July 10, 2002

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- It was announced on July 10 that six former Friars will be inducted into the inaugural class of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame. The new New England Basketball Hall of Fame, which is located in Keaney Gymnasium on the campus of the University of Rhode Island, will hold its induction ceremony on October 4, 2002. The six Friars who will be inducted are Ernie DiGregorio '73, John Egan '61, Dave Gavitt, Tracy Lis '92, Joe Mullaney and Jimmy Walker '67.

DiGregorio, the all-time assists leader (662) and one of the top scorers (1,780 points) in the history of Friar basketball, was a consensus All-America selection and Lapchick Award winner as the nation's most outstanding senior in 1973. He was the third pick in the 1973 NBA Draft and was Rookie of the Year in the NBA in 1973-74 for the Buffalo Braves. DiGregorio was named the ECAC Eastern Player of the Decade for the 1970's.

In three seasons at Providence, Egan averaged 17.9 points per game. He was a Second Team All-America selection as a senior. Egan was the 12th pick in the 1961 NBA Draft. He played 11 seasons in the NBA.

In 10 seasons as the head coach of the Friars, Gavitt led the Friars to 209 victories, including eight consecutive 20-win seasons, five NCAA appearances, three NIT appearances and four New England Coach of the Year trophies. His 1973 team advanced to the NCAA Final Four. He served as the Athletics Director at Providence from 1971-82. In 1980, Gavitt was named the coach of the United States Olympic Team.

Lis still ranks as the all-time leading scorer (2,534 points) in Friar history. During her career, she set 14 records at Providence, including being the only player to surpass 2,000 points. In 1990, she led the Friars to their first ever "Sweet 16" appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Lis was a two-time First Team All-BIG EAST selection and was named 1992 ECAC Player of the Year.

A three-time New England Coach of the Year, Mullaney guided the Friars to nine consecutive 20-win seasons and nine consecutive post-season tournaments. He coached the Friars to the 1961 and 1963 NIT titles. Mullaney posted a 319-164 record all-time in 18 seasons at Providence.

Walker is the all-time leading scorer in Friar history with 2,045 points in three seasons of action. He was a three-time All-America selection. He established scoring records for single game, single season and career at Providence College. In 1967, Walker became the only Friar to average over 30 points a game in leading the nation in scoring. He is the only player ever selected No. 1 in the NBA Draft from a New England college. He played nine seasons of professional basketball.

The all-day induction celebration on October 4 will begin with a celebrity golf tournament at 9:00 a.m. At 5:00 p.m. a dinner reception will be held in the new Ryan Center. At 7:00 p.m., legendary recording artists The Drifters will perform a one-hour concert. Immediately following the concert will be the introduction of the first class of inductees. Tickets for the event are expected to sell-out and are available for a limited time by calling 401-874-2375. For more information, visit the Institute for International Sport website at www.internationalsport.com.

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