Capital District Basketball Hall of Fame plans induction

PHOTOGRAPHER: Jim Schiltz

The city of Schenectady will be well-represented when the inaugural class is inducted into the Capital District Basketball Hall of Fame.

Barry Kramer and Pat Riley of Linton, Dick Grubar and Jim Tedesco of Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons, Brendan Mitchell of Mont Pleasant and Jason McKreith and Willie Deane of Schenectady will be among the 50 living players honored June 28 at the Terrace Restaurant in Troy.

Nine deceased players, including former Linton stars Dave Modest and Gary Przybylo, and six coaches will also be inducted. Among the event’s guest speakers will be Peter Vecsey of the New York Post, and Syracuse University men’s basketball coach Jim Boeheim.

“Roughly one-third of the people are from Schenectady, and that’s a great testament,” said hall of fame executive director Rene LeRoux. “Schenectady is, by far, the most noteworthy area.”

This year’s class was selected from a 50-year window, from 1958-2008, and will include four NCAA Division I championship players in Sam Perkins (Shaker/North Carolina), Scott Cherry (Saratoga Catholic/North Carolina), Greg Koubek (Shenendehowa/Duke) and Craig Forth (Columbia/Syracuse), and Section II’s all-time top-two scorers in Jimmer Fredette (Glens Falls/BYU) and Chris Ciaccio (Gloversville/Georgia).

The lone exception to that 50-year window is the late Sig Makofski, who coached his Schenectady and Mont Pleasant teams to a 461-35 record from 1926-1951.

Other players slated for induction are Sid Edwards, Bob DeLuca and Mike Catino of Linton, Karl Bankowski and Antoni Wyche of Bishop Gibbons, Bill Kirvin of Mont Pleasant and Rashaun Freeman and James Thomas of Schenectady. Warren Prehmus of Scotia-Glenville, Tim Kolodjay of Amsterdam and Sonny Gooden of Saratoga Springs are bound for the hall, as well.

“It took a lot of time. There were a lot of interviews, and a lot of looking at basketball resumes, but really, it was a labor of love,” said LeRoux of the selection process. “The more you uncover, the more you realize what great basketball truly happened here.”

The players were selected from their entire body of basketball work, ranging from high school to college to professional ball, with Kramer topping the list of 50. Kramer, a Schenectady County Surrogate Court judge, was a Parade All-American at Linton, and starred at New York University before a brief stint in pro ball.

Aside from LeRoux, who played basketball at St. Peter’s and Skidmore College, the HOF selection committee consists of Dominick Reo, Jim Hart, Bob Pezzano and Mike Lilac.

Lilac, who guided Stillwater to 450 wins and a state title in 1988, will be among the coaches inducted along with Joe Loudis, George Mardigan, Jim Zullo and Don Landrio.

“This isn’t a one shot deal,” said LeRoux, who conducted numerous interview for his soon-to-be released book, “50 Years, 50 Players.” “We’re going to add more players and coaches from the 50-year window and pre 1958.”

A limited number of tickets are still available for the HOF ceremony. Contact LeRoux (877-5170) for more information.

Nisky lax No. 15

The unbeaten Niskayuna boys’ lacrosse team has been elevated from No. 21 to No. 15 in the STX/Inside Lacrosse national high school poll.

Niskayuna improved to 13-0 with Thursday’s 16-3 win over Columbia, and has outscored its opponents, 155-26. Coach Mike Vorgang’s Silver Warriors have scored 10 goals or more nine times, and have allowed three goals or less in every game but one.

Of the 25 teams on the national poll, 11 are from New York state, including No. 13 Chaminade, No. 11 Manhasset, No. 9 Yorktown, No. 8 West Genesee, No. 6 West Islip and No. 4 LaFayette. Gilman (Md.) is No. 1 and Deerfield (Mass.) is No. 2.

Hughes makes pick

Albany High School pitcher Michael Hughes, who owns wins over Big 10 contenders LaSalle and Christian Brothers Academy, has signed with Division I Coastal Carolina University in South Carolina.

Hughes drew serious interest from Winthrop, Virginia and Coastal Carolina (36-13, 15-5 Big South) before opting to play for head coach Gary Gilmore and the Chanticleers.

Hughes was named a Big 10 first team all-star as a junior after putting together a 7-1 record with a 1.17 earned run average. In the summer he competed in the Empire State Games while also pitching for the South Troy Dodgers.

“He chose Coastal Carolina because it was a good fit for him academically, athletically and socially,” said Albany coach Joey DiPiazza.

Mullen to UMass

Sarah Mullen, a senior attack wing from Emma Willard, will continue her lacrosse career at the University of Massachusetts.

Mullen totaled 87 goals and 27 assists in her first three varsity seasons, and as a sophomore helped the Jesters win both the Capital District Women’s Lacrosse League and Section II Class C championships.

Emma Willard also reached Class C finals in 2006 and last year, when Mullen was selected a CDWLL first team all-star. She later competed at the U.S. Lacrosse National Tournament and at the Empire State Games.

Mullen had 46 goals and three assists through 11 games this season, with an eight-goal performance against Schuylerville, six-goal efforts against Queensbury and Scotia-Glenville, and a five-goal outing against Johnstown.

Under coach Alexis Venechanos, Massachusetts (11-7) won this year Atlantic 10 tournament, and qualified for the NCAA Division I tournament for the first time since 1985.

Boys get state volleyball

The New York State Public High School Athletic Association’s Executive Committee has approved a state tournament for boys’ volleyball beginning in the fall of 2010.

The state tournament is contingent upon a minimum of six sections conducting full-fledged sectional tournaments. Sections I and IX will do so this fall for the first time, and join Sections II, III, V and VI at the state event scheduled for Cicero-North Syracuse in November of 2010.

A format for the state tournament has yet to be determined.

CCHS tabs coaches

Catholic Central High School has named Richard Foglia and Audra DiBacco as its new varsity boys’ and varsity girls’ basketball coaches, respectively.

Foglia has been a member of Catholic Central’s athletic program for the last six years as an assistant football coach, strength and conditioning coach and junior varsity boys’ basketball coach. DiBacco has been working in the Albany Capitals AAU program for the past six years, and spent the last three as an assistant varsity girls’ coach at Catholic Central.

DiBacco had a previous head coaching stint at Notre Dame-Bishop Gibbons. She played at Siena College and helped the Saints reach the NCAA tournament. She takes over for Chris LaBombard, while Foglia, a Catholic Central graduate, takes over for Blain Goverski.

Here and There

Troy junior Iziah McCowan pitched a no-hitter against Catholic Central last week in a 13-0 Big 10 baseball win. McCowan’s no-hitter is believed to be the first for Troy since Shawn Miller blanked Lansingburgh in 2000, and the first for a Big 10 hurler since Doug Davis of Schenectady shut down CBA in 2006. . . .

Saratoga Rowing Association athletes Aleks Torres (Holy Cross), Morgan Moore (Marist), Holly Dodge (Delaware), Casey Stein (MIT), Lauren Boudreau (Nova Southeastern), Columbia Herzlinger (Southern Methodist), Emily Krison (Tennessee), Kate Russell (Boston University), Madison Beumer (George Mason), Caitlin Shufelt (Columbia) and Hannah Bogan (Tulsa) all signed their letters of intent last week.