Jack McCracken
Men's Basketball Student-Athlete
Northwest Missouri (1929-31)
One of Henry Iba's brightest stars on the hardwood was "Jumpin' Jack" McCracken, who was named the AAU's All-Time Greatest Player in 1939. McCracken led his team to 43 consecutive wins including a perfect 31-0 record in 1929-30. McCracken was a two-time All-American at Northwest (1930, 1931) and an eight-time AAU All-American. He won AAU national titles in 1937, 1939 and 1942. He was a three-time All-MIAA selection, in 1930, 1931 and 1932.
McCracken was the first athlete to be inducted into Northwest's "M" Club Hall of Fame, which came in 1980. He was enshrined into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in the inaugural class of 1962, was inducted into the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame in 1968, and was inducted into the Helm's Hall of Fame in 1957. There is a dormitory on Northwest's campus named in his honor (McCracken Hall). He earned his nickname, "Jumpin' Jack", with his stunning leaping ability. He was one of the first players to effectively use the jump shot.