Men's Basketball Cited by New England Basketball Hall of Fame as Scholar-Athlete Program

MENS BASKETBALL cited by N.E. Basketball Hall of Fame with Scholar-Program of Excellence Award

    The Assumption College men’s basketball program has been singled out as the recipient of this year’s Scholar-Athlete Program of Excellence Award. The award recognizes New England college basketball programs, which encourage classroom achievement, athletics success, and postgraduate career success.
    It is expected the head coach Serge DeBari ‘71 will accept on behalf the Greyhounds at the organization’s annual induction ceremony Friday, October 9 at the Mohegan Sun.  The event which will also recognize the latest inductees into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame is sold out.
    Middlebury College has been selected as the women’s basketball program recipient for 2009.
    “This is the most important award we have ever given at the New England Basketball Hall of Fame,’’ said Dan Doyle, executive director of the Institute for International Sport, which administers the New England Basketball Hall of Fame.
    “All too often, a number of college athletes leave school without the skills required by a global economy,” said Doyle. “For this reason, it’s extremely important to recognize intercollegiate basketball programs which are committed to developing the whole person and not just the athlete. Based on all of the factors we considered, we concluded that there are no finer intercollegiate basketball programs in America than the Assumption College men and Middlebury College women.”
    “We are very proud and honored,”  said DeBari.  “This award is about the long-term committment that Assumption College has made to the whole package.  It’s about a body of work as opposed to just winning games.  We want our student-athletes to compete hard for four years and earn their degree.”

    Eight other former players with ties to the Greyhounds men and women’s programs will also be honored at the event.
    Three former players will honored in the Ronald S. Perry Category.  Named in honor of the Holy Cross legend Ron Perry, the category honors individuals who have excelled in one or more of the following New England Basketball Hall of Fame categories, high school player, high school coach, college player, college coach, referee or administrator/contributor.
    Named in this category are the late Felix E. (Buddy) Masterson ‘60, Theodore S. (Ted) Paulauskas ‘67, the present Director of Athletics at the College, and the late Christopher M. (Chris) Kiernan ‘65.
   
    Masterson was a four-year starter on the basketball team for Coach Andrew Laska and the first to earn all-America honors at the College.  He scored a then career record 1,302 points and averaged 16.1 points-per-game. His teams posted an amazing 64-16 overall record (.800) and were invited to partipate in three postseason tournaments including the first N.C.A.A. berth in 1959-60.
    He was the "cool" freshman on the Greyhounds' amazing 21-1 team in 1956-57 that capped the season with a 69-68 win over crosstown rival Holy Cross College---the 1954 N.I.T. champions. Masterson scored 20 points to lead the Hounds' offense that night.
    He averaged in double figures, 13.2, 15.1, 16.8 and finally 19.4 in his four season and was the first Greyhound to have over 400 points (407) in a single season.  He was inducted into the Alumni-Athletics Hall of Fame in 1972 and later coached at crosstown Worcester State College.

    Paulauskas, the first alum to serve as Director of Athletics at the College in 47 years.  A Worcester-area native, he was a standout athlete at St. John's High and then went on to carve his niche at the College---earning all-New England honors three straight years.
    His first game for the Greyhounds was memorable---the dedication game for the new gym and a win over nationally ranked Providence College. He was Most Valuable Player in two Worcester JayCee Holiday Tournaments and finished his playing career in the New England all-star game. His teams posted an overall record of 70-19 qualifying for four N.C.A.A. regional tournaments. He served as the last captain in the Coach Andy Laska Era and was elected to the Alumni-Athletics Hall of Fame in 1994.
    He began his professional career as coach at Fitchburg High (1967-69) and later returned to the College as an assistant basketball coach under Joe O'Brien. He then spent a year as an assistant basketball coach at Dartmouth College (1973-74) before beginning an association with Saint Anselm College including head basketball coach (1974-81).

    Kiernan, a former standout performer and captain with the Greyhounds was part of three N.C.A.A. postseason teams in 1963, 64 and 65.  He scored 23 points in the Greyhounds 88-80 win over N.I.T. champion Providence College in the gymnasium dedication game in 1963.
    Following graduation, he worked at the College as Assistant Director of Admissions and Financial Aid before joining Saint Joseph’s College, ME. In 10 years at St. Joseph’s during the 1970’s, he worked simultaneously as Dean of Student Affairs, Director of Admissions/Financial Aid, Director of Athletics and Men’s Basketball Coach.
    He pioneered the Monks' basketball program and coached the team for nine seasons (1971-78). Prior to the team’s first season of play, he obtained the team’s first uniforms from Assumption Prep, whose nickname was the “Monks.” With this moniker on its jersey, St. Joseph's adopted the Monks as its mascot as well.
    In 1980, he moved on to Salve Regina University (Newport, RI) where he served as Assistant to the President for Development of Enrollment, Dean of Admissions, Vice-President of Student Services, and Vice-President for Academic Affairs/Academic Dean and Academic Vice-President. He also was responsible for the expansion of the varsity athletics programs and helped guide Salve Regina to University status.

