When Dave Gavitt walks across the stage tonight and is formally enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame, he'll be joining a select club.

The hoops' Hall currently celebrates the achievements of just 258 individuals and five teams. That list will grow by six with Gavitt joining UConn women's coach Geno Auriemma, Italian coach Sandro Gamba and former NBA stars Charles Barkley, Joe Dumars and Dominique Wilkins in this year's class.

But Gavitt's achievement also punches his ticket to an even more select society. Gavitt was born in Westerly and lived there until his family moved to Peterborough, N.H. when he was 11. He'll become the first Rhode Island native to enter basketball's Hall and only the fourth person born in the Ocean State to be included in a Hall of Fame in the four major sports.

No Rhode Islander is enshrined in either the football or hockey Hall of Fame, but the careers of three natives live forever at the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

Hugh Duffy was born in 1866 in Cranston and became a star outfielder who hit .300 or better in 10 straight seasons. His career peaked with the Boston Beaneaters from 1892-1900, when he helped the team to four pennants. Duffy later managed four major-league teams, including the Red Sox in 1921-22. Duffy was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1945.

Napoleon "Larry" Lajoie, who was born in Woonsocket in 1874, might be Rhode Island's all-time greatest athlete. Lajoie was the greatest second baseman of his time and one of the best infielders in baseball history. He posted a .300 or better batting average in 16 of his 21 big-league seasons. He's primarily known a star with the Cleveland Indians (1902-1914) but also played for both the Philadelphia Phillies and the Athletics. In 1901, he jumped from the Phillies to the A's in the new American League and won the Triple Crown by batting .426 with 14 home runs and 125 runs batted in. The .426 average remains the highest in A.L. history.

Lajoie was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1937 as part of just the second class ever inducted. He was joined by all-time greats Tris Speaker, Cy Young, John McGraw and Connie Mack, among others.

Charles Leo "Gabby" Hartnett was born in 1900, also in Woonsocket. Hartnett was one of the greatest catchers in the first half of the 20th century while starring for the Chicago Cubs from 1922-40. He was a six-time all-star and the National League's MVP in 1935 when he hit .344 with 91 RBI and the runner-up for the MVP in 1937. Hartnett played in the World Series four times (1929, '32, '35 and '38) but the Cubs lost to Philadelphia, Detroit and the New York Yankees twice. He finished his career with a .297 batting average and joined the Hall of Fame in 1955.

There are two "adopted" Rhode Islanders who are in notable halls of fame. Frank Keaney, the University of Rhode Island basketball coach, joined the legends in Springfield, Mass., in 1960. Keaney, who was born in Boston, modernized the game with the creation of the fastbreak, and in 28 seasons in Kingston (403-124), his Rams never had a losing season and played in four National Invitation Tournaments.

Brown University football great Fredrick "Fritz" Pollard is a new (2005) inductee into pro football's Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio. Pollard was an All-America halfback at Brown who led the Bears to the Rose Bowl in 1915, turned pro in 1919 and became one of two blacks in the American Professional Football Association, later renamed the National Football League. Pollard, who was born in Chicago, became the first black head coach in NFL history when he served as player-coach of the Akron Pros in 1921. He also played for the Providence Steamrollers in 1925 and organized and coached the Chicago Black Hawks, an all-African-American professional team based in the Windy City.

kmcnamar@projo.com / (401) 277-7340