University of Hartford Men’s Basketball
Athletics Alumni Hall of Fame
Thomas Driscoll, Jr.
Inducted: 1991
Driscoll, whose career spanned from 1952-56, finished with 1,869 points, the most in Hillyer College history. He also holds the Hillyer College record for single season scoring average (25.5 ppg) and once netted a career-high 51 points in a game against Westfield Teachers College in 1954-55. He also reached double figures in scoring in 57 consecutive games.
Jim Harrington
Inducted: 1991
Harrington excelled in both men’s basketball and baseball from 1960-64. He was the University’s Athlete of the Year as both a junior and senior, and he was a two-time baseball team most valuable player. A four-year letterwinner on the basketball court, Harrington averaged double figures in scoring in each of his final three seasons.
Mark Noon
Inducted: 1991
Noon finished his career with 2,113 points, which at the time was the most in school history (he currently ranks second). He averaged 22.0 ppg from 1975-79 and led the team in scoring in all four seasons. Noon, who also holds the school record for career field goal percentage (.555), was an Associated Press First Team All-America honoree in 1979 and the ECAC Rookie of the Year in 1975.
Gerry Barr
Inducted: 1992
Barr was a two-sport standout from 1951-54. On the hardwood he was co-captain for the 1953-54 season, during which he scored a career-high 29 points against New Haven and finished 16th among state scorers. The previous year he helped Hillyer College to a 20-win season, a mark that has been equaled only once since. He also excelled in baseball and finished his career with a batting average over .300.
Peter Egan
Inducted: 1992
Egan was a member of the team that made four straight Division II NCAA Tournament appearances from 1971-75 and finished as the school’s all-time rebounder (1,054). He also recorded 1,855 career points (19.3 ppg), which ranked him second in school history at the time (currently third). Egan, a two-time team co-captain, was a two-time College Division All-American and ECAC Rookie of the Year.
William Oleksinski
Inducted: 1992
Oleksinski was honored for excellence in both men’s basketball and baseball. He was a four-year letterwinner in basketball (1947-51) and captain of the 1950-51 squad that finished with a 13-7 overall record. He averaged 14.0 ppg for his career. A three-year letterwinner on the diamond, Oleksinski owned a .300 career batting average.
Gary Palladino
Inducted: 1992
Palladino became the first basketball player to score 1,000 points in a career. In only three seasons (1964-67) he racked up 1,620 points (fifth-most all-time), and he still holds the school records for single season (28.5 ppg) and career (25.3 ppg) scoring average. Palladino, a two-time all New England and All-East selection, also lettered in baseball and sported a career batting average of .339.
Chuck Harding
Inducted: 1993
As a point guard for the men’s basketball team, Harding was a catalyst for four straight Division II NCAA Tournament appearances (1971-75). He was a three-year co-captain and a two-time NABC Second Team All-New England selection. He holds the school’s career record for assists (586) and finished with 801 points. He also played two seasons of baseball while at Hartford.
Gary LaRocque
Inducted: 1993
Hartford’s first baseball All-American (ABCA Third Team in 1974) also had a successful run on the hardwood. LaRocque, a shooting guard and defensive stopper, played an important role in four Division II NCAA Tournament appearances (1971-75). He finished his career with 962 career points. As a shortstop, LaRocque compiled a career batting average of .305 and was a two-time All-New England selection.
Roger Lynch
Inducted: 1993
Lynch’s four-year career (1955-59) spanned the final two years of the Hillyer College era and the first two years of the University of Hartford era. He was one of the first men’s basketball captains at Hartford and was selected MVP as a sophomore and senior. He led the team in assists and scored 1,000 points over his career. Lynch was also a three-time letterwinner in baseball and an active student leader.
John Tuozzo
Inducted: 1994
Tuozzo was a captain for both the basketball and baseball teams as a junior and senior. On the court he scored 1,142 career points and pulled down 545 rebounds, one of only a handful of players in school history to exceed 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career. As a baseball player, Tuozzo ranks among the school’s career leaders in ERA, complete games (13) and strikeouts.
William Brown
Inducted: 1996
Brown played center for the Hawks from 1972-76 and played on three Division II NCAA Tournament teams. He scored 1,023 points and pulled down 651 rebounds, becoming one of a handful of players to exceed 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career. He led the team in rebounding as a senior (10.4 rpg) and was second in scoring (13.9 ppg). Brown was also a team co-captain as a senior.
Frank Deutsch
Inducted: 1996
Deutsch was a guard on the basketball team and a pitcher and outfielder on the baseball team from 1955-59. He served as co-captain of Hartford’s first men’s basketball team and scored a combined 473 points as a junior (14.9 ppg) and senior (12.8 ppg). He led the team in both scoring and steals in each season. In baseball, Deutsch was co-captain as a senior and the first MVP in 1958.
