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Frank "Porky" Vieira

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Frank "Porky" Vieira, Quinnipiac

Vieira finished his career with 2,731 points - averaging 31.8 per game over his career, which ranks as the third best in NCAA Division II history. Vieira also holds records for field goals made with 904 and free - throws made with 841 in 86 career games at Quinnipiac. He was inducted into the Quinnipiac Hall of Fame in 1976. 

Vieira boasted a 66-31 record at Quinnipiac, which amounts to a .680 winning percentage during his four year stint. His most memorable season came in 1956-57 when he broke his own school record for most points in a single-season with 848. He averaged 35.3 points per game – which included the best all-around performance in program history. On Feb. 3, 1957, Vieira scored 68 points in a 113-92 win over Brooklyn Poly Tech, serving as the most points in a single game at Quinnipiac.

Vieira scored 40 or more points 20 times during his career, reaching the 50-point plateau on five separate occasions. He scored 825 points in his rookie season – highlighted by 54 points in an 84-73 win at Western Connecticut on January 19, 1954. In the 1955-56 campaign, Vieira averaged 26.6 points per game for a total of 586 points – ranking ninth best in Quinnipiac history. In the 1954-55 campaign, Vieira only saw action in 15 games, but averaged 31.5 points when on the court. He finished with 472 points that year.

After graduation, Vieira routinely scored 30 to 40 points a game in the semi-pro ranks, even against touring NBA teams and the likes of Wilt Chamberlain, whom Vieira faced after forming his own “Viera’s All-Stars.” In the game, Vieira outscored Chamberlain 37 to 33. 

Instead of moving on to coach basketball, he became one of the nation's legendary college baseball coaches, building the University of New Haven program from scratch and shaping it into a Division II juggernaut. When he retired after 44 seasons, he'd coached over 1,450 games and won 78 percent of them.  Vieira retired in 2006 with 1,127 victories, 17 trips to the College World Series and 10 former players who reached the major leagues. He was inducted into the MAAC Hall of Fame in 2015.

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