Complete list of A-10 Legends (PDF)
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The Atlantic 10 Conference announced Tuesday its Inaugural Men's Basketball Legends. The 2013 class includes 16 former men's basketball student-athletes and coaches who made an immeasurable impact on each A-10 institution and its basketball program.
“The considerable contributions each of these gentlemen made to their institution and its basketball program played an important role in shaping the foundation of men's basketball in the Atlantic 10,” stated A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade.
“Whether it was building a program that eventually became a founding member or furthering the conference as it grew into a basketball power, each of the honorees is a part of the fabric of A-10 history and we're thrilled to be able to honor them.”
La Salle's representative is Tom Gola.
Gola is the NCAA's all-time leading rebounder, pulling down 2,201 (18.7/game) in his four-year career. The 6-6 forward is the third all-time scorer at La Salle, pouring in 2,461 points in his career, while leading the Explorers to the 1952 NIT Championship and 1954 NCAA Championship.
Gola was a four-time All-American and was named National Player of the Year in 1955. La Salle compiled a 102-19 record during Gola's playing career, two of those seasons under his captainship.
A jack of all trades, Gola tried his hand at coaching, compiling a 37-13 record as head coach at La Salle from 1968–70. A 1961 La Salle Hall of Athletes inductee, his #15 jersey is retired and hangs from the rafters in the building named after him, Tom Gola Arena.
Gola was inducted into the National Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, Mass., in 1975 and is also a member of the Big 5 Basketball Hall of Fame, the Helms College Basketball Hall of Fame, the Pennsylvania Sports Hall of Fame, and the Madison Square Garden Hall of Fame.
He was ranked 17th on ESPN's “Countdown to the Greatest” college basketball players. A Philadelphia native, Gola led La Salle High School to a Philadelphia Catholic League Championship during his prep career and still resides locally, along with his wife Caroline.
The Men's Basketball Legends will be honored on March 16 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. prior to the 2013 Men's Basketball Championship semifinals. The women's class will be announced Wednesday.
Each honoree will be saluted during a celebration awards brunch in the 40/40 Club, beginning at 11 am prior to the A-10 men's semifinal games.
The group includes 11 former players, three head coaches and two individuals that were both a player and a coach for their respective institutions.
