LORETTO, Pa. (Feb. 9, 2012) – Five Saint Francis men's basketball greats have been elected to the inaugural class of the University's newly-created Golden Era Hall of Fame, president Gabriel Zeis, T.O.R. announced on Thursday.
Joe Aston, Jim McClellan, Sandy Williams, Larry Lewis and Frankie Puschauver were selected for induction in January and will be enshrined in an on-campus ceremony on June 23.
“It is truly important that the Golden Era of basketball be celebrated and remembered at Saint Francis University,” said Father Zeis. “There is no more appropriate way than to honor those whose dedication and talent made this era what it will eternally be – the very best. I thank and congratulate those we honor, for what they gave to SFU, a great legacy, and for being honored in this year's Hall of Fame Class of 2012.”
The general public is invited to attend June's induction weekend festivities, which will be attended by inductees, former players and alumni. Details will be released in the coming weeks.
During the spring of 2011, in an effort to preserve and promote the forgotten story of Saint Francis' men's basketball's earlier prowess, Father Zeis created the 13-member Golden Era Men's Basketball Committee and charged it with identifying players and teams of that period to be inducted the new extension of the SFU Athletics Hall of Fame.
Regarded by Hall of Fame coach Skip Hughes as the “best player [he] ever coached after Maurice Stokes,” the 6-5 Aston split time at guard and forward over his career on what were perhaps the greatest all-around teams in program history. From 1957-60, Aston was a player whose presence was so sturdy and reliable it allowed others around him to be better. He averaged in double figures for three consecutive years. Rebounding was his true forte and he ranks fifth all-time in the school's annals for an average of 11.7 a game.
A teammate of Maurice Stokes at Pittsburgh's Westinghouse High School, McClellan followed his friend to Loretto in 1954 and, for the next four years, became a valuable component on two NIT teams. He played a key role when Saint Francis defeated top-ranked Duquesne and followed that win with superb performances at St. Joseph's and Villanova. A 1,140-point scorer, he later was drafted by the NBA's Cincinnati Royals, much like his idol Stokes had been.
Unknown when he arrived on campus in 1961, Williams became the centerpiece of Saint Francis teams for the bulk of his career. A confident shooter, especially at the foul line, he often found himself there as the team's designated go-to guy. In a win over Kent State in 1963 he scored 24 points from the foul line alone. Averaging over 24 points during his junior and senior years, he is one of only three players in program history to finish his collegiate career with 1,500 points and 750 rebounds.
An undersized but bullish forward/center out of Chicago, Lewis became a force at his position for Saint Francis from 1966 to 1969. He finished second in the nation in rebounding in 1969, taking down a whopping average of 20.6 boards a game. For his career he totaled 1,324 caroms for a 17.6 career average. An effective scorer close to the basket, he tossed in 46 points against Saint Vincent College surpassing the legendary Maurice Stokes for most points in a game for at the college. Upon graduation, Lewis was drafted both by the NBA and the newly formed American Basketball Association.
A starter from the moment he stepped onto campus in 1953, Frankie Puschauver would go on to play in six NIT games when it was the premier post-season tournament in the country. Sometimes overlooked as a member of the Stokes-dominant teams of 1953-54 and 1954-55, he was expected to carry a major portion of the offensive load when the great Stokes departed. He responded to average 18 points per game in 1955-1956 and was named to the all-Pittsburgh district first team that year. Even after the passage of more than 50 years he still ranks 11th all-time in scoring.
