SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - The University of San Francisco (USF) Athletics department will begin a new spotlight series highlighting each member of the 2026 Hall of Fame class leading up to the induction ceremonies.

The second member of the upcoming class to be honored is men's basketball alumnus Joel DeBortoli, who spent three years on the Hilltop from 1987 to 1990.
 

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DeBortoli was a three-year letter winner for USF from 1987-90 under head coach Jim Brovelli, averaging 13.9 points and 5.7 rebounds in 84 career games. He ranks fifth all-time in program history in three-point percentage (.432), eighth all-time in free throw percentage (.792), 16^th all-time in field goal percentage (.503), and 27^th all-time in scoring (1,170 points).

During his senior year, DeBortoli averaged 18.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game, earning First Team All-West Coast Conference (WCC) honors for his efforts. He was also named WCC Male Scholar Athlete of the Year and a CoSIDA Second Team Academic All-American that same season. Amongst his peers, DeBortoli was a back-to-back winner of USF's Charles Harney Award, which is presented annually to the student-athlete with the highest GPA.

After his time on the Hilltop was over, he played professionally for 14 years, taking him from Quad Cities, Ill., to Switzerland, Turkey, Macedonia, Belgium, and Qatar. He and his wife, Tammy, now serve as missionaries in Nepal. They work closely with people in the Himalayas, running a home with 20 orphaned children. They also travel and preach across the Kathmandu region.
 

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The Father Hub Flynn Hall of Fame Celebration is scheduled for Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026, at the McLaren Conference Center on the main campus of USF. The festivities will begin with a social hour reception from 11:30 am to 12:30 pm, followed by the Hall of Fame Program from 12:30 to 2:30 pm. Dress is business casual. Inductees will also be honored at halftime of the USF men's basketball game vs. Washington State later that day, with the game beginning at 4:00 pm inside War Memorial at the Sobrato Center.

Tickets are available to purchase for $65 by clicking here.

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