2006 HALL OF FAME INDUCTEE | 1998-99 MEN'S BASKETBALL TEAM
Do you recall that 70-foot shot made by Lance Ashby? It is certain that the men on the 1998-1999 Milligan basketball team can remember this. As the buzzer sounded, the ball soared from one end of the court to the other and through the net. This shot even made national news and was acknowledged by CNN Headline News as the “Play of the Day.”
The 1998-1999 men’s basketball team was made up of outstanding players and set many Milligan records and received many accolades during this season. This team ended the season with a record of 29-5. Their 29 wins represent the all-time most wins by a Milligan men's basketball team. This included a 19-game winning streak. They were the Tennessee-Virginia Athletic Conference Champions and the Tennessee-Virginia Athletic Conference Tournament Champions.
The Buffs were undefeated in the TVAC with a record of 21-0 and were the first team in the history of TVAC to go undefeated. In the final poll, they were ranked No. 6 nationally among the NAIA Division II colleges, the highest ranking for Milligan’s basketball team ever. They were also recognized as the No. 4 seed in the NAIA National Tournament, the highest ever for Milligan, and advanced to the Sweet 16, yet another first for Milligan.
This season Caleb Gilmer, Gabe Goulds and Lance Ashby were named All-TVAC first team. Lance Ashby and Caleb Gilmer were also named NAIA All-American honorable mention. Coach Tony Wallingford was named TVAC Coach of the Year for the fourth time in the ’90s. In February of 1999, Coach Wallingford became the all-time winningest basketball coach in Milligan’s history with a record of 235-130 in 11 seasons and an average of 21.3 wins per season.
For outstanding teamwork and many Milligan firsts, we are pleased to induct the 1998-1999 Milligan men’s basketball team into the 2006 Athletics Hall of Fame.