The MBCA Hall of Honor has been established to honor those persons who have helped to improve/promote/ and or serve basketball in Minnesota. Honorees have been longtime supporters of their local teams or have given outstanding service to the game of basketball. Awards are given in four categories: Officials, Media, Coach - Head/Assistant, and Friend of Basketball. To be eligible for the Hall of Honor, a person must have been involved with basketball for at least 20 years. That person must be nominated by a MBCA member, the MBCA Executive Board, or the MBCA Hall of Fame committee.

The following individuals will be inducted as members of the MBCA Hall of Honor in 2023:

• Kaye Bernard; Friend of Basketball – Kaye began doing the scorekeeping for Rushford-Peterson boys basketball games in the early 1990’s when her oldest son, Ben, was a freshman. Kaye has kept the book for Trojans 9th grade, JV and Varsity games, both home and away, every season since. In addition to contributing to the boys basketball program, Kaye used her time and talent to keep the book for both boys and girls programs from 1993-97 while her daughter Jessica was playing.  After Jessica graduated, she continued doing the boy games when her youngest son, Andy, was playing.  In addition to her continuing service to the Rushford-Peterson basketball community, Kaye has also been a staple at the table keeping the scorebook for Section 1A Boys and Girls Basketball Tournaments at the Mayo Civic Center.
   
• John and Mary Erickson; Friends of Basketball – "The Erickson Team" began while John was playing basketball at Concordia-Moorhead and Mary was his biggest fan.  After graduation John coached football and basketball for 18 years and also officiated football, volleyball, and basketball.   The "team" began working with the MSHSCA in 1984 and served 34 years, 18 years as Executive Director, until their retirement in 2018.  Some accomplishments they are most proud of include; getting Legislation passed to help coaches fight non-renewal; having the Minnesota Supreme Court rule that coaches are not public figures but are private figures.  This allows coaches the opportunity to take legal action against defamation of character by parents. In early 2000 they guided and led the boys coaches association and the girls coaches association into one Minnesota State High Coaches Association representing all coaches of Minnesota and giving coaches one unified voice. 
   
• John Harrington; Media – John Harrington began his love for sports as a successful head basketball coach for Mankato Loyola, 1971-1983, and Welcome Memorial, 1983-1985. He then took his love for sports to become a broadcaster at KTOE (Mankato) Radio beginning in 1986-Present. John has worked the airwaves alongside legendary Barry Wortel, doing both high school and college basketball. John also spent many of those years doing a Saturday morning sports show interviewing coaches throughout the southern Minnesota area. In addition, John has also been a radio broadcaster for football, baseball, and softball throughout the years.
   
• Ryan James; Media – Ryan has served 20 years as a media member for Prep Hoops Minnesota of Prep Network, The Breakdown, and Gopher Illustrated of 247 Sports. He started writing for Gopher Illustrated in 2004 covering Gopher basketball as a beat writer, recruiting analyst and Big Ten voter.  Ryan began writing for the Breakdown Boys Basketball book in 2005 and has helped with the scheduling of Breakdown boys basketball events as well.  He worked with Minnesota Preps from 2006-11 and in 2012 joined Prep Hoops Minnesota as a writer, recruiting analyst and Event Director.  In addition to his writing, Ryan also taught Special Education for 18 years and served as an assistant basketball coach for 12 years at Simley, Henry Sibley, Tartan, and Minnetonka.  His coaching experience also includes stints as an assistant football coach at Simley, and middle school baseball coach at Maplewood and Lester Prairie. 
   
• Harry Kitts; Official – Harry began officiating in 1963 in an officiating career that spanned nearly six decades. He was selected to work in MSHSL State Tournaments 20 times, including three championship games. Harry also officiated Adapted Soccer and Softball for eight seasons and he spent 25 years refereeing college women’s basketball. In the early ‘80s, Kitts began working as a MSHSL basketball clinician and as a state tournament media steward. In 2023 he received a distinguished service award for his years of service to MSHSL as a media steward at many state tournaments.  In 1981, he became the basketball assignor of the Minneapolis Officials Association, one of the largest officiating groups in Minnesota; a role he served in for more than three decades. Kitts taught mathematics in the Bloomington School District from 1965-2005. He was an assistant football coach at Bloomington Lincoln from 1970-82 and also coached golf. He served as an assistant football coach at Normandale Community College from 1982-91 and head coach from 1992-96.  Harry was inducted into the MSHSL Hall of Fame in 2017.
   
• Joe Simons; Friend of Basketball – Joe began his teaching/coaching career at Gary, MN. where he taught Social Studies and was the Head Football Coach. He then moved to Crosby-Ironton where he continued to teach Social Studies, was an assistant football coach, directed the Knowledge Bowl team, and served 37 years as public address announcer for C-I sports.  As the “Voice of the Rangers”, Joe created a unique home court advantage for the Rangers boys and girls basketball teams.
   
• Lamarr Sullivan; Official - Lamarr served as a basketball and football official from 2004-2022. He has worked in multiple MSHSL state basketball tournaments as well as one MSHSL football state tournament. In 2021, fifty years after Jimmy Robinson was the first black official to work the MSHSL state tournament, Lamarr, along with Craig Laird and Ricky Spencer, was a member of the first all-black basketball officials crew to work a state championship game.  In addition to his expertise as an official on the court, Lamarr has also served as a leader for officials in the basketball community. In 2019 he worked with Teron Buford to establish the Minnesota Association of Officials of Color, which is dedicated to the recruitment, retention, training/development and evaluation of officials of color. In 2022 Lamarr accepted the role of President of the Minneapolis Officials Association where he works with the board to create tools that the members can use to become better officials. He continues to work with Breakdown Sports where they have created the Jimmy Robinson MVP trophy for their opening Girls and Boys events and presently serves on the Diversity Equity & Inclusion Council for the MSHSL.

The honorees will be honored guests, recognized, and presented with an award at the MBCA Fall Clinic Awards Luncheon at the Mpls. Hyatt Regency, Friday, October 27, 2023.