NYS Basketball Hall of Fame to Induct 9 New Members

On Saturday, March 28, 2009, nine  individuals were inducted into the NYS Basketball Hall of Fame. The NYS Basketball Hall of Fame is conducted by the Basketball Coaches Association of New York, Inc. 

Fred Ahart, Roscoe Central School, Section 9

Coach Fred Ahart has led Roscoe to 414 wins in 39 years at the smallest school in Section IX. His teams have won numerous League and Section Titles. At one time his team won 30 consecutive League games and compiled 29 consecutive home wins. He has served in many League and Section positions including League President and Basketball Chairman and Section President. He is a member of the Section Basketball Committee (Co-Chair), the NYSPHSAA Basketball Committee, and the Section Athletic Council as well as being Chairman of the Eligibility Committee. He also serves as Roscoes Athletic Director and coaches the Livingston Manor/Roscoe Football Team. He has won many honors and awards from local and State organizations. 

Dick Bihr, Buffalo State College

Dick Bihr is Buffalo State Colleges most successful men’s head basketball coach leading his teams to a 449-211 record. Over twenty-five seasons, he led the Bengals to 11 State University of New York Athletic Conference titles and his teams advanced to the NCAA tournament 12 times. He is one of the most respected college coaches in New York State and was named SUNYAC Coach of the Year six times. In eight years as boys high school basketball coach at St. Josephs Collegiate Institute his teams won 121 games and the Marauders won two Buffalo Catholic High School Championships.  Coach Bihr is a member of the Greater Buffalo Sports Hall of Fame and the Buffalo State College Hall of Fame.

Tim Leary, St. Francis Prep, NYC Catholic

Coach Tim Leary led his teams to 566 wins over thirty-nine years.  His teams won seven Division titles and reached the New York City Final Four 4 times with 1 NYC title.. He directed several camps and was a guest speaker at many others. He has been named Coach of the Year numerous times by the CHSAA, as well as various newspapers. He is a member of three Halls of Fame: St. Francis Prep, NYC Catholic HS Athletic Association and the Basketball Old Timers of America. He has coached in numerous All Star Games throughout the country and been honored by the National Pro-Am organization. 

Bill Merna, Ogdensburg Free Academy, Section 10

Coach Bill Merna has a 574-259 record in thirty-seven years of high school coaching. He led Ogdensburg Free Academy to 16 Section 10 crowns and 8 overall Section 10 titles. They made four trips to the State Final Four and played in one Championship game. He has been named Coach of the Year many times. He started the Section 10 Boys All Northern Academic Awards. He has been a BCANY Board member for over 25 years. He served as BCANY Scholarship Chair for over 20 years and served as Section 10 Boys Basketball Chair. He has worked numerous camps including 37 years at SUNY Potsdam where he played collegiately. In high school he captained the undefeated '65-'66 team at ND of Utica.

Dean Schott, Lyons HS, Section 5

Coach Dean Schott directed his teams to 417 victories, winning 80% of their games.  His teams won 9 Section V titles along with 3 Regional crowns.  He led Lyons to the public school final game three times winning the NYSPHAA and NYS Federation Championships in 1988-1989.  He was a BCANY Officer for over twenty-five years and served as chair of committees.  Dean has been named league and Section V Coach of the Year several times, along with All Greater Rochester Coach of the Year in 1982 and BCANY High School Coach of the Year in 1989. 

Ken Strube, Shenendehowa High School, Girls Basketball, Section 2

Coach Ken Strube, in 29+ years of coaching, has led Shenendehowa to 525 victories, winning 78% of their games.  His teams have won 21 Suburban Council Championships, 9 Section 2 Championships, 8 Regional Championships and 4 Class AA State Championships.  Ken served as Suburban Council Chairman and was a member of the Section 2 Girls Basketball Committee for 17 years.  He has been named Coach of the Year by the Suburban Council, Section 2, the New York State Sportswriters Association and the BCANY multiple times.  Coach Strube was honored as the 2008 District 2 and Northeast Region National Coach of the Year by the Womens Basketball Coaches Association and was selected to coach in the WBCAs High School All-American Game in Tampa, Florida.
 

