Xavier Athletics Announces Hall Of Fame Class For 2021

CINCINNATI - Xavier University Athletics is proud to announce the outstanding 2021 induction class for the P. Douglas O' Keefe Xavier University Athletic Hall of Fame, which will bring the total number of members in the Hall of Fame to 148.

2021 HOF CLASS

This year's class includes a pair of men's basketball players who led Xavier to championship success, Justin E. Cage ('07) and Gary L. Lumpkin ('99). Luke C. Spencer ('13) helped moved men's soccer into the national spotlight, while Dennis F. Caponi ('67) enjoyed success on the football squad. Doug D. Matthews ('09) put together the most successful playing career in men's tennis history and has been the head men's and women's tennis coach at Xavier since 2015.

THE INDUCTION WEEKEND

The date of the Hall of Fame induction awards dinner will be Saturday, Nov. 20 at Cintas Center. The class will also be honored at the noon men's basketball game vs. Norfolk State on Sunday, Nov. 21. Waugh will also be honored at the 4 p.m. women's basketball game vs. Valparaiso on Nov. 21.

For more information click on the Hall of Fame Registration Site

JUSTIN CAGE

Justin Cage, who started all four years as a Musketeer basketball standout, was part of three NCAA Tournament teams, including as a freshman starter for XU's first-ever NCAA Elite Eight team in 2004.

Cage, who was selected to the Atlantic 10 Conference All-Defensive Team in each of his final three seasons, started his final 113 straight games and played in 131 career games, helping Xavier win 89 games. The 2004 squad, which ended the season on what XU fans still refer to as The Run, defeated then undefeated and No. 1 Saint Joseph's 87-67 as part of the A-10 Tournament performance. XU defeated Louisville, Mississippi State and Texas in the 2004 NCAA Tournament before falling 66-63 to Duke in the Musketeers' first-ever NCAA Regional Final appearance.

Cage helped Xavier reach the NCAA Tournament three times in four years, finishing his career with a career-high 25 points on 8-of-8 shooting from the field in the heartbreaking 2007 NCAA Second Round overtime loss to No. 1 Ohio State. After his graduation in 2007, Cage enjoyed a long and successful career overseas.

Cage earned plenty of other Atlantic 10 honors during his Xavier career, including 2005 Third Team All-Atlantic 10 and his remarkable effort in the 2006 Atlantic 10 Tournament that earned him 2006 A-10 Championship Most Outstanding Player Award honors. Cage averaged a team-high 14.3 ppg. on 72.4 percent (21-of-29) shooting from the field in leading Xavier to four wins in four days in the 2006 Atlantic 10 Championship at U.S. Bank Arena in Cincinnati. Cage scored 19 points, hitting 7-of-8 shots from the field, to go with four assists and two blocks in the Atlantic 10 Championship win over Saint Joseph's. One of the two blocks was the game-saving blocked shot he had at the end of the game in XU's 62-61 win over SJU. It was the second time Cage had helped XU win four games in four days in the Atlantic Tournament, something XU also did in his freshman year in 2004.

Cage is in his 15^th season playing professional basketball overseas, including his 14^th in Belgium.

DENNIS CAPONI

Dennis Caponi, a four-year letter winner at fullback and linebacker for Xavier football, entered Xavier in the fall of 1963 on full scholarship and played freshman football (freshmen were not allowed on varsity). In 1964, he made the varsity team as starting fullback and defensive linebacker. Due to limited substitutions, he needed to play both ways. In 1965 unlimited substitution was introduced by the NCAA and a new defensive position was created, called the X Man, and Caponi was the first to play at that rover position. The team had its best record in years at 8-2 . He also played on short yardage situations as a fullback.

In 1966 Caponi started as the X Man and played on short yardage situations on offense. He played the entire game on defense and offense against Dayton. Caponi was Most Valuable Defensive Player his junior year, and Most Valuable Player and elected to the Legion of Honor his senior year. Xavier defeated the University of Dayton three out of his four years, University of Cincinnati in '65 and '66, and went 3-0 in the Mythical Miami Valley Conference in '65.

Caponi was drafted in the 15th round of the 1967 AFL Draft by Kansas City and in the first round of the CFL Draft by the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. Caponi enlisted in the Military from 1967-70 where he received the Army Commendation Medal for distinguished meritorious service. He coached and played football for the Giessen and the Eagles in USAEurope during his time in the military. Caponi went on to play professional football for the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League in 1970 but suffered a season-ending knee injury. He then played semi-professional football for the Semi-Pro Toronto Bramalea Satellites in '71 where he was voted captain and led the team to a championship. He retired from football in 1972.

