KINGSTON, R.I. _ The New England Basketball Hall of Fame has announced its fourth class of inductees, who will be honored at a ceremony on Oct, 6, 2006 at the University of Rhode Island.

The Friday evening event at the Ryan Center is expected to draw more than 1,000 people, many of them luminaries in the world of basketball. This year's class includes:

*Jim Larranaga, an outstanding player for Providence College, who recently took his Cinderella George Mason team to the Final Four tournament.

*Tom Penders, a former men's basketball coach for Tufts University and URI, who excelled as a college player at the University of Connecticut.

*Satch Sanders, a former member of the Boston Celtics, who later coached at Harvard University.

*Jimmy Piersall, former Red Sox centerfielder, who was also an outstanding Connecticut high school player.

The women include Michelle Edwards, Robin Christian and Tonya Cardoza, whose fabulous basketball careers began in Massachusetts as AAU players for the Shelburne Center in Roxbury. Another honoree is Maggie Sebastian, a Special Olympian from Rhode Island, who brings dedication and passion to her game.

``The object of the New England Basketball Hall of Fame is to recognize contributions of various sorts, all of which add up to the wonderful culture of basketball in New England, '' said Daniel E. Doyle, Jr., executive director of the Institute for International Sport, which administers the New England Basketball Hall of Fame.

To that end, high school players from every New England state are inducted as well as high school coaches and referees. Other categories include Division I, II and III players and coaches, junior college and prep school players and coaches and those whose academic excellence earns them a place in the Hall of Fame as scholar-athletes.

A special `contributors' category acknowledges people who may not be famous in the world of basketball, but have helped to keep the game growing in New England. This year's group of contributors includes Armand Batastini of Providence, a CYO basketball coach for more than 50 years, and athletic trainer William `Doc' Samko of Worcester, Massachusetts, who served as trainer for the 1947 Holy Cross national championship team.

``The nomination process involves extensive input from people throughout the New England basketball world, '' said Doyle.

A selection committee then chooses from among the nominees, Doyle said.

Inductees in this year's media category include acclaimed author and sports columnist Leigh Montville, who used to write for the Boston Globe. Dave Smith, a former Boston Globe Sports Editor, is also being honored for assembling an outstanding team of basketball writers that included Montville and Bob Ryan, a previous New England Hall of Fame inductee.

The Friday evening ceremony kicks off with a reception at the Institute for International Sport for inductees and immediate family members, followed by a dinner and awards ceremony at the Ryan Center. The latter event is open to the public. Tickets cost $125 per person and can be purchased by calling Dr. Malcolm Mac Kenzie at (401) 874-2673 or by visiting the Institute's website at www.internationalsport.com/basketball/bhof_ticketInfo.cfm.

In the coming weeks, the Institute will be announcing other special groups of inductees, among them championship teams from New England and the recipient of an International Basketball Humanitarian Award. Press releases will be issued with these announcements.

The 2006 inductees are:

Division I College Male Player
Bill Baird, Rhode Island
Dana Barros, Boston College
Wes Bialosuknia, Connecticut
Mike Cingiser, Brown
Larry Killick, Vermont/Dartmouth
Chris Potter, Holy Cross
Jim Larranaga, Providence College
Tony Hanson, Connecticut

Division I College Men's Coach
Tom Brennan, Vermont

Division II College Male Player
Serge DeBari, Assumption
Ernie DeWitt, Bryant
Pete Egan, Hartford
Dick Falkenbush, St. Michael's
Bob Reitz, Stonehill
Gene Reilly, Central Connecticut

Division II College Men's Coach
Don Doucette, Lowell
Frank Monahan, Merrimac

Division III College Male Player
Ken Abere, Trinity
Jim Akin, Wesleyan
Kevin Cherry, Clark
Kevin Kolek, UMass-Dartmouth
Jim Marois, Bates
Bobby Johnson, Fitchburg State
Tony Romano, Eastern Ct. State U.Harland Storey, Colby

Division III College Men's Coach
Jim Beaudry, University of New England
Bob Campbell, Western Connecticut
Tom Lawson, Middlebury
Bruce McGregor, Husson
Fran O'Brien, MIT

