A former high school classmate of Tim Donaghy pleaded guilty yesterday to charges he paid the disgraced basketball referee thousands of dollars for inside betting tips on NBA games.

Thomas Martino, 42, told a federal judge in Brooklyn that Donaghy was involved in a scheme to provide “good picks” on the games “for gambling purposes.”

“If Donaghy’s picks won, he was paid for his information,” Martino said, adding that he had arranged secret meetings with the referee to deliver the payments.

Outside court, defense attorney Vicki Herr said her client had indicated that Donaghy was “pretty accurate” when it came to picking winners.

Martino, who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the National Basketball Association, faces 12 to 18 months in prison when he is sentenced on July 11.

The defendant’s lawyer insisted his role in the scheme was minor, and that she would ask the court to sentence him to probation.

Donaghy, 41, of Bradenton, Fla., pleaded guilty last year to charges he conspired to engage in wire fraud and transmitted betting information through interstate commerce.

The referee said he made NBA bets for four years, even wagering on games he worked. He also admitted recommending bets to high-stakes gamblers and collecting $5,000 if his picks hit.

Donaghy is scheduled to be sentenced on May 30. By law, he faces up to 25 years in prison.