University of Wisconsin, Eau Claire

Gib Hinz was inducted into the Blugold Hall of Fame in 1997.

Hinz is one of only three 7-footers who have donned a Blugold uniform, becoming a prolific scorer with 1,796 points during a 118-game career for an 15.2 points per game average. He also grabbed 952 rebounds (8.1 average) and shot 54% from the field and 72% from the foul line. Hinz was a three-time All-Conference and All-District selection and a First Team NAIA All-American as a senior after being a Second Team pick as a junior. He played on three conference championship and two district championship teams and was a member of two national tournament teams, making a Final Four appearance in 1980. Hinz was the Milwaukee Journal’s Conference Player of the Year his senior year and was also the MVP of the first conference All-Star game.

He was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs of the NBA but played in France one year and with the CBA. His longest basketball stint occurred with Athletes in Action for all but one season between 1981 and 1989. He also spent two years playing in Australia. At the time of his induction to the Blugold Hall of Fame, Hinz was a resident dean and varsity boys basketball coach at Caronport High School in Caronport, Saskatchewan and an instructor at Briercrest Bible College. He had a five-year boys’ basketball coaching record of 102-36 and had taken three Caronport teams to the Provincial (state equivalent) championships with two second-place finishes and a third.