GARY LUMPKIN

Gary Lumpkin was a four-year starter at point guard in Xavier's first four seasons in the Atlantic 10 Conference after making the big jump from the MCC in 1995. Lumpkin still ranks in the top 20 in scoring in Xavier history with 1,507 points and is in the top 10 in assists in Xavier history with 470, which ranks eighth. XU won 83 games in his four seasons, including 70 wins over his final three seasons along with two NCAA Tournament berths and a third-place finish in the 1999 NIT.
Lumpkin, a 1995-96 Atlantic 10 Conference All-Rookie Team selection, took over the all-important point guard duties under the late Skip Prosser, one of three freshman starters on a team that faced a conference schedule with the No. 1 team in the country, UMass, and two other top 25 teams, Virginia Tech and George Washington. Lumpkin led XU to an 8-8 league record in its first season the A-10, including a near upset of then-No. 1 and undefeated UMass. XU lost that game 78-74 in overtime but sent a message that XU could compete with anyone in its new league.

Lumpkin earned 1996-97 First Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference honors as a sophomore after leading the team in assists at 4.3 apg. and finishing second in scoring to future XU Hall of Famer Lenny Brown at 14.7 ppg. Lumpkin led Xavier to a 23-6 overall record and the 1997 Atlantic 10 West Division Championship at 13-3, XU's first A-10 regular season title, and an NCAA Tournament appearance, advancing to the second round with a win over Vanderbilt. Lumpkin, who earned 1998 Third Team All-A-10 honors, led the Musketeers to a 22-8 overall mark, XU's first Atlantic 10 Tournament Championship and a second straight trip to the NCAA Tournament. Lumpkin's senior year, Xavier won 25 games and finished third in the 1999 postseason NIT.

Lumpkin is back home in Delaware and entering his second year as the head coach at his alma mater, William Penn High School.

DOUG MATTHEWS

Doug Matthews, a four-year star for the tennis team, took the program to new heights as the most decorated men's tennis player in school history.

Matthews was a member of the Xavier men's tennis team from 2005-09, leading Xavier to back-to-back Atlantic 10 Conference championships in his junior and senior years and the first-ever men's tennis team appearances in the NCAA Tournament in 2008 and 2009. While at XU he compiled a 75-47 career singles record, which ranks fourth all-time at Xavier. In doubles, he ranks third all-time with a 75-52 career record and he is second all-time at Xavier in total wins with a 150-99 career record.

The long list of accomplishments Matthews earned as a student-athlete while at Xavier include being named to the Atlantic 10 All-Conference team four consecutive years, earning an Atlantic 10's Rookie of the Year award in 2006, and being named the Atlantic 10's Most Outstanding Performer in 2008 and 2009. Additionally, Matthews earned Xavier's Rev. Paul O'Connor Award, given annually to the university's male student-athlete that represents the ideal of the school based on academic and athletic excellence.

Matthews has won 16 Cincinnati Met Championships, including singles, doubles and mixed doubles titles. In 2014 he paired with his wife Kara, a former standout from the Xavier women's tennis team, to earn the nation's No. 1 ranking for a husband and wife doubles team.

Matthews, the head coach of the Xavier men's and women's programs since 2015, led the Xavier women's program to its first BIG EAST Conference Championship in 2016, marking the first team championship for Xavier on the women's side since joining the BIG EAST in 2013. The 2016 BIG EAST Championship earned the Musketeer women's program its first-ever berth to the NCAA Tournament. Xavier's women also posted a record-breaking season, winning a school-record 20 straight matches to earn the No. 1 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament. The Musketeers finished the season with a school-record 22 wins. Matthews led the women's program to its second BIG EAST Championship and a return to the NCAA Tournament in 2021.

LUKE SPENCER

Luke Spencer was a key member of two Xavier men's soccer championship teams and also made a big impact on the Musketeer record book. Spencer helped push the Musketeer soccer program into the national spotlight.

Spencer finished his career with the Musketeers third all-time in career points (79), sixth all-time in career assists (21), and tied fourth all-time in career goals (29). The stats speak loudly as does the fact that Spencer was voted First Team All-Atlantic 10 Conference in 2012 and Second Team All-Conference in 2011.

Spencer made an impact from the beginning for the Musketeers, earning a spot on the A-10 All-Rookie Team in 2009. One of the most impressive things about Spencer's career is that he clearly improved every year in a Xavier uniform whether it was in goals, assists, or leading the team to wins.

The team's improvement during Spencer's career was dramatic and he was a major driving force in that success. The Musketeers went 2-13-1 during Spencer's freshman year and improved to 14-3-5 by his senior year. Throughout those four years the Musketeers won two A-10 tournament championships in 2010 and 2011, both of which Spencer was named to the all-tournament team. Spencer played in the NCAA Tournament in 2010, 2011 and 2012. Spencer led the Musketeers to their first NCAA win against Kentucky by scoring the only goal of the match in a 1-0 victory.

Spencer was drafted No. 23 by the New England Revolution in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft and played professionally for FC Cincinnati and Louisville City FC. After battling injury early in his professional career, Spencer returned to the pitch in 2016 as a player with FC Cincinnati before joining Louisville City FC in 2017 and leading the team in scoring. Spencer won two USL Championships with Louisville City in 2017 and 2018. In 2018 he was named Finals MVP for scoring the only goal in a 1-0 victory. Spencer retired from playing after the 2020 season and is currently the Louisville City Boys Academy Director.

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