Dual - Either Distinguished Achievement as a Player and Coach in New England, or as a Player at the High School and College level in New England
Jamie Cosgrove, St. Thomas More & Saint Anselm
Ken Kaufman, National Assoc. of Basketball Coaches president, Leicester Junior and WPI
Tom Penders, Tufts, UConn & URI
Joe Lane, St. Johns High, Assumption
Satch Sanders, Celtics, Harvard
Bill Raynor, Catholic Memorial, Dartmouth, Holy Cross
Mark Noon, St. Paul's, Hartford, Ct. High School, University of Hartford
Paul Bessey, Buckfield High School, University of Maine

Junior College Player
Bob Brooks, CCRI
Tom Quinn, Leicester Junior College

Junior College Coach
Rico Cabral, Mt. Ida

Prep School Player
Jeff Carr, Robinson School
Peter Cragan, Assumption Prep
Keith Wolff, Kingswood-Oxford
Roger Walaszek, Williston Academy
Gordon Hamilton, Kingswood-Oxford

Prep School Coach
Jere Quinn, St. Thomas More
Mike Walsh, Northfield Mount Hermon

Referee
Billy Loftus
Dick Lynch
Gene Sturgeon
John Deknis

Scholar-Athlete Category
George "Trigger" Burke, U.Mass.
Dave Caligaris, Northeastern
John Humphrey, Middlebury
Patrick Lynch, Brown
Glenn Fine, Harvard
Rev. Earle Markey, S.J., Holy Cross
Dr. John Meaney, Trinity
Tim Walsh, Williams
Ray Forkey, WPI

Semi-Professional
Gene Booth
Paul Deignan
Bob Knight
Spider Bennett

Connecticut High School

CT H S - Male Player
Jim Fitzsimmons, Fairfield Prep
Eddie Griffin, Hartford Public
Dave Hicks, Wilbur Cross
Frank Oleynick, Notre Dame
Jimmy Piersall, Waterbury
Al Weston, Jr., Cromwell

CT H S - Boy's Coach
Lou Bazzano, Bulkeley
James P. Canty, Jr, Tourtelotte
Tony Falzarano, Putnam
Jake Salafia, Cromwell
Bob Sylvester, Fairfield Prep

Maine High School

Maine H S - Male Player
Jon MacDonald, Stearns
Don Crosby, Cony

Maine H S - Boy's Coach
Red Barry, Bangor
Wally Donovan, Waterville
Packy McFarland, Gorham/Scarborough

Massachusetts High School

Mass H S - Male Player
Bob Bigelow, Winchester
Bill Curley, Duxbury
King Gaskins, Catholic Memorial
Steve Kelleher, St. John's Shrewsbury
Dwayne McClain, Holy Name
Bob Kovalski, Smith Academy
Joe Spagnola, Fitchburg High School

Mass H S - Boy's Coach
Bob Farias, Lexington
Bob Foley, St. John's Shrewsbury
Sherman Kinney, Hamilton Wenham
Marty O' Malley, Worcester North
Mike Martin, Springfield Commerce
William Moge, Chicopee

New Hampshire High School

N H H S - Male Player
Frank Alosa, Bishop Brady
Joe Drinon, Concord
Ricky Morrill, Pembroke

N H H S - Boy's Coach
Bill Haubrich, Jr., Concord
Karl Seidenstuecker, Kennet

Rhode Island High School

R I H S - Male Player
Brian Burke, Pilgrim High
Jim McNaught, Central Falls

Vermont High School

VT H S - Male Player
Bernie Cieplicki, Jr., Rice Memorial
Matt Johnson, BFA St. Albans

VT H S - Boy's Coach
Layne Higgs, St. Johnsbury Academy

Division I College Female Player
Doris (Sable) Burke, Providence College
Donna Fiedorowicz, Central Conn.
Janet Hourihan Brooks, Holy Cross

Division I College Women's Coach
Jean Marie Burr, Brown

Division II College Female Player
Joan Bonvicini, Southern Ct.
Marnie Dacko, Southern Ct.
Sherry Levin, Holy Cross
Francine Little, Quinnipiac

Division II College Women's Coach
Sue Duprat, St. Michael's College
Louise O'Neal, Southern Connecticut

Division III College Female Player
Kay Cross, Colby
Mary Dee Brown, Salem State
Cathy Westal Kumeskus, Worcester St.
Julie Plant, University of Southern Maine

Division III College Women's Coach
Bob Miller, Eastern Ct

Dual - Player/Coach
Susan Summons

• Jeremiah E. Burke High School
• AAU/Rec (Shelburne Center)
• Roxbury Community College