Cteve
Blue Chipper
Posts: 1,617
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Post by Cteve on Oct 20, 2014 17:54:31 GMT -5
I don't know what year the territorial right ended in the NBA draft? Red may have influenced Bing (a DC kid) to visit if was still in place. That's how Hadnot got here and I'm assuming Big John as well.
The 4 players Joe might have wanted most that he actually recruited and weren't part of some deal were Jimmy O'Brien (BC) Charlie Scott (UNC), Mike Sillman (Army) Dean Meminger (Marquette). I don't think they were ever in it with Calvin Murphy?
The "Irish Bull?"
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Post by thumper on Oct 20, 2014 18:31:37 GMT -5
Couple of things I remember from the Walk era ...
I was there watching Kovalski dribbling out the clock but can't (for the life of me) remember in what gym I was. Just know I was courtside.
Remember how Kovalski's final year was shortened because his wife poured a pot of hot water on his foot?
Still see Benedict at many PC games ... ever the Friar!!!
And finally, the late fall of 1965 (I was a freshman) brought great hope and anticipation for the Friars after a one-time #4 ranking the previous year when we were 19-0. Father Haas was the President Of PC and he announced a spirit campaign to get the fans into the first game (against Villanova who had ended our win streak the previous year). He wanted to send a message to Villanova that there were going into a war with the Friars. He challenged the dorms to hang painted sheets out the dorm windows with slogans to send Villanova the messsage. So two of my friends hung out a sheet that read "Villanova girls make PC boys root harder". Those nameless frosh got 10 days suspension!!!
Those were the days ...
PIZZA, SODA, GRINDERS!!!
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Post by mtwpc on Oct 20, 2014 19:46:29 GMT -5
You were in Alumni Hall.I believe it was a Sunday afternoon game.As a member of the Friars club, I was stationed right in front of the section of BC fans. All they did in the second half was shake their heads as Walker scored at will. Cousy was doing the same. Walker had scored 90 points in the two games against BC.
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Post by mtwpc on Oct 20, 2014 19:54:08 GMT -5
A postscript to the above. A couple of years later Father Haas proposed that school deemphasize basketball. Powerful supporters shot that idea down. Father Haas would later leave the priesthood and get married.
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Post by rooster on Oct 20, 2014 20:42:14 GMT -5
I grew up hearing the stories of the Flynn/Ernst teams and Walker teams - made me want to go to PC. With the Walker teams it was always "what if Westbrook had played more then just one year.."
Speaking of BIng coming from DC, I had heard that in the late 50's one player from DC who wanted to come to PC, but the school only had one 'ship left and gave it to a local player - the DC kid ended having to go to a small school out west (Seattle) - Elgin Baylor.
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pcdad
Friar Fanatic
Posts: 3,701
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Post by pcdad on Oct 21, 2014 14:14:38 GMT -5
sounds like the "Tim Duncan" to PC story, "no more scholarships available"
Hard to imagine PC did not make room for Elgin Baylor.
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Post by dex on Oct 21, 2014 14:37:48 GMT -5
Some of these stories remind me how blessed we are to have Fr Shanley...some of his predessors were not so inclined to sports.
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Post by beamer on Oct 21, 2014 22:55:48 GMT -5
Quite a read, quite a memory, quite a player
Among the blessings I received at Providence College was being the manager of the basketball team for my first two years. Freshman year I sat next to Dave Gavitt who coached our 1-16 team (at the same time the varsity was undefeated and the fans felt the model was a frosh loss, a varsity win. We were winless well in to February when we beat Quonset Point. The fans were actually rooting for Quonset..booing every time we scored. No harm, however; the varsity won that night.) During my sophomore year I was sitting next to Joe Mullaney, on his right, toward the scorer's table. I can verify the many "Benny, your killing me..." but in softer tones say, ".great shot!". And yes, I was there picking up basketballs before 18,499 fans for three nights in a row when Jimmy Walker scored 29 (NYU), 39 (Illinois), and, of course the 50 point performance in a game that we trailed most of the way. After the first two posts on this line, I went on the Internet trying to find the final game on a YouTube I found about a year ago. No luck tonight, but I found the first two games of that Festival. Had I found it I would have sent it to wtm97 and Dex. I selfishly would have pointed out the guy with a tie and jacket sitting next to last player on the bench. They would also see that guy jumping up when we scored and being the first guy on the floor at the final horn.
Jimmy Benedict, was solid, confident, classy. Never said much, just went out and did it. I try to see him when I come for a game or two each year (on live on LI). We were both pallbearers when Joe Mullaney was put to rest at far to early an age. Billy Blair, who recently passed away after working with underprivileged children in the San Antonio area, led the nation in foul shooting that year. Mike Riordon, whose workmanlike approach to the game earned him a well deserved career in the NBA, also said very little, he just played the game. To show you what kind of guy he was check this out. Billy Blair made a long tape of songs that played throughout the time the players were dressing; he thought this would psyche everyone up. Home or away, the tape was played. Remember this was 1965 and the tape was a six inch wide reel that ran to another reel. During the Festival the team stayed at the Manhattan Hotel which was about ten blocks from the Old Garden. We all met in the lobby and walked to the Garden together. One night I was assigned to bring the tape recorder which to me weighed a ton. Mike saw me struggling and simply said, "I'll take it the rest of the way." That, my friends, says it all about Mike Riordon.
During the second BC game, I was sitting next to Joe when Big K, with no play called, suddenly found himself with the ball outside the circle and no one would guard him. Joe told he to just dribble. K put on a few fakes that would drive, and the hearts of the Friar fans beat a bit faster. Joe called time out with ten seconds to go. I gave him the chalk and the board and he drew up the play. As stated earlier it was a special for Walk with the other four down low, two by two, on either side of the basket. The play was for Walk to get the ball on the right side of the court and make a drive with five seconds to go. When he made that move, K was to drop back to the foul line and get a pass from Walk. "I guarantee there'll be nobody near you," he told K. Walk ran the play but got fouled on the pass to K, who, for the record, got the pass at the foul line and "swish". That one didn't count, but the Walk won the game with two free throws. When asked why he let Big K stay out there alone, BC Coach Bod Cousy was quoted to say, "I thought we could be them in overtime."
After the game, I put the chalk in my coat pocket, then in my drawer in McDermott, and then in the top drawn in my desk at home for many years...then one day it was gone.
But the memory is still there..."I guarantee there'll be nobody near you"
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Post by bostonfriar on Oct 22, 2014 1:14:33 GMT -5
As long as we are telling stories.... I was in the same class as Walker, Riordan and Westbrook.
Things were very simple then. Westbrook lived across the hall in 4th floor Aquinas and Jimmy lived on the 3rd floor.
One day the players wanted to have their friends travel to Hanson Field in Bedford MA for a game. They asked Gavitt and he said OK so a bunch of us were on the bus with the freshmen team.
Walker had cut his foot on a broken glass from some horseplay in his room with my future room mate in the Pits, Ray Van Epps so he could not play.
The air base players were much older and it was a rough game.
Finally Westbrook had enough, ripped down a rebound, went behind his back, between his legs and -as I recall slammed a dunk. Might be wrong about the dunk rules wise but the game was then in hand.
The team had a watch engraved for Gavitt with an undefeated reconditioned on the back ...before the last game was played.
Dexter asked me one day why I was running for Student Congress. I told him and the next day he stooD up in class and made an election so each on my behalf. I won.
Some of the reasons I love PC.
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Post by friara on Oct 22, 2014 5:26:04 GMT -5
Great stuff guys. love threads like these.
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