Bob Zeh, Oneonta HS, Section 4

Coach Bob Zeh has been coaching basketball for 43 years and counting.  He began as a JV coach for 2 years with a 30-3 record.  He then coached boys varsity teams for twenty-eight years to a 366-214 record,  6 league titles and 4 sectional titles.  He has coached the girls varsity team for 8 years to 2 league titles and 2 sectional titles, and a record of 116-58.  He was the mens Asst. Coach at Hartwick College for 3 years and Suny Oneonta 2 years.  He has received numerous Coach of the Year awards from the league, section and the media. He is a member of the Section 4 Hall of Fame.

Cecil Watkins, National Pro Am Cities League, Contributor to the Game

Cecil Watkins is a great contributor to basketball in New York State, creating basketball and community programs for many organizations including NYC Parks & Recreation, Elmcor, PAL and the NBA.  Having worked for the NBA in several capacities, he is currently President/CEO of National Pro-Am City Leagues Association. Mr. Watkins is a board member of USA Basketball and Governor for the NY Metropolitan AAU.  In 2007 he received an honorary Doctorate of Laws from Adelphi University and was a finalist for the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fames  The Mannie Jackson - Basketballs Human Spirit Award. In addition, Mr. Watkins is a member of the Hall of Fame for NYC Basketball, Elmcor and Adelphi University.

Who Gets in the Hall of Fame?

Who Gets In the Hall of Fame?

Individuals sometimes wonder how a person gets into the NYS Basketball Hall of Fame, while others do not.  When looking at the names of those who are or have been inducted into the NYS Basketball Hall of Fame,  individuals are often quick to question -How can  - Coach  X - not be in?

There are usually two answers.  First, very often no one nominated the coach.  The Committee does not go out looking for candidates. Second, perhaps the coach was nominated but he or she did not attain enough points in the HOF scoring process. Perhaps a coach had a lot of wins, but did not provide service or contributions to the game.

The BCANY Hall of Fame Committee of BCANY adapted an objective point system which was developed and successfully used by the Basketball Coaches Association of

Michigan. There are 5 categories for evaluation of a nomination for the Hall of Fame.  Category # 1: Number of years as a head coach, Category # 2: Won-loss percentage,

Category # 3: Number of championships won each year, with only the highest championship per year counting, Category # 4: Evaluation of service and contribution to

the game of basketball or the coaching of basketball. This would include but not be limited to leadership roles (offices) held, events or programs started, and other

contributions made. Category # 5: Evaluation of honors and awards received during the  coachs career. The nominee must be a BCANY member, or if retired, was a

member if he/she coached after 1985. If you have a potential nominee please write the Executive Director for details on how to submit a nomination.
All nominations should be sent in by July 1 each year.

Members of the NYS Basketball Hall of Fame

NYS Basketball Hall of Fame   Current Members (as of April 1, 2008)

Coaches:

Ted  Adams, Hempstead HS

Jack Agostino, Amityville HS

Martha Altmire, Olean HS

Anthony Alvaro, Romulus CS, Hobart College, DeSales HS, Clyde-Savannah HS

Ralph Arietta, Westchester C.C.

Ralph Bacote, Bronx Science HS

Richard Baldwin, Broome C.C.

Floyd Bank, Edison HS

Russ Bastin, Uniondale HS

Clair Bee, Long Island University

Allan Best, Greece Arcadia HS

Bill Bilowus, Lackawanna HS

Ernest Blood, SUNY Potsdam

Jim Boeheim, Syracuse University

Harold Bradley, Hartwick College, Duke and Texas:

