KINGSTON, RI --- The New England Basketball Hall of Fame has announced its Inaugural Class, which will be inducted into the new hall of fame October 4, 2002 at the University of Rhode Island.

Assumption College will be represented by four individuals . . . the most accorded to any Division II institution. Former coach and athletics director ANDY LASKA, former player and coach JOE O'BRIEN '57, alum and present athletics director and coach at Salem State College TIM SHEA '72 and former player JOY BARRY '93, who will be inducted as part of the 1986-87 Nashua High team which finished undefeated.

ANDY LASKA

The man who could very well be described as Worcester's greatest ambassador of the game, Andy Laska has left a incredible trail of success at the high school, prep school, collegiate and amateur levels.

His final won loss ledger of 224-96 tells only a part of the story of his legacy to the game in Central Massachusetts.

He began as one of the outstanding high school players in the city's history averaging 20 points per game (during a time when teams regularly averaged under 40) leading North High to the Western Massachusetts championship and into the New England tournament. He earned all Inter-High (1941, 42, 43) , all-Worcester (1941, 42, 43), all-state (1941) and all New England (1943).

After time out for three years of military service in the Pacific, he played collegiately at the College of the Holy Cross. The Crusaders won the 1947 national title and played in the N.I.T. in 1949. He co-captained the 1949 team that set then record 26-game win streak.
He served as basketball coach (1951-67), golf coach (1969-86), Director of Athletics (1956-86). He also served coach at Worcester Academy (1954-56) . . . winning the New England Prep title in 1954.

He organized and conducted basketball clinics in Lebanon (1965) and served as business manager of the U.S.A. National Team (1975). He was named the new England Coach-of-the-Year in 1957 and 1964, was elected to the Assumption College Athletic Hall of Fame (1967) and had the Assumption College gymnasium dedicated and renamed in his honor (September 20, 1975).

Included in his trail of success are the following:

a. 1953-54, the first winning season in Hounds' history since 1933-34;
b. 1954-55, the first N.A.I.A. tournament team in the College's history;
c., 1956-57, team finished 21-1 led by captain Joe O'Brien '57, declined N.A.I.A. bid to play and beat Holy Cross (69-68) in the Pete Houston
Benefit Game. Still the ONLY team in Hounds' history to play and beat
both Holy Cross and Providence in the same season.
d. 1957-58, team won N.A.I.A. regional tournament and advanced to its
first national tournament in Kansas City, MO.
e. the College is admitted to the National Collegiate Athletic Association
and celebrates with its first N.C.A.A. tournament berth
f. team get second N.C.A.A. tournament berth, the first of an N.C.A.A. Division II record 17 consecutive;

As athletics director he was involved in the implementation of Title IX on campus including adding scholarship aid for female athletes (1976) . . . the first institution in Central Massachusetts to do so. He was also instrumental in the formation of the Northeast-10 Conference, which has now grown to 15 institutions.
He coached eight all-Americans during his tenure at the College including: Buddy Masterson '60, Fred Barakat '61, Ed Hippert '62, John Jenkins '64, Steve Warner
'64, Jim Monahan '65, John Driscoll '66 and George Ridick '67.

COACHING RECORD AT ASSUMPTION COLLEGE
1951-52 6-10
1952-53 5-12
1953-54 11-8 first winning season at College since 1933-34
1954-55 13-5 N.A.I.A. regional
1955-56 15-7 N.A.I.A. regional
1956-57 21-1 did not accept N.A.I.A. berth to play Holy Cross
in Pete Houston Benefit (winning 69-68)
1957-58 16-4 N.A.I.A. regional CHAMPION
1958-59 13-5
1959-60 14-6 N.C.A.A. regional
1960-61 14-5
1961-62 12-5
1962-63 14-5 N.C.A.A. regional
1963-64 19-2 N.C.A.A. regional; ranked No. 2 final A.P. national poll
1964-65 16-6 N.C.A.A. regional
1965-66 18-6 N.C.A.A. regional CHAMPION
1966-67 17-5 N.C.A.A. regional

JOE O'BRIEN '57
The all-time winningest men's basketball coach at the College, former standout player and former Executive Director of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, JOE O'BRIEN has left an indelible mark on basketball, athletics and most importantly, the College.
His final won-loss ledger read 321-173 and included in his amazing trail of success are the following:
a. 12 N.C.A.A. tournament teams, including 10 consecutive from 1967-68 through 1976-77;
b. an N.C.A.A. Division II record five consecutive regional tournament championships (1971, 72, 73, 74, 75)
c. an N.C.A.A. Division II record three consecutive national third-place finishes (1973, 74, 75);
d. six seasons with 20 or more victories (1970-71, 71-72, 72-73, 73-74, 74 75, 82-83)
e. one Northeast-8 Conference championship (1982-83)
f. one E.C.A.C. Division II-III tournament team (1979-80)
g. three New England College Division Coach-of-the-Year awards (1969 70, 70-71, 72-73)
Born in Bayonne, New Jersey, O'Brien was a standout at St. Peter's Prep before accepting the first full grant-in-aid scholarship to the College in June of 1953. He played on the first winning men's basketball team in 22 years and later captained the first of many great teams (1956-57) in the storied history of the sport at Assumption College.

