Darryl Brown and Dr. Mary Ann Bilotti Named Atlantic 10 Legends

Newport News, Va. – The 2017 Atlantic 10 Legends Class, which was announced Thursday, features professional champions, 22 Hall of Famers, an Olympian, an All-American, and an NCAA Champion as well as Fordham University basketball standouts Darryl Brown, FCRH '75, and Dr. Mary Ann Bilotti, FCRH '80.
 
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 fourth class the Atlantic 10 has inducted. Each year, A-10 member institutions select their two Legends. Previous honorees have included Basketball Hall of Fame members, national champions, Olympians, and professional players.
 
"The Atlantic 10 is pleased to honor the achievements and success of these 28 outstanding individuals," stated A-10 Commissioner Bernadette V. McGlade. "Their meaningful impact on their institutions, teams and on college basketball as a whole have made a lasting impression, and they are each very deserving of this prestigious accolade."
 

Brown, a four-year starter and All-American for the Rams from 1971-75, graduated as the seventh leading scorer in Fordham University men's basketball history with 1,233 points. He also graduated fifth on the school's career rebounding list with 807 and had the top career field goal percentage (.540). Brown was the team's leading scorer in his junior and senior year and was the Rams' top rebounder for three seasons. His finest moment as a Ram came in one of Fordham's greatest basketball victories ever, an 83-66 win over fifth-ranked USC in the 1974 MSG Holiday Festival. Brown's performance earned him Holiday Festival MVP honors.
 
Brown was named All-American following his senior season in 1974-75 when he averaged 20.0 ppg and 12.2 rpg. A fine defensive player, Darryl was known for his outstanding shot blocking ability, blocking 116 shots as a junior which would be a school record but blocked shots was not an NCAA recognized stat at the time, and showed his overall prowess against such great players as John Shumate, Maurice Lucas, and Len Elmore.
 
Brown, who was inducted into the Fordham Athletic Hall of Fame in 1987, currently serves on the Fordham University Board of Trustees and is President of Brownboys3 Inc.
 
Dr. Mary Ann Bilotti (1976-80), a four-year starter for the Rams, graduated as the second leading scorer in Fordham University women's basketball history with 1,164 points, trailing only teammate and Atlantic 10 Legend Anne Gregory. As a sophomore in 1978, Bilotti helped the Rams to the New York State Championship and AIAW Eastern Regional title. As a junior, she led Fordham to a 27-7 record and the AIAW Eastern Regional Championship. The Rams upset Long Beach State in the semifinals of the AIAW National Championship before falling to a Pat Summitt-led Tennessee team in the Rose Hill Gym. The 27 wins is still a school single-season record today. As a senior, the Rams won their third straight New York State title with Bilotti serving as a co-captain.
 
Bilotti was inducted into the Fordham Athletic Hall of Fame in 1989. Originally a native of Livingston, N.J., Bilotti serves as the Fordham team podiatrist.
 
The Women's Basketball Legends will be saluted with a breakfast on Friday, March 3 prior to the 2017 A-10 Women's Basketball Championship quarterfinals.  The event will take place at the Richmond Marriott beginning at 8:00 a.m.
 

The Men's Basketball Legends will be honored on Saturday, March 11 at PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, Pa., prior to the 2017 Men's Basketball Championship semifinals.  The celebration awards brunch will be in the Lexus Club, beginning at 10:00 a.m.

The 2017 Men's Legends class features 14 former student-athletes, three of whom went on to coach at their alma mater. Of the honorees, four went on to play professionally in the NBA. One of those, Norm Nixon of Duquesne, won two NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers.  In addition, there are a number of all-conference awardees and 12 of the men's legends are in their respective institutional athletics Halls of Fame.
 
The 2017 Women's Legends, all former student-athletes, including one who was an All-American and WNBA Draft pick, one Legend who won an AIAW National Championship, and one who won three WNBA titles as a coach and as an assistant coach on the 2016 Team USA Olympic squad.  The group also includes all-conference honorees and 10 individuals who have been inducted into their institutional athletics 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 757-706-3052.

About the Atlantic 10 Conference
The Atlantic 10 Conference was founded in 1975 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.