Hall of Fame
Rich Vega was a three-time First Team All-Little East Conference (LEC) combination guard for the Eastern Connecticut State University men’s basketball team from 1998-2002, during which he was twice named an Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) All-New England selection.
The six-foot, 155-pound Hartford native is the only two-time All-ECAC honoree in program history, and one of only five Warriors to become a three-time First-Team All-LEC selection.
Vega led the Warriors in scoring, assists, steals, three-pointers, minutes and free throws in three of his four seasons in Willimantic. He concluded his career as Eastern’s all-time leader in points (1,593), steals (228) and free throws made (445), while finishing second in career three-point field goals (148) and third in career assists (382). He remains the program record-holder for career free throws made, and still ranks among the top-10 in all other categories. He still holds the single-season record for free throws made, draining 159 from the charity stripe in 2001-02.
Vega became the first Eastern junior in 30 years to reach 1,000 points during a 37-point effort in a 91-84 victory at UMass Boston January 27, 2001. He then became the Warriors’ all-time leading scorer during a 32-point road showing in a 69-60 win at Endicott College January 29, 2002.
As a sophomore, Vega led the fourth-seeded Warriors to their only Little East tournament championship (and an NCAA berth) in a 19-year period. The 2000 LEC Championship Tournament MVP sank a game-winning buzzer-beater in an 80-79 quarterfinal win over fifth-seeded Keene State before leading Eastern to a 68-53 semifinal win over top-seeded UMass Dartmouth and a 73-66 title game triumph over third-seeded Southern Maine.
This marks the third Hall of Fame honor for Vega, who was inducted into the New England Basketball Hall of Fame in 2013 and the Eastern Connecticut E-Club Hall of Fame in 2014. He was one of 25 players named the LEC’s 25th Anniversary Team in 2011.