University of Bridgeport (UB) men’s basketball legend Lambert Shell (’92, ’96, ’08) was announced as a member of the Small College Basketball’s Hall of Fame Class of 2025. He will officially be inducted on Friday, Oct. 31, inside the Branscomb Auditorium on the campus of Florida Southern College in Lakeland, Fla.
The Small College Basketball Hall of Fame inducted its first class in 2016, and the 2025 induction is the ninth for the organization.
Shell, who was inducted into the Bridgeport Athletics Hall of Fame in 2006, scored a remarkable 3,001 points during his illustrious career that spanned from 1988-1992. He still holds the Purple Knights’ all-time scoring record, which is 831 more points than any other player in school history and the 12th most in NCAA Division II history.
Shell was a two-time NABC first-team All-American who supplemented his scoring with 1,345 rebounds and 330 assists during his Bridgeport career. He put together astounding career averages of 22.7 points and 10.2 rebounds across 132 career games.
In addition to the incredible statistics, team success is what Shell is known for at UB. As a team captain during his junior and senior years, he led UB to the NCAA Division II championship game two years in a row. Bridgeport also made a run to the Elite Eight during his sophomore season. In 1992, he was named the NCAA Division II Player of the Year while also being selected as the Most Outstanding Player at the 1991 NCAA Elite Eight.
Shell has stayed involved and supportive of UB throughout his life and currently sits on UB’s Board of Trustees. He is described as the best all-around player in Bridgeport men’s basketball history.
For more information regarding the Small College Basketball National Hall of Fame, visit smallcollegebasketball.com.
Jim Sheehan was named UB’s assistant athletic director for athletic communications on January 2, 2024. He joined UB with extensive experience in collegiate athletics, most recently serving as assistant athletic director for communications at Pace University, where he managed media relations, social media, live streaming, and the athletics website for 15 programs. He previously held communications roles at the University of Pennsylvania, where he served as the primary media contact for 12 Division I teams and the Eastern College Athletic Conference. A Connecticut native, Sheehan holds a master’s degree in communications from Sacred Heart University and a bachelor’s degree in Coaching and Sports Administration from the University of Connecticut.