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New Hall Finds Region Rich in Hoop Greats 8/29/2002 New Hall Finds Region Rich in Hoop Greats By Kevin McNamara Providence Journal When the organizers of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame met to select the initial class of inductees, who should be included clearly wasnt a problem. One great basketball name after another was discussed for the new hall, which will be housed at Keaney Gymnasium. A long and deliberate selection process identified a starry group of 100 players, coaches and teams. Induction ceremonies are planned for October 4 at URIs new Ryan Center. We did not want to create a New England Hall of Fame to honor only household names, said Dan Doyle, the Halls director and also executive director of URI Institute for International Sport. We wanted to touch on the various sectors, from a Special Olympian, to a junior college player, to a high school team in northern Maine. All made special contributions to the fiber of New England basketball. Any Hall of Fame needs priorities, and establishing them isnt always easy. This hall, for example, wont include Larry Bird or Bill Russell, arguably the two greatest Boston Celtics. The Celtics as an organization are on the list but individual players must have been born in the region, or played at a New England college. We did not choose to have professional players involved, Doyle said. Players had to have New England roots as an amateur, like a Bob Cousy at Holy Cross. We wanted this to be a grassroots Hall. Instead of an inaugural class of the cream of the New England crop, Doyle said the goal was to see a myriad of categories addressed right away. So that meant representatives from high schools in every state; players and coaches from Division II and Division III colleges; media members; Special Olympians; and Wheelchair players. As the categories grew, so did the list of impossible-to-keep-out nominees. For example, list the top Division 1 college coaches. Jim Calhoun won a national championship at Connecticut. Doggie Julian did the same at Holy Cross. Then you have Providence legends Joe Mullaney and Dave Gavitt. Finally, or maybe first, depending on and age and historical significance, there is URIs immortal Frank Keaney. Can you keep any of these five out of a Hall of Fame? We wanted to couch every constituency, and then apply reasonable restrictions to how many in each category. Obviously, thats not an easy call in every respect. Doyle said. Like any Hall of Fame (i.e. Jim Rices not being in Cooperstown) whos not on the list becomes easy fodder for hoop fans. For example, the five Division I mens players elected are PCs Jimmy Walker, and Ernie DiGregorio, Cousy and Tom Heinsohn of Holy Cross and Julius Erving of Massachusetts. But werent UConns Ray Allen and Richard Hamilton, Providences Marvin Barnes and Lenny Wilkens and UMasss Marcus Camby all more celebrated college players than Dr. J? The Hall voted in URI all-time great Ernie Calverley as a Pawtucket East high school star, freeing a slot for a college player. What was found is what Doyle originally believed: New England is blessed with a deep, rich basketball history that stretches all the way back to James Naismith and continues with great players and coaches today, such as Geno Auriemma, coach of UConns womens basketball team. The second, third and fourth classes, in some categories, will be just as good as the first, said Doyle. It will be 15-20 years before we touch everyone who really deserves this honor. The selection process obviously wasnt easy. The hall formed a nomination committee of 48 people, drawn from each New England state. Then 22 voters sifted through the more than 250 nominations. Rhode Island voters were Dick Lynch of the Interscholastic League, former PC, URI and Central High School coach Jimmy Adams, the Journals Bill Reynolds, ESPN basketball announcer Doris Burke and Bill Lynch, the halls lawyer. |
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Phone: 1-800-447-9889(401) 874-2375Fax: (401) 874-2429E-Mail: info@internationalsport.com
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Institute for International Sport
c/o International Scholar-Athlete Hall of Fame The Feinstein Building, University of Rhode Island 3045 Kingstown Road, P.O. Box 1710 Kingston, Rhode Island 02881-1710 |
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