    Former women’s standouts, Ann McInerney ‘89 and Charde Floyd ‘08 will be inducted in the high school category. 
    McInerney, now an assistant coach at the College of the Holy Cross, was a standout performer at Burncoat High (Worcester, MA) before embarking on a Hall of Fame (1997) career at Assumption College. She is among the career leaders in points (1,406) and rebounds (1,076) the Northeast-10 Conference Player-of-the-Year in 1989.  She is the only Northeast-10 Conference personality to be named its Player-of-the-Year (1989) and Coach-of-the-Year (2005), while coaching at Merrimack College.
    Floyd scored 1,212 points and added 1,056 rebounds in a great career with the Greyhounds.  She served as a two-time captain (2006-07, 2007-08) and led the team to the N.C.A.A. regionals as a senior. She was named a Northeast-10 Conference all-star three times, the conference Freshman-of-the-Year (2005) and its Defensive Player-of-the-Year (2008).

    And, finally, the Clark University (Worcester, MA) High School Tournament will be inducted along with its three “outstanding” players.  Those players, Paul Baker ’84 (Northbridge High School), Bill Herrion (Oxford High School) and Cliff Smith ’73 (Leicester High School) all played collegiately for the Greyhounds.

    Greyhounds Elected to the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in the past . . .
1970-71 men’s basketball team
Fred Barakat ‘61 (player, college coach)
Charlie Bibaud ‘55 (high school coach)
Art Bomengen ‘75 (women’s official)
Mike Boylan ‘73 (player)
Serge DeBari ‘71 (player, coach)
John Grochowalski ‘75 (player)
Edd Hippert ‘62 (player, high school coach)
Jake Jones ‘71 (player)
Joe Lane ‘60 (player, high school coach)
Andy Laska H’90 (player, coach, administrator)
Joe O’Brien ‘57 (player, coach, adminsitrator)
Kerry Phayre (player, coach)
Tim Shea ‘72 (coach)

Greyhound Men’s Basketball Alumni (Laska/O’Brien Years)

EDUCATION
Charles Aleksiewicz '65    Dir. Alumni Relations, Bancroft School, Worcester, MA
Ed Ballo '63    Ret. Social Studies Supervisor, Old Bridge, NJ Public Schools
J. Brian Benestad '63    Professor, University of Scranton, Scranton, PA
Charlie Bibaud '55    Ret. Teacher/Coach/Admin, Assumption Prep, Worcester, MA
            and Saint John's High School, Shrewsbury, MA
Joey Bouchard '58            Ret. Director, Exp. Education, U. Southern Maine, Gorham, ME
Bob Boule '69            Principal, Burrillville, RI High School
Bob Bourque '73            Teacher, Turkey Hill Middle School, Lunenburg, MA
Neal Burgess '72            Ret. Guidance Counselor/Coach, Gardner, MA High School
Roger Coulombe '60            Ret. Headmaster, Steward School, Richmond, VA
Chris Erali '75            Teacher/Coach, Spencer/East Brookfield, MA School Dept.
Ron Goba '58            Ret. Chairman, English Dept., Hingham, MA High School
Ed Hippert '62            Teacher/Coach, Saint John's High School, Shrewsbury, MA
            and Also Saint Mary's H.S., Leicester H.S., Tantasqua H.S., David Prouty H.S.
Mike Kearney '84            Teacher/Coach, Msgr. Donovan High School, Tom's River, NJ
Joe Lane '60            Ret. Alumni Director/Coach, Saint John's High School, Shrewsbury, MA
Don Lemenager '56            Ret. Superintendent, Worcester, MA Vocational Schools
Roger Lemanager '57            Ret. Asst. Supt. of Schools, Martha's Vineyard, MA
Harold Lewis '85            Project Instructor, Rebobeth Instructional Center, Decatur, GA
John Massaro '63            Professor, Politics, S.U.N.Y., Potsdam, NY
John Moylan '54            Ret. Principal, DeMatha High School, Hyattsville, MD
Brian O'Brien '71            Asst. Principal, Burncoat High School, Worcester, MA
Bill Ormond '56            Ret. English Teacher, Burncoat High School, Worcester, MA
Mike Parichuk '72            Guidance Counselor/Ret. Coach, Kittatinny High School, Newton, NJ
Darryl Parker '85            Teacher, West Side Middle School, Waterbury, CT
Bob Peterson '66            Teacher/Coach, Lake Brantley, FL High School
Laval Provencher '60            Ret. Social Coordinator, Holliston, MA High School
Ed Rodrigues '76            Teacher/ret. Coach, New Bedford, MA High School
Scott Schoonmaker '86            Principal, Old Saybrook, CT High School
Dan Small '73            Director, Student Finance, George Washington University, Washington, DC
Joe Strazdes '69            Teacher, Scituate, MA High School
Ted Strojny '71            Teacher, Wrentham, MA Public Schools
Emile Trahan '60            Education Consultant/Coach, Princeton, MA
John Wheeler '66            Math/Computer Science Teacher, Northbridge, MA High School
 