That team, which finished 21-1, owned impressive road victories over Holy Cross, Providence and Fairfield. He finished his playing career with 969 points (currently 34th on the Hounds' list) and was acclaimed as one of the premier defenders in the region. His teams finished with a final record of 60-21 for a .741 winning percentage.

After a one-year hitch in the service, O'Brien returned to the College as baseball coach, cross country coach, assistant basketball coach, and assistant athletics director in 1958.

From 1967-85 he was the model of consistency and the envy of all Division II coaches. He served his profession as President of the National Association of Basketball Coaches (1983-84) and in that position became involved with the Hall of Fame as a member of its Board of Directors. He coached at the International Sports Festival in 1982 and was inducted into the Assumption College Hall of Fame in 1971.
O'Brien finished his tenure with the Greyhounds with a 60-21 record as a player, 137-45 record as an assistant coach and 321-173 won-loss record as head coach . . . a final total of 518-239 for a .684 percentage.
He coached seven all-Americas (honored 11 times) . . Eric Inauen '69, Jake Jones '71, Mike Boylan '73, John Grochowalski '75, Jim Boylan, Bill Wurm '77 and David Hankins '80; six academic all-Americas . . . Bill Wurm '77, Vin Hoffman '77, Matt Leyden '80, Ken Lynch, Larry Mehall '80, and Jim Moore '86; and three awarded N.C.A.A. post-graduate scholarships . . . Paul Brennan '75, Bill Wurm '77, Larry Mehall '80.

COACHING RECORD AT ASSUMPTION COLLEGE

1967-68 15-7 N.C.A.A. regional berth
1968-69 17-7 N.C.A.A. regional berth
1969-70 17-5 N.C.A.A. regional berth; ranked No. 1 in New England
O'Brien named New England Coach-of-the-Year
1970-71 25-2 N.C.A.A. regional CHAMPIONS
ranked No. 1 in New England and final U.P.I. national poll
O'Brien named New England Coach-of-the-Year
1971-72 21-6 N.C.A.A. regional CHAMPIONS
ranked No. 1 in New England
1972-73 25-3 N.C.A.A. regional CHAMPIONS, national THIRD PLACE
ranked No. 1 in New England
1973-74 22-7 N.C.A.A. regional CHAMPIONS, national THIRD PLACE
ranked No. 1 in New England
1974-75 22-8 N.C.A.A. regional CHAMPIONS, national THIRD PLACE
ranked No. 1 in New England
1975-76 16-12 N.C.A.A. regional
1976-77 19-10 N.C.A.A. regional
1977-78 13-13
1978-79 18-11 N.C.A.A. regional
1979-80 16-13 E.C.A.C. tournament
1980-81 8-19
1981-82 11-17
1982-83 21-11 N.C.A.A. regional
Northeast-8 tournament CHAMPION
1983-84 18-11
1984-85 17-11

TIM SHEA '72: architect of one of the nation's winningest programs, coach Tim Shea is now just 12 wins (488-110) shy of the magic 500 mark for his incredible 21-year women's basketball coaching career at Salem, MA State College
He has directed the Vikings to a record 19 straight N.C.A.A. tournaments, 18 Massachusetts State College Athletic Conference titles and 12 MASCAC playoff championships. His team won the national title in 1985-86 and has made the Final Four three times.
His 2001-02 team posted a 14-0 MASCAC record marking the 10th time the program has been undefeated improving his league mark to 69-1 over the last five seasons and 117-3 since 1993-94. His overall league record is a gaudy 257-17.
Shea who has produced 18 seasons with 20 or more wins came to the program from Salem High. In his three seasons at Salem High he led the team to a state title and two sectional finals. His three-year record was 70-3 with 51 straight victories.
A 1972 graduate of Assumption College, he was a four-year performer for the Greyhounds under Coach Joe O'Brien. His daughter Mackenzie will be a senior on this year's basketball team at the College.

JOY BARRY '93: was a sophomore starter on the 1986-87 Nashua, NH High School girl's team which will be inducted as a team. Nashua High was 88-0 during her illustrious career with four straight state titles before her arrival at Assumption College.
Barry dominated the Northeast-10 Conference for two years and then tore the ACL in her right knee in a summer league game. Although she returned a year later, and played exceptionally well, the days of her domination had ended.
She averaged 21.1 points and 12.9 rebounds in 1990-91 leading the Greyhounds to a team-record 16 wins and a fourth-place finish in the Northeast-10 playoffs. It was a year to remember for Barry as she became the first Hound to earn first-team Kodak all-America honors and was a finalist for Champion National Player-of-the-Year honors. She was also named first-team all-Northeast-10, first team E.C.A.C. Division II North and first-team W.B.C.A. all-District. She was the Player-of-the-Year for both the E.C.A.C. North and the Northeast-10.
She was named the winner of the Laska Award as the premier female Athlete of-the-Year in both 1990 and 1991. She was named to the Assumption College Hall of Fame last year.