For immediate release to the media -

Please join the Maine Basketball Hall of Fame in welcoming the following 17 individuals,
six “Legends of the Game”, and the two iconic teams for induction into the Class of 2023.

The induction ceremony will be held at the Cross Insurance Center in Bangor, Maine on
Sunday August 20, 2023. Tickets may be purchased online beginning in May at
mainebasketballhalloffame.com

Margie Arnold - A standout basketball player and 1000 point scorer at Waterville Senior High
School, Margie was named to the 1982 Bangor Daily News 2nd Team All State before
continuing her career at the University of New Hampshire. In Durham, Arnold was a three year
letter winner for the Wildcats, and was also a member of the UNH women’s soccer team her
senior year.

Joanna Brown - Brown became the fourth Husky to earn Women’s Basketball Coaches
Association (WBCA) Division III All-American honors during the 1997-1998 season after
garnering WBCA Honorable Mention All-American status the previous two campaigns. The
1998 Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Division III Player of the Year led Southern
Maine to a record of 92-15, including four consecutive trips to the NCAA Division III
tournament. She was also named Little East Player of the Year three times.

Paul Burnell - A standout player for Coach Bob Brown at South Portland High School, Paul
was a two time Bangor Daily News All State player, earning 2nd team honors in 1979 and 1st
team honors in 1980, leading the Red Riots to back to back Class A State Titles. Paul continued
his career at Bentley College for two years before transferring to USM for his final 2 seasons. A
top referee for the past 20 years, Burnell has officiated in 6 state finals as well as 10 regional
final games.

Warren Caruso - Caruso has served as the head coach for the Husson men's basketball program
since 1999 and has led the Eagles to 14 conference championships and 14 NAIA/NCAA
National Tournament appearances. Caruso has been named conference coach of the year six
times and Maine State coach of the year three times. He has a career record of 525-249. He is the
winningest coach in North Atlantic Conference history, and has served 35 years as both a head
and assistant coach for the Eagles.

Larry Gardner - a 1972 graduate of Fort Fairfield HS, Larry is the winningest coach in school
history having guided both boys and girls varsity basketball teams to a combined record of 425
wins, one Eastern Maine Runner-up, three Eastern Maine Championships and a State
Championship. Gardner coached boys varsity basketball for nine years and led them to their first
and only Eastern Maine Basketball Championships in school history, and has coached the girls
for the past 25 years, including a state title in 2010.

Scott Graffam - A Medomak Valley graduate, Coach Graffam has 413 wins over his 39 year
career at Scarborough, Medomak Valley, and Oxford Hills High Schools. Scott was a 3 year
letter winner for Colby College in the late 70’s, and was inducted into the Mid Coast Hall of
Fame in 2019. His 2022 Vikings captured the Class AA Northern Regional Championship, as
well as the 1994 Class A Western Maine Championship.

Todd Hanson - A 2nd Team Bangor Daily News All State player, Todd helped lead the
Waterville Panthers to the 1985 Class A State Championship. A four year letter winner at the
University of Maine, the point guard appeared in 85 games for the Black Bears. Hanson followed
up his playing days winning 309 games in 25 years as head coach of the Brunswick Dragons,
including the 2002 State Class A title and 2004 regional title. Hanson and his father Arthur
“Skip” Hanson were the first father-son Coaching duo to win State Championships.

Randy Harris - Randy has coached over 750 games and accumulated 411 wins in 39 years, all
at his alma mater of Lee Academy. A standout athlete in high school, Randy also played soccer,
basketball, and baseball at Husson before heading home to teach and coach at Lee. His Pandas
captured the 2011 Class C State Championship, as well as the Eastern Maine Regional title in
2012.

Jeff Hudson - Over the course of 28 years of coaching, Coach Hudson amassed an incredible
436 - 124 cumulative record. Jeff directed Limestone High School to an 81-16 record over 5
seasons before returning to his alma mater at Presque Isle High School for 23 seasons. The
Wildcats won 4 Northern Maine Championships, as well as 3 State Championships in 2006,
2012, 2013. He also coached seven 1,000 point scorers during his career.

Mike McDevitt - One of the finest men’s basketball players to play for St. Joseph’s College, the
Ellsworth native scored 1,381 points to go with 674 rebounds as a four year starter, and was
named the Player of the Year after his senior season in the Western Maine Athletic Conference.
In over 30 years as an NCAA Division 3 coach, Mike has compiled a record of 602 -210. He is
in the top 10 of active Division 3 women’s coaches in wins.

Mike Murphy - Mike transitioned from an excellent playing career to an even more impressive
coaching career. A 1978 Bangor Daily News First Team All State selection at Cheverus High
School, Mike continued his career for two seasons at Merrimack College, and two at USM,
earning All New England honors as a senior. He was elected to the school’s HOF in 2001. In his
40th year as a coach, Murphy spent 26 years at Westbrook HS, and the past 14 at Deering HS,
winning 339 games.

Jamie Russell - In his 38th year of coaching both girls and boys, Jamie has 422 wins at
Piscataquis Community HS, Penobscot Valley High School, and Central High School. He is also
a noted historian on the game of basketball in the State of Maine. He has authored two books that
detailed every current school in the state’s year-by-year basketball history since the 1961
expansion from three to four classes, and most recently the expansion to a fifth division.