COACHING/ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION
Fred Barakat '61            Ret. Associate Commissioner, Atlantic Coast Conference, Greensboro, NC
            Ret. Coach Fairfield University, Assumption College
Bill Broderick '62            Physical Education Director, Bayonne, NJ Public Schools
Serge DeBari '71            Men's Basketball Coach, Assumption College, Worcester, MA
Tom Malin '69            Director of Athletics, East Catholic High School, Manchester, CT
Tom O'Connor '68            Asst. V-P, Athletics Director, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Ted Paulauskas '66            Director of Athletics, Assumption College, Worcester, MA
            Ret. Director of Athletics, Saint Anselm College, Manchester, NH
Tim Shea '72            Director of Athletics/Women's Basketball Coach, Salem State College, Salem, MA
 
MEDICAL/DENTAL
Gill Bastien '64            Dentist, Marshfield, MA
Chris Dooley '75            Physician, Emergency Physicians of Pittsburgh, PA
Dick Gray '61            Dental Surgeon, North Palm Beach, FL
Steve Hiro '67            Chairman, General Surgery, Institute of Montana, Missoula, MN
John Jenkins '64            Cardiologist/Surgeon, South Bend, IN
Roland LaFerte '57            Ret. Urologist-Surgeon, Mashpee, MA
Fred Scollan '57            Dental Surgeon, LaCrosse, WI
Steve Warner '64            Orthodontist, Sturbridge, MA
 
CONSTRUCTION/MANUFACTURING
Tom Arsenault '73            Owner, Renovations Plus, Hunterville, NC
Jim Baroody '81            Manager, W.L. Gore and Associates, Salem, NH
Mike Boylan '73            V-P, Golf Promotions, Wilson Co., Chicago, IL
Paul DelPizzo '85            Owner, Del Pizzo Construction Co., Nashua, NH
Tom Mack '71            President, FMK Manufacturing, Shrewsbury, MA
Normand Marois '57            Ret. President, Marois Bros. Construction, Millbury, MA
Jim Moore '86            World Controller, Allegro Micro Systems, Worcester, MA
Bill Pederson '72            Senior Cost Accountant, Integra Radionics, Burlington, MA
Ken Rowe '84            Project Consultant, Falcon Products, Fort Mill, SC
Jim Small '72            Owner, Small Carpentry Co., Leominster, MA
Steve Waitekus '83            Production Supervisor, Raytheon Co., Andover, MA
Dave Walsh '79            Regional Manager, Bassett Mirror Co., East Greenwich, RI
Tom Wurm '79            Program Manager, Dynamics Research, Andover, MA
 
GOVERNMENT CITY/TOWN SERVICES/LAW ENFORCEMENT
Tom Connolly '77            Director of Communications, District Attorneys Office, Worcester, MA
Tim Cooney '62            Executive Director, National Safety Council, Worcester, MA
            Former Mayor/Councilman, Worcester, MA
Mike Graham '66            Ret. Attorney General, State of New Jersey, Verona, NJ
Joe Hanlon '66            Ret. Agent, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington, DC
            Private Investigator, Anchorage, AK
Eric Inauen '69            Ret. Deputy Fire Chief, North Hudson Regional Fire Dept., N. Bergen, NJ
Jake Jones '71            Director, Commerce and Economics, Long Branch, NJ
Henry Koch '73            Monmouth County Clerk, Manalpan, NJ
Jim Monahan '65            Ret. Agent, U.S. Secret Service, Washington, DC
Rich Tucker '78            Social Worker, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, South Yarmouth, MA
Mike Wood '82            Computer Technician, Dept. of Public Health, Swampscott, MA
 
