Prairie View A&M will be represented in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as legendary center Zelmo Beaty was selected as a member of the Class of 2016.

A native of Hillster, Texas, Zelmo "Big Z" Beaty was a powerful force for Prairie View A&M averaging 25 points and 20 rebounds per game (1958-62). He led the Panthers to the 1962 NAIA Championship while earning the Chuck Taylor MVP Award. As a pro, he was a standout for the St. Louis Hawks and the ABA Utah Stars as an undersized center with a strong inside game and fierce rebounding ability.

As a two-time NBA All-Star (1966, 1968) and three-time ABA All-Star, he averaged a double-double in scoring and rebounding for his career. Beaty won an ABA Championship in 1971 with the Stars and was awarded the ABA Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award. Beaty was named to the ABA All-Time Team and inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame in 2014.

A member of the 2014 National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame, Beaty died from cancer on Aug. 27, 2013 at his home in Bellevue, Wash. He was 73 years old.

The 2016 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony will take place Sept. 8-10 in Springfield, Mass.