I

Jack Grinold, Director Office of Sports Information Northeastern University, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, MA 02115

(617) 373-2691, (6 17) 373-3152 (fax)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sunday, April 20, 1997

PITTSBURGH NATIVE ELECTED TO NORTHEASTERN HALL OF FAME BOSTON, MA- Mark Halsel of Pittsburgh has been elected to the Northeastern University Hall of Fame for his success in the sport of basketball, and will be inducted May 16 in a ceremony at Matthews Arena. At the end of his playing career in 1984 he was arguably Northeastern's greatest basketball player. The 6'6 forward t1nished his career with the most rebounds in school history (1115), a mark that still stands. Halsel also was fourth-best all-time scorer (1651), thus holding the distinction as the only NU player ever to top both 1000 points and 1000 rebounds. Halsel came to NU after starring at Schenley High, earning All-City and All-State honors there as a senior. His career at NU would bridge two great eras in Husky basketball. As a freshman in 1981 , he molded his game playing as a reserve on the tirst NU team to play in an NCAA Division I championship. Four years later he was the star, captaining a team that went on to the NCAA's with a slender freshman named Reggie Lewis. Halsel averaged only about 14 minutes a game as a freshman, hut it was enough time to give Coach Jim Calhoun a glimpse of the player he would become. The smooth forward made 59 percent of his shots that year and established himself as the favorite to take over starting duties upon the graduation of standout big man Chip Rucker. Once in Calhoun's t1rst-tive, Halsel never left. In !lis t1rst season of full-time duty, he averaged a double-double en route to All-Conference honors and helped lead NU to another NCAA appearance. The next year, Halsel was among the nation' s rebounding leaders at 12.5 boards per game and also improved his scoring average from 11.3 to 19.5 points. Finally, as a senior, he would eclipse Rucker's career rebounding mark in pacing a Husky squad that set a school record for wins in a season with 27. With Halsel as the Tournament MVP, NU won the league title and advanced to the NCAA's for the third time in llis career. NU's leader was the league's Player of the Year, All New England for the second straight time, All East, All District and Honorable Mention All America. It came as no surprise, then, when Indiana's Bobby Knight invited Halsel to the Olympic trials, where Michael Jordan and Chris Mullin beat out Halsel to t1ll the big guard slot. What gets lost among the statistics and awards is the great respect the hard-working Halsel garnered from his teammates, coaches and opponents. He has applied his work etllic to !lis days since graduation. After playing professionally around the world for nearly seven years, Halsel now works for The Crew, a family-run business in llis native Pittsburgh.

-30-