ELGIN, Ill. --- Perhaps no athlete in Prairie State College history has embodied the school's nickname more so than Jermaine Love-Roberts.
 
In every sense of the word, the former PSC men's basketball legend truly was, and still is, a "Pioneer".
 
Prairie State's first ever NJCAA All-American in men's basketball is now also PSC's first student-athlete ever to be inducted into the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference Hall of Fame.
 
Love-Roberts now joins former Prairie State Director of Athletics, Bob Fairbank, and retired Director of Institutional Support Services, Paulette Maurer, in the Skyway hall of fame.
 
The induction ceremony, which took place June 9 at Elgin Community College, witnessed Love-Roberts deliver a passionate and off-the-cuff induction speech.
 
Love-Roberts, who is in the midst of a tremendous 10-year run as a professional basketball player in Europe, was both a two-time All-Skyway and All-NJCAA Region IV selection following his two years at PSC.  He was named PSC's first men's basketball All-American following the 2010 season.
 
"This (hall of fame) is very important to me," an emotional Love-Roberts said during his induction speech.  "Prairie State changed my life.  I wouldn't be where I am today without Prairie State."
 
PSC head coach, Mike Manderino, introduced Love-Roberts and made certain that the audience knew full well that the former Rich East High School product was more than deserving of his latest honor.
 
"When I say great things happen to him, that really is a mistake," Manderino said.  "Great things didn't just happen.  These things don't just happen.  Everything that has come his way, Jermaine Love-Roberts has made it happen.
 
"When he walked into our gym, he was always the hardest worker in the gym," Manderino said.  "He was coachable, he would accept responsibility for his mistakes and make sure he didn't make them again.  He was unselfish, he was a tremendous teammate.  He was never satisfied or complacent as a basketball player."
 
Love-Roberts also made sure to recognize the influence that Manderino's tutelage had on his career.

"I want to personally thank Mike Manderino for always challenging me." Love-Roberts said. "He has always kept me humble when I'm thinking that greatness & excellence is an off/on switch. Versus the habits to create for yourself on a daily basis. For seeing me for who I was, yet seeing the potential I had if I was willing to believe and put the work in."