Joe Farroba to be Inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame

BRIDGEWATER, Mass. -- Bridgewater State University head men's basketball coach, Joe Farroba, will be inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame at a major ceremony at the DCU Center in Worcester, Massachusetts on August 8th.

Coach Farroba will join other honorees representing a variety of categories, ranging from high school players to senior adults who still play the game at age 65 and over. The New England Basketball Hall of Fame dinner has become one of, if not the, largest sports dinners in America.  Approximately 1,900 people will be present on August 8th.

The August 8th ceremony will be preceded on August 7th with activities at the iconic St. Mary's High School Gymnasium in Worcester. The August 7th program will include the first Annual New England Basketball Hall of Fame Scholar-Athlete Game between high school scholar-athlete teams representing Boston and Worcester.  On August 8th, the festivities will include a series of panel discussions featuring the likes of Hall of Famer's David Thompson and Dave Cowens, and a special ceremony in celebration of the History of Women's Basketball in New England.

Since taking the reins of the BSU men's basketball program in 1992, Coach Farroba has guided his teams to an overall record of 333-278 (.545) as he is the all-time winningest coach in program history.  Under his tutelage, the Bears have reached postseason play ten times, including NCAA Division III Tournament appearances in 1999, 2006, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2014.  The 2009 squad advanced the NCAA Tournament "Sweet Sixteen" after a dramatic win over nationally ranked Middlebury College.

Farroba was named the Massachusetts State Collegiate Athletic Conference (MASCAC) Coach of the Year in 1998, 2009, 2010 and again in 2012. In 2008, the Bears were the national recipient of the Schoenfeld Award presented by the Collegiate Basketball Officials Association (CBOA). The award is presented to the college or university, which in the judgment of the CBOA membership, best exemplifies "the highest degree of sportsmanship, character, and ethics among their players, coaches and spectators.

Farroba was also inducted into the BSU Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013 as well as the McGill University Basketball Wall of Honour in 2014.

For further information regarding the New England Basketball Hall of Fame ceremony, please visit www.nebasketballhalloffame.com.