Joe Corbett '03

February 20, 2002

SALEM, Va.—Hobart College junior Joe Corbett (Haverford School/Philadelphia, Pa.) was recently named one of 10 finalists for the Jostens Trophy, presented to the Division III Basketball Player of the Year. Corbett led the Statesmen in scoring, rebounding, and field goal percentage this season. The winner will be announced March 14 in conjunction with the NCAA Division III Men's Basketball Championship in Salem.

“This is the most tremendous accomplishment in a long list of accomplishments that Joe has achieved in his three years at Hobart,” Head Coach Rich Roche ’87 said. “This is another example of Joe bringing positive notoriety to Hobart College and our basketball program. My assistants and I are extremely proud of him, and his teammates are thrilled for him.”

The forward averaged 18.5 ppg, 12.2 rpg, and shot 55.7 percent from the floor. His rebounding average ranks third in Division III through Feb. 18. A five-time UCAA Forward of the Week this season, he posted 17 double-doubles this season to raise his career total to 49.

On Jan. 12, Corbett became just the 17th Statesman to record his 1,000th career point and he currently ranks ninth on Hobart’s all-time list with 1,239 points. He is within striking distance of both the career scoring and rebounding records. With 425 points—he’s averaged 486.5 per season over the past two years—he will eclipse career scoring leader Mike Masino ’88, and with 50 rebounds he will pass the benchmark established by Carmen Genovese ’70 (967).

No stranger to accolades, Corbett was named to the National Basketball Coaches Association Regional All-America team last season, while earning Player of the Year honors from the Eastern College Athletic Conference Upstate Region and the Upstate Collegiate Athletic Association. He was also named the 2000 UCAA Rookie of the Year.

In addition to his accomplishments on the court, Corbett has been equally impressive in the classroom and the community. An international relations major, he is a member of Hobart’s
Chimera Society, the junior honor society for those who exemplify character, loyalty, and leadership. A volunteer for several community projects, he is an active member of Celebrate Service, Celebrate Geneva Day, the Dream to Read Program, and the Hobart-YMCA youth basketball clinic. Corbett is also an organizer and fundraiser for Hobart’s “Your Buck Goes Here” program, which benefits Camp Onseyawa, a summer camp for children with special needs.

The winner of the Jostens Trophy is chosen by a national selection committee that consists of college coaches, former athletes, college administrators, and selected members of the media. The members of the national selection committee cast their votes based on three criteria: basketball ability, academic ability and community service. In conjunction with the awarding of the Jostens Trophy, is the presentation of the Wooldridge Scholarship. The scholarship will be given in the name of the Jostens Trophy recipient to the college or university which he attends.

The award is named after Dan Wooldridge, a Salem Rotarian and retired commissioner of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, as a way of honoring him for his life-long commitment to service and excellence. A veteran of the officiating ranks, Wooldridge is a Paul Harris Fellow and has in the past served as the Rotary Club’s President.

The Jostens Trophy and Wooldridge Scholarship Fund seek to honor the true Division III student-athlete: excellence in the classroom, on the playing court and in the community.

Hobart and William Smith Colleges are coordinate, private, liberal arts institutions, located in Geneva, N.Y. Hobart College for men and William Smith College for women share faculty, facilities, and curriculum, but maintain separate dean’s offices, athletics programs, student governments, and traditions. Hobart and William Smith field 21 intercollegiate varsity teams. Over the past 30 years, the Colleges have captured 20 national championships and dozens of conference championships.