KINGSTON, R.I. – In a ceremony held at the Ryan Center on the campus of the University of Rhode Island on Friday evening, former University of Bridgeport men’s basketball coach Bruce Webster and all-time leading scorer Lambert Shell were inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame. Webster ranks among the all-time winningest coaches in Division II history with 549 career victories, while Shell finished his UB career with a remarkable 3001 points. In over 30 years of coaching at UB, Webster advanced to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Division II National Championship Game in 1991 and 1992. He was the N.A.B.C. National Coach of the Year in 1992, advanced to the postseason 15 times in his career, averaged 18 victories per season, had a remarkable ten 20-win seasons and coached 11 All-Americans during his time at UB.
When asked to comment on how it felt to be inducted with a number of the game’s all-time greats, Webster was humble in speaking about his accomplishments. “The longer you are away from the game, the more you appreciate what you were able to accomplish,” said Webster. “To be honored like this makes you feel good about what we were able to do over the years and it is a nice feeling to know that all of that hasn’t been forgotten. This is a great honor and I am very pleased by it.”
Shell was a leader on the UB teams that advanced to the NCAA title game, including during the 1991-92 campaign where he averaged 22.8 points per game and the team posted a perfect 16-0 home record. A season earlier, he was named as the Elite Eight Most Valuable Player in the NCAA Tournament despite a slim, seven-point defeat at the hands of North Alabama in the final. Shell, a three-time N.A.B.C All-American, went on to play for the Connecticut Skyhawks of the United States Basketball League (USBL) during the 1993-94 season, as well overseas in the Philippines and Asia. In another remarkable accomplishment, Shell and NFL standout Doug Flutie are the only athletes ever to be named ECAC Rookie of the Year as freshmen, followed by three straight ECAC Player of the Year Awards in their respective sport.
“This is a great honor to be thought of among the all-time greats in New England basketball,” said Shell prior to the induction ceremony. “There are obviously a lot of great players in the Hall of Fame and to be among them is a great honor that I am very proud of.”
Webster and Shell were in great company on Friday evening as the list of inductees read like a who’s who of New England basketball. Former Celtics great Bob Cousy, former Providence coach Rick Pitino, former Providence player Marvin Barnes, Connecticut head coach Jim Calhoun and former Holy Cross head coach George Blaney were among the illustrious list of inductees, along with a number of current NBA players.