University of Massachusets Athletics
Ketner, Butler-Roome Named To Atlantic 10 Legends Class
January 15, 2015 | Men's Basketball
UMass basketball standouts Lari Ketner and Jennifer Butler-Roome have been selected as two of the 28 members of the Atlantic 10 Conference Legends Class of 2015, as announced by the league on Thursday.
Lari Ketner, 1996-1999
Ketner was a three-year letterwinner at UMass from
1996-99 under coach Bruiser Flint. He scored 1,184
points and grabbed 655 rebounds in his career. His
scoring total ranks 32nd in school history and his
204 blocked shots currently rank fourth in UMass history. The 6-foor-10
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania native was named First Team All-Atlantic 10 in
1998 after averaging 15.2 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game.
He earned A-10 Rookie of the Year honors and was National Newcomer of
the Year by Basketball Times as a sophomore in 1999. He was one of 17 fi nalists for the 1998 USA
Basketball Goodwill Games Team. He was a second round selection by the Chicago Bulls in the 1999
NBA Draft and spent two seasons playing for the Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers. Ketner, 37, returned to college and was
recently awarded his diploma from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. He is survived by his wife, Aquarius, and their children.
Jennifer Butler-Roome, 1999-2003
Jennifer Butler finished her four-year career at UMass
as one of the most successful offensive and defensive
players in program history. Butler is the all-time leading rebounder in
Minutewomen history with 1,328 over 114 games while she also ranks among
the top scorers with 1,490 points and is one of only 19 players in team history
currently with more than 1,000 points. Butler was recognized throughout her
collegiate career for her accomplishments on the court, highlighted by her
Kodak All-America and Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year awards as a
senior in 2002-03. Butler also received All-Atlantic 10 First Team and A-10
All-Defensive Team in 2002-03 after she was second team and all-defensive team in 2001-02. Her name appears in the top-15 UMass
rankings for nearly 40 combined single season and all-time statistical listings.
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. -- Eleven All-Americans and 10 professional players are among the Atlantic 10 Conference's 28-member Legends Class of 2015, the league announced today.
"The Atlantic 10 is pleased to honor the 2015 Legends class and congratulate them on their accomplishments," stated A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade. "Their contributions to the basketball legacy at their institutions helped lay the groundwork for establishing the Atlantic 10 as a premier basketball league. I congratulate each of them on their distinguished careers that have led to this great accolade."
The Women's Basketball Legends will be saluted with a breakfast on Friday, March 6 prior to the 2014 A-10 Women's Basketball Championship quarterfinals. The event will take place at the Richmond Marriott beginning at 9:00 a.m.
The Men's Basketball Legends will be honored on March 14 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. prior to the 2015 Men's Basketball Championship semifinals. The celebration awards brunch will be in the 40/40 Club, beginning at 11:00 a.m. prior to the A-10 men's semifinal games.
The Legends program was established in 2013 to recognize men's and women's basketball student-athletes and coaches who have made a lasting impact on their respective basketball programs and institutions. This year marks the third class the Atlantic 10 has inducted. Each year, A-10 member institutions selected their two Legends. Previous honorees have included Basketball Hall of Fame members, national champions, Olympians, and professional players.
The 2015 Men's Legends class boasts 12 former student-athletes and two coaches. Eight of the players went on to play professionally in either the NBA or ABA. The group also includes eight All-Americans, one National Newcomer of the Year and one Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame member (Frank Keany, Rhode Island). In addition, eight of the men's legends are also in their respective institutional athletics Hall of Fame.
The 2015 Women's Legends, all former student-athletes, led their teams to conference championships, NCAA Tournament selections and WNIT appearances. The group includes two players that went on to play in the WNBA, three All-Americans, two Academic All-Americans and six players that are now in their institutional Hall of Fame. A limited number of brunch tickets are available to the general public. For more information, please contact the Atlantic 10 Conference at 757-706-3041.
About the Atlantic 10 Conference
The Atlantic 10 Conference was founded in 1976 and consists of 14 diverse members across eight states and Washington, D.C. The mission of the Atlantic 10 is to provide an enhanced student-athlete experience through 21 nationally competitive championship sports. The basketball-centric conference is committed to integrity, educational excellence and providing quality equitable championship experiences for its student-athletes, coaches, and support staff. The membership consists of Davidson College, the University of Dayton, Duquesne University, Fordham University, George Mason University, The George Washington University, La Salle University, the University of Massachusetts, the University of Rhode Island, University of Richmond, St. Bonaventure University, Saint Joseph's University, Saint Louis University and Virginia Commonwealth University. For more information, visit www.atlantic10.com.
2015 Atlantic 10 Men's Basketball Legends
School Legend Years Attended/Coached
Davidson Fred Hetzel 1962-65
Dayton Don May 1964-68
Duquesne Willie Somerset 1962-65
Fordham Charlie Yelverton 1968-71
George Mason Rob Rose 1982-86
George Washington Mike Brown 1981-85
La Salle Larry Cannon 1965-69
Massachusetts Lari Ketner* 1996-99
Rhode Island Frank Keaney* 1920-48
Richmond Dick Tarrant 1981-93
St. Bonaventure Larry Weise 1961-73
Saint Joseph's Rodney Blake 1984-88
Saint Louis Erwin Claggett 1991-95
VCU Calvin Duncan 1981-85
2015 Atlantic 10 Women's Basketball Legends
School Legend Years Attended/Coached
Davidson Jennifer O'Brien 1996-2000
Dayton Donna Burks 1981-85
Duquesne Korie Hlede 1994-98
Fordham Mary Hayes-Haas 1975-79
George Mason Jen Derevjanik 2000-04
George Washington Kimberly Beck 2004-08
La Salle Linda Hester 1982-86
Massachusetts Jennifer Butler-Roome 1999-03
Rhode Island Naomi Graves 1978-82
Richmond Laurie Governor Curtis 1984-88
St. Bonaventure Megan Van Tatenhove 2008-12
Saint Joseph's Katie Curry Gardler 1989-93
Saint Louis Arlene Lampe Torre 1982-86
VCU Jacinda Alston 1993-95
*Posthumously awarded