PROFESSIONAL/BUSINESS SERVICE
Michael Alston '84            Manager, Kohl's Department Store, New Jersey
Dave Aubuchon '63            Supervisor, W.E. Aubuchon Hardware, Inc., Westminster, MA
Bob Austin '72            Executive Manager, Workforce Technical Training, Waterford, CT
Paul Baker '84            Real Estate Agent, Paul Baker Appraisals, Northbridge, MA
Dave Benoit '76            Sr. Consultant, USI Insurance, New York, NY
Dick Bill '62            Ret. President, Servinational Logistics, Dublin, OH
Tom Bill '69            District Business Manager, Nexar Technologies, Poynette, WI
John Boucher '86            Senior V-P, Oracle USA Software, Burlington, MA
Paul Chabot '59            Senior Buyer, Capital Enterprise, Maynard, MA
Norm Desmarais '59            Ret. V-P, American Management Systems, Manassas, VA
John Driscoll '67            V-P, EMS, Inc., Wallingford, CT
John Gaudette '69            Director, Human Relations, USF Surface Preparation, Neunan, GA
Mike Kilrain '82            Director of Business Development, SAS Programmers, Reston, VA
Gerry Martin '80            V-P, Polar Beverage Co., Worcester, MA
Dick McGrath '59            President, Harvest Management, Worcester, MA
Denis Richard '75            Self-employed insurance broker, Worcester, MA
John Ryan '81            Owner, Alphagraphics, Waltham, MA
Jeff Scott '74            Insurance Underwriter, Bay Shore, NY
Gary Sergo '76            Software Engineer, Automation Group, Green Cove Springs, FL
Cliff Smith '73            Field Representative, Federal Express, Worcester, MA
Joe Sweeney '59            Ret. V-P, J.M. Layton Insurance, Meriden, CT
 
FINANCIAL SERVICES/BANKING
Paul Brennan '75            V-P, Prudential Douglas Elliman, Bridgehampton, NY
Dave Conroy '83            Global Head of Trade, CitiGroup, New York, NY
Matt Dunn '89            Marketing V-P, Franchise Mortgage Acceptance, West Boylston, MA
Brian Frawley '75            Associate Consultant, Hay Group, Boston, MA
John Grochowalski '75            V-P, Sunguard Planning, Westboro, MA
David Hankins '80            V-P, Sun's Eastern Regional Banking Group, Tom's River, NJ
Bill Hatten '77            Director, Asst Management, CitiStreet, Quincy, MA
Vin Hoffman '77            Manager, Ropes & Gruy, Boston, MA
Jake Kojalo '67            Executive V-P, River Bank, North Andover, MA
Joe Manning '83            Director, Conv. Sales, Merrill-Lynch, New York, NY
Jeff Miller '79            Chief Financial Officer, CFRE International, New Bedford, MA
Kevin Nolan '85            V-P, O'Brien & Shepard, Englewood, NJ
Rick O'Brien '70            Senior V-P, Webster Bank, Waterbury, CT
Mike Papale '83            President/Owner, MAP Associates, Wallingford, CT
Wayne Sullivan '84            Owner, Sullivan Financial Service, Marshfield, MA
John Thompson '57            Certified Public Accountant, Portland, OR
Bill Wurm '77            Systems Manager, Bank of America, Johnston, RI
 
RELIGIOUS VOCATION
George Ridick '67            Pastor, Saint Catherine of Sweden Parish, Worcester, MA
 
SALES/PROMOTIONS/COMMUNICATIONS
Jim Best '88            Field Representative, KangaROO Crossing, Worcester, MA
Neil Boyle '81            Sales Manager, Try-Angle Foods, Norwell, MA
Dennis Henderson '82            Director Sales/Supply, BigBand Networks, Westboro, MA
Matt Leyden '80            Sales Manager, Medtronic, East Greenwich, RI
Larry Mehall '80            Managing Director, EDS Avaya Global Systems, Coppell, TX
John Miller '85            V-P, Sales, Maximum Throughput, North Andover, MA
Gary O'Leary '80            Sales Executive, Control Data, Warwick, RI
Kevin O'Neill '81            Sales Director, Bell South Business Services, Jacksonville, FL
John Piccini '82            Area Sales Manager, General Electric, Horsham, PA
 
LEGAL SERVICES
Carlin Phillips '87            Attorney, Phillips & Garcia Associates, North Dartmouth, MA