Jonathan Stovall - A 1985 graduate of Cheverus High School, Jon was named 1st Team Bangor
Daily News All State his senior year, leading the Stags to the regional semi-finals. An excellent
student as well, he played at the University of Pennsylvania for two seasons, appearing in 46
games for the Quakers, averaging 15.3 ppg as a sophomore. Jon transferred to Boston College to
compete in the Big East for his junior year, appearing in 12 games before a career ending injury.

Brud Stover - A stellar athlete at Morse High School, the 1953 graduate excelled in football,
basketball, and baseball, and then went on to do the same at Bowdoin College. He became the
first Polar Bear to break the 1,000 point barrier, finishing his career with 1,144 points, despite
freshman not being allowed to compete at the varsity level during that time. Brud went on to
become a respected basketball official for many years afterwards.

Christina Strong - A three sport star and 2 time BDN All State selection at Georges Valley High
School, Strong was named the 1990 Portland Press Herald Athlete of the Year, as well as the
Miss Basketball winner. She followed up her high school career at the University of Maine under
Coach Joanne Palombo, earning 4 Varsity letters, as well as being the recipient of the Dean
Smith Award, which goes to one male and one female student-athlete based on outstanding
academic and athletic achievement.
Angie Suffridge - A 3 sport standout at York HS, she really excelled on the hardwood. Angie
was named 2nd Team Bangor Daily News All State, as well as USA Today Honorable Mention
in 1987, earning a full scholarship to Central Connecticut State University in New Britain,
Connecticut. She finished her illustrious career with the Blue Devils ninth on Central’s all time
career assist list, ninth on the single season assist list, and is tied for 2nd on the single game
assist list.

Al Veneziano - Hired in 1987 at Madison High School, the thirty-five year veteran has
accumulated 405 wins, including four regional championships for the Bulldogs. He was named
the region’s National Federation of High School Sports’ coach of the year once, and in 2014 he
was elected into the Thomas College athletic department’s Hall of Fame. In 2019, the
gymnasium was named in honor of Veneziano. He started his coaching career as a student
assistant under Dick Meader at Thomas College.

LEGENDS OF THE GAME -

Byron Bean - Coach Bean arrived at Livermore Falls High School in 1969 as the head coach of
the girls basketball team. Over the course of his 14 year career, Bean Andies compiled an
incredible record of 179-25, including seven Mountain Valley Conference titles, two Western
Maine regional championships, and the 1976 Class B State Title with a thrilling 42-39 Double
Overtime victory against Hermon High School.

Jack Cashman - The founder of the legendary men’s semi-pro team “Jack’s 5”, Cashman’s
influence on the game of basketball was far reaching. An original member of the University of
Maine Boosters club, Jack was also a board certified official in Maine, Massachusetts, and New
Hampshire, refereeing tournament games at the Old Bangor Auditorium in the 50’s and 60’s. He
played a major role in the growth of youth basketball in the Old Town area, as well as creating
summer leagues in the 1950’s for high school and college players

Bill Fiske - An outstanding all around athlete, and member of the inaugural Schenck High
School Hall of Fame, Fiske went on to an excellent career at Southern Connecticut State
University, scoring 1,250 points. After his playing days were over, Bill joined the women’s
basketball coaching staff at West Virginia University, and was named co-coach of the
Mountaineers in 1983. In his three seasons on the bench, West Virginia compiled a 49-39 record.

Jim Graffam - Jim’s basketball resume spans over 40 years and all levels of basketball in
Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Missouri. He started out as assistant men’s basketball
coach and head baseball coach at St. Joseph’s College in Maine, later became head basketball
coach at Westbrook College, and was named Maine’s collegiate coach of the year twice. He is in
Southern Maine’s hall of fame as a player, and Westbrook College hall of fame as a basketball
coach.
Arthur “Skip” Hanson - Following a tremendous playing career at Aroostook State Teachers
College, Hanson began his coaching career at Higgins Classical Institute before returning to his
alma mater, leading the Foxcroft Academy Ponies to an undefeated season in 1975, capturing the
Class B State Title. Skip’s teams won 107 games before he transitioned to administration,
serving on multiple MPA Basketball Committees as an athletic director, principal, assistant
superintendent, and superintendent before retiring in 2011.

Bruce MacKinnon- Bruce had a terrific scholastic career, helping Morse High School win the
1962 State Class A title and being named First Team Bangor Daily News All State. Bruce went
on to play at the University of Maine, graduating in 1966. He landed at Sanford High School
teaching Physical Education and coaching the Boys basketball team from 1973 to 1985 amassing
125 coaching wins, before serving as Principal until retiring in 1993.

1975 Foxcroft Academy Boys Basketball Team - The Ponies brought the Gold Ball back to
Dover-Foxcroft during an undefeated season, finishing the year with a perfect 22-0 record. They
ran through the Eastern Region at the old Bangor Auditorium defeating Limestone, Van Buren
and Orono. A week later, in front of a packed house at the Augusta Civic Center, Foxcroft
defeated Medomak Valley 56-53 for the school’s only Class B State Basketball Championship.

1989 University of Southern Maine Mens Basketball Team - Led by Hall of Fame Coach Bob
Brown and loaded with native Mainers, the 1988-89 Huskies compiled a 24-7 cumulative record
on their way to capturing the school’s only Little East Conference Tournament Championship.
They advanced all the way to the NCAA Division III Final Four joining Centre College of
Danville, Kentucky, Wisconsin-Whitewater, and Trenton (NJ) State.