Anthony Newman
Inducted: 1998
Newman played a half season for Hillyer College in 1955-56 and the 1958-60 seasons for the University of Hartford. His biggest contribution was as a rebounder, as he led both the 1958-59 (9.2 rpg) and 1959-60 (8.7 rpg) teams in the category. Newman notched career highs of 20 points against Cooper Union and 19 rebounds against Rhode Island during the 1959-60 season.
Paul DaSilva
Inducted: 1999
DaSilva played in 99 career games from 1974-78 and helped the Hawks to 66 victories. At the time of his graduation he was the third-leading scorer in school history with 1,037 points (currently 18th). He also ranks second in career field goal percentage (.552) and is a member of Hartford’s 500/500 club. DaSilva led the Hawks in rebounding as both a junior (8.1 rpg) and a senior (9.5 rpg).
Larry Franciose
Inducted: 2001
Franciose was a three-year star with the men’s basketball team from 1967-70. He was a co-captain and MVP of the 1969-70 team that finished 19-3. In three varsity seasons he scored 947 career points and led the team in foul shooting (.830) in 1968-69. Franciose was named the Hawks Most Valuable Defender in 1967-68 and participated in the New England College All-Star Game in 1969-70.
Ulysses Garcia
Inducted: 2001
One of only two players in school history to lead his team in scoring for four seasons, Garcia ranks seventh in career scoring with 1,485 points. He also ranks eighth in career assists (297) and 10th in free throw percentage (.774). Garcia, the first HOF inductee who played in the DI era, was named conference Rookie of the Year in 1982-83 and was a tri-captain and second team all-league selection in 1985-86.
William Poutre
Inducted: 2002
Poutre was a forward for Hartford during the 1958-59 and 1959-60 seasons. As the team MVP, he led the squad in scoring as a senior and set then school season records for the field goal percentage (.541) and free throw percentage (.828). Poutre also played catcher on the baseball team for three years and was the club’s MVP in 1959 and 1962.
Dave Brunelle
Inducted: 2003
Brunelle was an accomplished scorer and rebounder for the Hawks from 1967-70. He tallied three-year totals of 844 points (12.2 ppg) and 470 rebounds (6.8 rpg), and shot 48 percent from the floor in his career. Brunelle served as co-captain in 1969-70 and won the team’s MVP and free throw percentage awards that year, helping the Hawks to a 19-3 record and a program-best winning percentage (.864).
Tom Meade
Inducted: 2003
Meade played forward for the Hawks from 1969-71. He scored over 900 points in two years and posted a career scoring average of 20.2 ppg, third highest in the history of the program. As a senior co-captain, Meade earned MVP honors and was the team’s leading scorer (22.7 ppg). He also ranks ninth all-time with a .777 free throw percentage.
Larry H. Griffiths
Inducted: 2004
Griffiths was the first HOF inductee to play his entire four-year career (1987-91) during the DI era. He currently stands 14th on the all-time scoring list with 1,181 points. With 693 rebounds (sixth all-time), he is one of 11 Hartford players to exceed 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career. Griffiths, who was a co-captain of the 1990-91 squad, earned All-North Atlantic honors in 1990.
Robert J. Foley
Inducted: 2005
Foley scored 816 points (14.6 ppg) and pulled down 592 rebounds (9.0 rpg) in three years at Hartford (1965-68). He ranked among the team’s top three scorers and rebounders in each season, and he led the team in rebounding as a senior. Foley, who also stands sixth all-time in rebounding average (9.0 rpg), became the first player in school history to reach 500 points and 500 rebounds in a career.
Stan Piorkowski
Inducted: 2006
Piorkowski was a two-sport athlete at Hartford. As a guard and forward for the basketball team (1962-65) he recorded 655 points (11.1 ppg) in three years. As a senior he averaged 15.0 points and 7.0 rebounds per game, though his career high of 34 points came against WPI as a sophomore. As a shortstop and left fielder on the baseball team, Piorkowski hit .283 with 32 RBI in 33 games over two seasons.
Robert J. Tanguay
Inducted: 2007
A three-year starter at shooting guard (1978-82), Tanguay stands tied for the 12th among Hartford’s all-time scorers with 1,221 points. He was named to the UPI All-New England and New England Basketball Coaches All-Star teams in 1982. Tanguay was also a two-time Northeast-8 Conference selection (first team in 1982, second team in 1981), a three-time team MVP and two-time team captain.
Justin Bailey
Inducted: 2009
Bailey was a standout in the backcourt as a member of the men’s basketball team from 1995-99. He finished his career fourth all-time in scoring (1,786 points) and is among Hartford’s top ten in nine different career statistical categories. Included are the top spot in free throws made (501), free throw percentage (.831) and steals (218). Bailey was a two-time All-America East Conference selection, earning a spot on the first team as a senior, and was a co-captain as a senior.
Steve Scheerer
Inducted: 2009
Scheerer was a two-sport athlete at Hartford. As a guard/forward on the basketball team, he made 91 career appearances, scoring 635 career points and pulling down 352 career rebounds. He was named the Jim Harrington MVP in 1974-75 and was a three-time winner of the Ed Driscoll Outstanding Defensive Player award (1971-74).