Jack Bruen, Colgate University

Dan Buckley, LaSalle Academy, U.S. Merchant Marine Academy

Jim Burke, Prattsburgh HS

Claude Byer, Amityville HS

Lawrence Byrnes, Collegiate School

Vincent Cannizzaro, Christ the King HS

Lou Carneseca, St. John’s University

Peter Cerrone, Farmingdale HS

Rod Chando, Red Hook HS

Bob Clark, Riverdale Country

Wilbur Crisp, -Little Falls HS

Jack Curran, Archbishop Molloy HS

Duane Davis, Mt. St. Marys College

Mike DelVal, Rye HS

Jack Donohue,  Power Memorial HS

Jack Dunlap, Johnstown HS

Charlie Folsom, Harrisville CS

Warren Fuller, Wyandanch HS

Tom Galeazzi, C.W. Post College

Jim Gatto, St. Johns Prep

Al Geppert, Waverly HS

Phil Gordon, Chittenango HS

Chuck Granby, Campus Magnet HS

Jack Halloran, Whitney Point HS

Dick Harvey, Kenmore West HS

Bob Hettler, Amherst HS

Nat Holman, City College of New York

Red Holtzman, N.Y. Knicks

Jerry Hourihan, Canton HS

Jack Jones, Sidney HS

Phil Kahler, St. John Fisher College

Bill Kalbaugh, RPI

Jack Kaminer, Scarsdale HS

Jerry Kaplan, James ONeill HS

George Khoury, Warrensburg HS

Al Knapp, Vernon-Verona-Sherrill HS

John Kuhn, Red Hook HS

Nick Lambros, Hartwick College

Joe Lapchick, St. Johns University

John Lauro,Tuxedo HS, Sleepy Hollow HS, John Jay HS, Greely HS, North Salem HS

Joe Loudis, Cohoes HS Mechanicville HS

Mike Lilac, Stillwater HS

Paul Lyons, Albany HS

Robert MacKinnon, Canisius HS, Canisius College, Buffalo Braves, NJ Nets

Jim McDermott, Iona College, LaSalle Academy

Jim  McGrath, Jamesville-Dewitt HS, Nottingham HS

Frank McGuire, St. Johns University, North Carolina, South Carolina

Sig Makofski, Mt. Pleasant HS

George Mardigan, Watervliet HS

Harry Maskowitz, James Madison HS

Dudley Maxim, Trinity HS

John Meehan, Kerhonkson HS, Rondout Valley HS, Marlboro HS

Patrick Monti,  Niagara Falls LaSalle HS

Ambrose -Fox- Moran -New Hyde Park HS

Tom Murphy, Bellville HS, Hamilton College

Tom Murray, Cardinal Hayes HS

Ed Nietopski, Rochester Bishop Kearney HS

Dick ONeill, Monticello HS

Mel Palano -Bishop Timon HS

Mauro Panaggio, Brockport State

Lou Panzanaro, Peekskill HS

Dave Powers, Nanuet, Tuxedo HS

Wal Przybylo, Schenectady HS

Jack Ringel, Grady HS

Richard -Doc- Sauers, Albany State University

Bill Schutz, Schuylerville HS

Chet Slaybaugh, Jr., Horace Mann School

Wiletta Spease, Nottingham HS

Charlie Tarricone, Union-Endicott HS

Ken Thomas, Haldane HS, Poughkeepsie Lourdes HS, Millbrook HS

Michele Tidick, Johnson City HS, Vestal HS

Bill VanGundy -Genesee C.C.

John Volpe, Sacred Heart HS

Jerry Welsh, SUNY Postdam

Gerald Wilcox, Bishop Ludden HS, West Genesee HS, Liverpool HS

Hank Williams, Malverne HS

Rich Wrase, Eastport HS, Westhampton HS, Suffolk CC

Risa Zander, Sachem HS

Paul Zintel, Jeffersonville-Youngsville HS

Jim Zullo, Little Falls HS, Shenendehowa HS, Broadalbin-Perth HS

Contributors to the Game

Burt Beagle, Media Director, NYC Catholic Leagues

Jack Cahill, Section 2 official

Mickey Crowley, High School and college referee

Howard Garfinkel, Five Star Basketball Camp

Ned Irish, Madison Square Garden

Neil Kerr, NYS Sportswriters Association

Will Klein, Five Star Basketball Camp

Putt LaMay, (& Coach, Glens Falls HS) State Tournament

Anthony Luciano, Coach and Referee, Hudson Falls HS

Players:

Roger Brown, Wingate HS, Indiana Pacers

Larry Costello, Niagara Univ., Milwaukee Bucks

Bill Cuningham, Erasmus Hall HS, Philadelphia 76ers

Victor Hanson, Syracuse, Naismith Hall of Fame

Connie Hawkins, Bedford Stuyvesant HS, ABA, NBA

Bob Lanier, Buffalo Bennett HS, St. Bonaventure, Detroit Pistons

Ed Petrie, Player & Coach: Bellows HS, Seton Hall University

Dolph Schayes, DeWitt Clinton HS, Syracuse Nationals

Edward Wachler, Player & Coach, St. Peter’s Lyceum, Harvard University