 When Halbrook joined the Oregon State Beavers, "Life magazine" declared him the "World's Tallest Basketball Player" in their Jan. 18, 1954 issue.Under legendary head coach Slats Gill, he instantly turned the team into a national title contender, earning All-American status in 1955 and All-Pacific Coast Conference first team and All-Northern Division first team honors in 1954 and 1955, the only two seasons he played.As of 2006, he still holds the top 3 spots on Oregon State's single game rebound records, his top performance of 36 being tied for 15th in NCAA history.