted into the SU Athletics Hall of Fame in 1983 and his number 20 jersey remains the only retired number in Susquehanna Basketball history.
In his honor, men's basketball head coach Frank Marcinek announced that the team's annual tipoff tournament in mid-November will be named the Mike Scheib '78 Memorial Tipoff Tournament. The announcement was made alongside Scheib's family, including his wife Irene and son Kyle, who pledged to sponsor the tournament in his memory. This year's tournament runs Friday, Nov. 14 to Saturday, Nov. 15 as Susquehanna welcomes York College of Pa., King's College of Pa., and Notre Dame College of Md.
"We are honored and proud to be able to have a permanent sponsor for our annual tipoff tournament," said Coach Marcinek. "Naming the tournament to honor Mike Scheib, one of the greatest to ever wear the Orange and Maroon, is so fitting. Each year we will have a chance to keep Mike's legacy alive and to be able to talk to our current group of players about all that Mike has meant to SU Men's Basketball. I want to thank Irene and Kyle Scheib for their support of the Mike Scheib Tipoff Tournament, along with Jim Rowe and Randy Westrol for their stewardship of this event."
Scheib was a three-time All-MAC selection and the leading scorer in both his junior and senior years, being inducted into Susquehanna's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1983. In 1978, Mike received the prestigious Naismith Award, given annually to the best college basketball player in the nation under six feet tall across all NCAA divisions, a rare and remarkable honor that recognized not only a player's basketball ability, but also his character, leadership and heart on the court. The award was presented at the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Massachusetts, further cementing his place among the sport's elite. His #20 jersey was retired by Susquehanna University, and he was later inducted into the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame's Capital Area and West Shore Chapters.
